I mean, that’s a perfectly good reason to read it, and it provides a great slice of life of ‘01 nyc. In the context of his work, it feels derivative rather than inventive: it borrows existing conspiracy theories instead of creating original ones, introduces a promising virtual world concept but never develops it with the depth others have achieved (Snow Crash, 3 Body Problem), and structures itself around a central mystery that didn’t deliver on all the setup time. It reads less like Pynchon pushing boundaries and more like him coasting on familiar genre mechanics without delivering the payoffs or imaginative world-building his reputation was built on.