What is the setting of V by Thomas Pynchon?

The novel, V., is set in several different time periods and several different locations. It opens in Norfolk, Virginia in 1955 and 1956, but the majority of the action in that time frame takes place in New York City. It is portrayed as a hard, fast time, where people spend their days partying and all the days blend together. As the story follows the incarnations of the mysterious woman V., the setting changes several times. V. appears in several different countries in several different periods. She appears as Victoria Wren in Egypt and in Florence, Italy, probably in the years leading up the the first World War. She later appears in Paris, France, where she takes a ballerina for a lover. She also appears in Malta twice, once as a spy and again as a priest. She even appears in the sewers below New York City. The contrast of the main location, New York, with the exotic locales where V. is spotted, is very clear. The story of V. and her various incarnations is set against the backdrop or urban setting of the main action involving Benny Profane, Rachel Owlglass, and the Whole Sick Crew. This gives the V. passages a more exotic feel, and contributes to the mystery behind the woman. Since each of V.'s appearances are marked by conflict or turmoil, it is important to note the time period surrounding each. Many of the scenes take place before, during, and after World War I, a tumultuous time throughout the world.