Sooner or later i had to see what the fuss was about. Find books like 2666 from the worlds largest community of readers. Set in an addicts halfway house and a tennis academy, and featuring the most endearingly screwedup family to come along in recent fiction, infinite jest. Incandenza is the star of wallaces seminal novel infinite jest the 1,000page book centres on the missing master copy of his film of the same name, so. Infinite jest 20th anniversary edition special edition. Apr 02, 2011 fifteen years after infinite jest was first published, and three years after i interviewed author david foster wallace shortly before his suicide, ive finally decided to finish his most. Infinite jest by david foster wallace, first edition abebooks. The novel is widely noted for its unconventional narrative structure and its experimental use of endnotes there are 388 endnotes, some with footnotes of their own.
Time magazine listed the novel as one of the 100best english novels written between 1923 and 2005. Harold bloom said about the novel, you know, i dont want to be offensive. The novel is a interconnected sequence of events, told out of timeline order, that focuses on addiction in all its forms. Before his death in 2008, foster wallace was a prolific novelist, essayist and shortstory writer, as well as a professor of english. Infinite jest is a 1996 novel by david foster wallace comprising about 1,000 pages in addition to 388 endnotes. They are both long and have many characters but that is where the similarities end, thus these books might fit the bill for one more than the other. Apr 12, 2012 why i cannot recommend the infinite jest audio book infinite jest i guess this is a first for me and ill get straight to the point.
Feb 01, 1996 admittedly, infinite jest is a tough book. Only the stuff that turns out to have lasting interest appreciates over time. Infinite jest is notoriously known for being a long book its just shy of 1100 pages. The 5 impressive ways david foster wallaces infinite jest predicted. Keep in mind too that most books, even most first editions, are without collectible value. The infinite atlas project is an independent research and art project seeking to identify, place and describe every possible location in david foster wallaces infinite jest.
Beyond the ease with which one can lookup footnotes, consider the following. A few weeks ago, i wrote the foreword for infinite summer, a summerlong collective read of infinite jest, david foster wallaces bigass novel and one of my favorite books. Equal parts philosophical quest and screwball comedy, infinite jest bends every rule of fiction without sacrificing for a moment its own entertainment value. You start the book having no clue when it is happening and who the various characters are. List book on goodreads as current read, along with. As with wallaces infinite jest, in the savage detectives bolano delivered a genuine epic inoculated against grandiosity by humane irony, vernacular wit and a hint of punkrock. At the macro level, infinite jest consists of numerous anticonfluential wallaces word episodes set a dozen years or so in the future as was the broom, at a time when numerical designations for years have been sold to corporate sponsors.
I was in france at the time, and when i got back to the u. Buy infinite jest 01 by foster wallace, david isbn. A novel of frenetic, literary accumulation, it is the brainchild of the most recent modern crisis the comic and the complex ambiguity of mankinds endless search for meaning. There is stuff that happens in the opening pages that explains events at the end of the book, albeit over pages and hundreds of footnotes away. Why i cannot recommend the infinite jest audio book. The beloved 1100page novel is david foster wallaces magnum opus and one of the most influential books of its time, but did you know he. Oct 18, 2016 infinite jest explores the idea that all humans are addicts and examines how the chosen drugs particularly entertainment of late 20th century americans eat them alive. Are there any other books i could read like infinite jest. Infinite jest, in other words, can be exceedingly frustrating.
In 2004, chad harbach declared that, in retrospect, infinite jest now looks like the central american novel of the past thirty years, a dense star for lesser work to orbit. The truth is it might be the worst novel ever written, or at least published, but given the fact that wallace has stiff competition from the burgeoning spawn of pc elitist writers, not to mention his own pomo kith, such as rick moody, dave eggers, and that. Apr 09, 2009 i began reading infinite jest by david foster wallace around october 2008. I do things like get in a taxi and say, the library, and step on it. I cant recommend the purchase of the what at first appears to be the amazing ive heard good things about the audio. On reading the first chapter of infinite jest sally allen. To fully understand what wallace was up to, the book bears being read, and reread. Book recommendations, author interviews, editors picks, and more. This woman has been slowly eating infinite jest for a year. The length of infinite jest should not be an obstacle to. Its a long story, with over pages, but if you are hungry for literature, this one is for you. Im about to finish 2666, and have realized that i really love this style of a sprawling narrative that consist of tons of different characters and the complex threads that connect them all.
Perhaps through a sort of literary stockholm syndrome, people that read infinite jest tend to worship it afterwards. Apr, 2009 equal parts philosophical quest and screwball comedy, infinite jest bends every rule of fiction without sacrificing for a moment its own entertainment value. Whether its drugs, sex, or fame, the novels primary goal is to examine the need for these addictions and show that it is possible to addicted to addiction itself. Last summer, for example, i read the double bind because of its connection with the great gatsby. Infinite jest, david foster walaces massive 1,079page tome, is one of the most beloved books of this millennium, but it is also one that through sheer dint of its size has taken on almost religious reverence. Infinite jest is simultaneously david foster wallaces magnum opus of his genius and his last kissoff before his suicide at age fortysix. The book was edited by publisher little, brown and companys michael pietsch, who has recalled cutting about 250 manuscript pages. Infinite jest goes on to the screen books the guardian. Infinite jest by david foster wallace, first edition, signed. Infinite jest, by david foster wallace, is the worst science fiction novel ever written. She prefers to spend all her time reading both children and adult books, but also enjoys spending time with her handsome dog henry and the movie fletch. Martins storm of swords are longer this, but i was able to clear those books much quicker than david foster wallaces second novel. There seems to be an issue about whether harold blooms criticism of infinite jest should be in this article. Im still trying to make sense of infinite jest io9.
The publication of infinite jest on feb 1, 1996 turned david foster wallace. Novels like 2666, infinite jest, gravitys rainbow, etc. Infinite jest 20th anniversary edition special edition by. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of infinite jest by david foster wallace. It is an exuberant,uniquely american exploration of the passions that make us humanand one of those rare books that renew the idea of what a novel can do.
David foster wallace and bryan a garner on writing. Both books have fans, but i think its safe to say that no twentyyearold will ever stick either of them in his or her backpack alongside infinite jest when they go trekking in nepal. Seriously how long will it take to read infinite jest. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. By my estimation infinite jest and 2666 have more differences between them than similarities. It is an exuberant, uniquely american exploration of the passions that make us human and one of those rare books that renew the. Infinite jest by david foster wallace turns 20 today, and im still confused by it all these years later. The length of infinite jest should not be an obstacle to finding pleasure in it.
As a college english major, ive read my fair share of great literature, and very few authors even approach wallaces ability to entertain, enlighten, mystify or infuriate. Heres how i finally read infinite jest and how you can, too. David foster wallaces infinite jest, is, without question, the best book ive ever read. It is our intent and purpose to foster and encourage indepth discussion about all things related to books.
Ive seldom been more engrossed in a novel, and more willing to put in the time of. The novel is widely noted for its unconventional narrative structure and its experimental use of endnotes. Infinite jest is a 1996 novel by david foster wallace comprising about 1,000 pages. Steven asin infinite jest is the perfect book for the kindle paperwhite. Wallace truly had written a book that changed american fiction. Infinite jest by david foster wallace, first edition. In a 2008 retrospective by the new york times, infinite jest was described as a masterpiece that s also a monster nearly 1,100 pages of mindblowing inventiveness and. It is an exuberant,uniquely american exploration of the passions that make us humanand one of those rare books that.
Not even the masters of the highlow rhetorical register go higher more panoramically or lower more exuberantly than. Also, as a teacher, i look for works that sound related to things we study in class. It is an exuberant, uniquely american exploration of the passions that make us human and one of those rare books that renew the idea of what a novel can do. My first attempt was a list of advice on reading the novelthe submission of which prompted infsums dungeon master, matthew baldwin, to write back with a frowny face and a. Buy infinite jest by david foster wallace from waterstones today. It refers, plotwise that is, to an object much sought after by terrorists.
Infinite jest is the perfect book for the kindle paperwhite. Infinite jest by david foster wallace, first edition, signed abebooks. Infinite jest is regarded as a literary bestseller, having sold 44,000 hardcover copies in its first year of publication. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Infinite jest is a genuinely groundbreaking novel of language. Not too many people write thousandpagers, much less read them. Infinite jest is a novel written by david foster wallace. Its a big very big, bold, complex book that divided critics yet nevertheless landed with a thud on that list of novels everyone intends to read someday.
It has been categorized as an encyclopedic novel and made time magazines list of the 100 best englishlanguage novels published between 1923 and 2005. Dec, 2019 equal parts philosophical quest and screwball comedy, infinite jest bends every rule of fiction without sacrificing for a moment its own entertainment value. Is infinite jest really the last great postmodern novel. Infinite jest by wallace, david foster and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Buy infinite jest book online at low prices in india. I am somewhat tempted to immediately start again, since the end is the beginning and you really cant pick it all up in a single read, but if anyone has a good followup or comedown read suggestion id be glad to hear. Thumb nose at pedestrians who arent carrying impressive, heavy books. I wouldnt get too hung up on how long it will take because if youre focused on reaching the end youre going to be disappointed. Infinite jest, the title of david foster wallaces gargantuan new novel, is a kind of inside joke. I had ordered the book from after hearing of david foster wallaces death.
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