In commissioning this foreword, the publisher wanted a very brief and breezy essay that might convince a new reader of Infinite jest that the book is approachable, effortless even - a barrel of monkeys' worth of fun to read. >> Anonymous 03/05/21(Fri)05:00:30 No. Signaling. I love his non-fiction and many recommend this, but I am not really convinced it is the best yardstick to judge his fiction (there are surface similarities, but I personally find the reading experience totally different). There’s like pages worth of footnotes. Today, I turned the last page of Infinite Jest, around a week late for my deadline. “If nothing else, the success of Infinite Jest is proof that the Great American Hype Machine can still work wonders, in terms of sales. I read it and really enjoyed it. You really should just read it - even if it's just the first chapter and decide for yourself. Brush up on book on Wikipedia to corroborate thin claim of readership. Nat: “it’s one of the most incredible books I’ve read that I never ever want to read again”. It is the Gen-X Ulysses that even those like me, who … If you say "Maybe" give it a shot and see how you feel, it might open up the doors to a new literary canon for you. The encyclopaedic novel . It is worth reading if it is your type of book, but the length/footnotes/multiple storylines/voice(s) might put some readers off (particularly the combination thereof). Begin reading Wikipedia entry multiple times, but repeatedly get distracted by need to … Not throwing books at walls . What makes the book’s success even more noteworthy is that it is, in a word, terrible. Maybe you’ll actually know where you stand. It is very well written, has interesting characters, and unique story lines. Wallace thinks at 100mph without brakes, and in such an absurd amount of detail that reading Infinite Jest is like going on a Wikipedia binge during a speed bender (actually, that wouldn’t be out of place in this story). Most people accepted my invitation with a cautious “I’ll see what I can do, no promises … ”, but one response, from the writer Joe Dunthorne, made me nervous. It's unlike any book I've ever read before. Seriously, one of the most incredible parts of reading Infinite Jest is when it picks up speed and takes over your life. It was the tone usually reserved for the ex-lover who truly did a number on you, and it frightened me. When James Incandenza’s ghost muses about the futility of the extras’ lives in the TV show Cheers, and how he wanted to make films where every character had an audible voice, I began to see Infinite Jest for what it is: Wallace’s attempt to tell us that we are all important, we are all desperate, we are all broken, that all our fathers and mothers are the roots of our pain, and that all our addictions are overwhelming. But the most addictive force in Infinite Jest is a seemingly innocuous videotape referred to simply as “the entertainment.” Making readers work hard . If watching the same shows and playing the same video games is starting to get old during our coronavirus pandemic isolation, then it may finally be time to pick up that really long book you've been It is the Gen-X Ulysses that even those like me, who consider themselves DFW superfans, are nervous to attempt, many preferring to feed their devotion with his essays and short stories. Well. I promise you. Once a confidently fast reader, I found myself reading at the pace of a person learning a foreign language. I've heard people say it's the greatest book in existence and others say it's a horrible book you shouldn't waste your time with. I don't think it is a book I would recommend for most people, however. 17701391. Infinite Jest is one of the latter, and I think that's why people never really stop reading it; it's only good while you're reading i There are 2 kinds of difficult novels: those that you don't enjoy while reading, but you genuinely enjoying having read, and those that you only enjoy while reading because the small picture stuff is infinitely better than the novel as a whole. Do not pass go, do not start Googling! Now, there is no doubt that Wallace’s lingering presence in the world most mirrors the charismatic legacy of James Incandenza, the “infinite jester”, who leaves behind a piece of entertainment so potent that those who come across it are permanently changed. 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