Infinite Jest was first published February 1st 1996. Its the 20th anniversary, what are you going to do to celebrate?
I'm going to read it
I started reading for the very first time yesterday
:)
Nothing, because the only reason it is considered good is a lack of proper competition.
>>7649223
Finally getting round to reading it of course. Maybe I'll finish it by the time it has turned 21.
>>7649306
I fucking hated half the book and had to force myself through anything AA (while enjoying everything tennis academy related). Took me 7 weeks.
it's my birthday
>>7649223
it's 20 but it feels like im born again :) thanks david. for the memories
>>7649223
I started it last year on July 15th, read 20 pages every day for a month, then i picked it back up in December 15th and finished it on december 30th. its a hell of a ride, cant believe i read all that. that shit is dense and has so much information that 10 pages is a lot to take in.
the upside is that its extremely entertaining, hilarious, feely, and I could empathize with the characters to a level I did not know was possible. THe reason for this being that its set in such a modern and informal atmosphere that I feel like ive met people like Erdedy or Hal in my life.
I was not very sure of what had exactly happened wrt the Entertainment and the ONAN when the book ended and kinda had to go back to some parts of the book and check online on plot analysis.
it has not dated one bit and it perfectly describes the concept of "seeking constant entertainment as a means of being happy in the United States".
I did wish I had started with some lighter-weight novels as an introduction to pomo lit. I had read everything by Cortazar, Sabato, and the Existentialists so I felt a little comfortable, but it would have helped if i had read some of the pynchon i read later(V., CoL 49, GR) before this baby
>>7649398
And you're on 4chan
>>7649223
Absolutely nothing, I have definitively concluded that although DFW is an okay meme, he is shit as a writer
i'm gonna try to talk a sweaty sperg into hanging himself
>>7649398
happy birthday cutie
>>7649398
Happy birthday anon
>>7649492
You make me feel like reading it.
>>7649492
Those Pinecones are all a lot more dense than Infinite Jest. I read the first two parts of the meme trilogy (Ulysses, Gravity's Rainbow, Infinite Jest) first and Infinite Jest was the easiest one by far.
If i read and enjoyed A supposedly fun thing i will never do again im ready to read infinite jest? I feel like i am too plebby for this book :(
>>7649244
so?
Who cares it's good
How can you have competition if you are an originator
>>7649617
It's not difficult to read, just long.
>>7649223
>Its the 20th anniversary
>Its
OK…
>>7649625
This. The Pale King is better than IJ though.
>>7649617
The writing itself isn't that complex. It's just really long for a standalone book, there are some big/obscure words, and the whole flipping back and forth between the notes and text can take some getting used to.
>>7649648
I'm around page 60 and the flipping back and forth is annoying already. Do you honestly get used to it?
Is it weird to ask if there is an IJ trading strategy? Like do people just constantly keep a finger in the notes section?
>>7649694
>what are two bookmarks
>>7649697
I already use that system. I'm just saying it's faster to switch between places by just keeping my finger in the notes section constantly. It's just annoying.
Why did DFW even do this footnotes shit
>>7649718
buy two copies and keep one open to where you need. I did find it pretty tedious too but that's just the maximalist style he was trying to capture. Stick in for 300 pages and it gets better once you start to get to know everyone
>>7649694
You'll probably get more or less used to it by page 200-300 if you have the patience to keep going.
>>7649718
>Why did DFW even do this footnotes shit
You will find out soon enough... hopefully.
>>7649617
i took me two years of off and on reading to read infinite jest, and i don't even read all that much + i'm from the south so you can do anything
>>7649799
>+ i'm from the south
¿?
>>7649244
isn't that a testament to it's quality? That it's unrivaled?
Happy Birthday to the book Infinite Jest
