For everyone who doesn't "get" Infinite Jest, there's a reason. I implore you to read The Pale King first. It's much less tedious and a quicker read, and it truly explains his writing style and thought process. In fact I'm surprised that The Pale King isn't even mentioned on this board- it's such a pivotal work preceding Infinite Jest and really the Metamodernist movement, it should gain more momentum here.
>>7509391
>The Pale King
>preceding Infinite Jest
I Like TPK, mind you; but did you make an error here, or are you referring to something other than writing/publication order?
>>7509404
Let me clarify. IJ was published before TPK, but in terms of comprehension and accessibility, I recommend reading Pale King first.
>>7509391
>A book about tedium is less tedius than a book about entertainment
DFW is the king of meta.
i think wallace simply made his weaknesses as a writer his themes
>why is there so much overwriting and unnecessary detail?
>well, that's because ,uh, modern life is like, coming at you, really fast, and there's lots of detail, in life, with the internet and television, you know, stuff like that.
>why is the book so tedious to read?
>well, thats because, uh, television is, like, really easy, you just like sit there you know, and that's, this is the opposite of that, so you gotta make the reader work, as penance, for all the tv they watched, you know.
>why didnt you write an ending?
>oh well thats because like television shows, you know, they, they're always ending...
>>7509391
I thought Infinite Jest was pretty easy to "get" at a basic level. It's compressed dry humor and it's so long you can just start back at the beginning once you've finished.
>>7509391
wait a minute
this isn't a fucking query
this is just you with your fucking suggestion
wtf IJ was like pure entertainment for me. Tons of wacky characters, really unique dialogue, tons of perspectives, action scenes, really cool world building, costumes.
It was like a fucking wes anderson movie or something.
I'm worried that if you guys think IJ is tedious and boring you're not gonna make it :/
>>7509538
Tennis descriptions are boring as fuck, but I'm really enjoying it so far. Not OP btw
>>7509588
wait till you hit the random scene with a guy's withdrawal from heroin.
10/10
>>7509391
Most people who didn't get IJ read it too slowly and started to forget things as they went along. It's way more coherent if you read as much as you possibly can every day, preferably on a vacation. Things seem perfectly linear and logical if you read it in two weeks or so.
>>7509538
oh man
it is pretty wes andersony
hbo or somebody gotta do a mini-series and get him to direct and it might even not be 100% dogshit
>>7509538
This, all that bullshit about it being a 'meme-book' I read here and it's pulled me in harder than most shit I've read.
>>7509588
I can understand this, I've played tennis myself for years so I thought it was interesting but I see how it is mundane when you don't care or know about the sport.
>>7509688
>being on vacation
>reading every day
Interesting. You probably have day trips to the beach with your Kindle, while everyone else is surfing, and hitting on broads in bikinis. BAKA.
