Its name is taken from the david foster wallace novel entitled infinite jest, the title of which is in turn taken from a line in william shakespeares hamlet. Once you finish the last page, the story pushes you to return to page one in order to put all the clues together and understand what youve read, over and over again. On march 27, hachette audio released david foster wallaces magnum opus infinite jest most of it, at least as a 56hourlong audiobook. I remembered seeing this author in interviews and wanting to dive in this book. I received an email earlier today from a reader who had excitedly received their unabridged audio book of infinite jest only to discover that in. Possible ex library copy, will have the markings and stickers associated from the library. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading infinite jest. A gargantuan, mindaltering comedy about the pursuit of happiness. Detailed summary, analysis and reading guide by bright summaries. David foster wallaces infinite jest is an audiobook. Shakespeares book of insults, insights and infinite jests by william shakespeare.
Infinite jest by david foster wallace book analysis. Ill forever ignore the haters and say im happy to have found this thing that instructs, that entertains, that loves. While the literary acrobatics of infinite jest may frustrate or even repel some readers, those same qualities have captivated others. From heart of darkness to hemingway to infinite jest the graphic canon series.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The david foster wallace reader by david foster wallace. A fan site that offers tips on how to read infinite jest recommends carrying around a notebook and multiple bookmarks along with the 3 lb. Click and collect from your local waterstones or get free uk delivery on orders over. Heres how i finally read infinite jest and how you can, too. Infinite jest is my desertisland book, a book that i could not wring all the pleasure from if i squeezed for a century. 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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Eggerss introduction observed that infinite jest was 1,067 pages long and there is not one lazy sentence. Infinite jest in the age of addiction the millions. When his infinite jest came out 20 years ago, david foster wallace felt some anxiety about how his fully stuffed novel would be received.
Infinite jest by david foster wallace, paperback barnes. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Why i cannot recommend the infinite jest audio book was the title of. Infinite jest is a cult book that became a phenomenon right from its publication day in 1996. University of california television uctv 259,272 views 28. So many people post their i just finished x post, and while thats fine, what i hope to do differently is having just finished infinite jest, write a post i would have liked to have read before having started the book. When i was asking my friends on what i should read next, they suggested infinite jest by david foster wallace. On reading the first chapter of infinite jest sally allen. Why i cannot recommend the infinite jest audio book was the title of a post published on the howling. Today, i turned the last page of infinite jest, around a week late for my deadline. Infinite jest, and the pale king, and legendary stories like the depressed person.
While i cant read the book not even the end notes for you, i. Navigating its maze of relationships and 400 footnotes could drive even the most seasoned literary disentanglers up the reading room wall. Dont be afraid to ask questions about it or share your ideas. Buy infinite jest 01 by foster wallace, david isbn. Infinite jest is an ep by american indie rock band we are the fury. The dazzling, exhilarating san francisco chronicle debut novel from the bestselling author of infinite jest, available for the first. So did i, for the first two or three pages, until i saw the author didnt give a damn. With its baroque subplots, zany political satire, morbid, cerebral humor and astonishing range of cultural references, wallaces brilliant but somewhat bloated dirigible of a second novel after the b. If one of your reading resolutions is to finally finish infinite jest, david foster wallaces mammoth novel, im here to help. Why i cannot recommend the infinite jest audio book. Infinite jest is the name of a movie said to be so entertaining that anyone who watches it loses all desire to do anything but watch it.
Steven asin infinite jest is the perfect book for the kindle paperwhite. Publication date 2006 topics compulsive behavior, addicts. Back in 2009, for the infinite summer project, i contributed to a short list of tips for reading infinite jest. In 2006, little brown published a 10th anniversary edition of david foster wallaces infinite jest that featured a foreword by dave eggers. It was released in 2006 as a reissue of their 2005 ep the fury. You start the book having no clue when it is happening and who the various characters are.
David foster wallaces infinite jest, a favorite book of many, is the kind of genrebender that will thwart your mind with its convoluted narrative, plethora of allusions and cultural references, and multilateral connections between the characters. Equal parts philosophical quest and screwball comedy, infinite jest bends every rule of fiction, features a huge cast and multilevel narrative, and questions essential elements of american culture our entertainments, our addictions, our relationships, our. Equal parts philosophical quest and screwball comedy, infinite jest bends every rule of fiction without sacrificing for a moment its own entertainment value. 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 copy of the book is sawn in three, abused, with smudges of food across its pages, from when i couldnt stop. Thinking about giving it a shot but dont want to waste the money if its just as hard to follow as read.
Infinite jest by david foster wallace audiobook 17 youtube. Buy infinite jest by david foster wallace from waterstones today. The novel is widely noted for its unconventional narrative structure and its experimental use of endnotes there are a total of 388 endnotes, some with footnotes of their own. David foster wallaces infinite jest, is, without question, the best book ive ever read. Critic stephen burn, in his book on infinite jest, argues convincingly that y. A gargantuan, mindaltering comedy about the pursuit of happiness in america 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 explores essential questions about what entertainment is and why it. The final joke of infinite jest is that the book is intended to be almost as. The book is drumtight and relentlessly smart and, though it does not wear its heart on its.
This book is wandering, selfindulgent, overwritten, and gives ample evidence that the academics and literati are captivated by the deranged workings of a damaged mind wallace struggled with addictions and mental illness and killed himself a couple years after infinite jest was published. In a sprawling, wild, superhyped magnum opus, david foster wallace fulfills the promise of his precocious novel the broom of the system. Infinite jest kindle edition by wallace, david foster. But after you have read the book, or at least a large portion of it, the desire to talk about it can be very strong. Accessories such as cd, codes, toys, may not be included.
It all started with a post called 1088 reasons you should read. Infinite jest by david foster wallace, first edition, signed. Hardcover, audio cd infinite jest by david foster wallace book analysis. What its like to record the audiobook version of infinite. 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. He had a convenient reason to start infinite winter in 2016 its the 20th anniversary of infinite jest. 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. Infinite jest book club tackles the big tome on its 20th. Software sites tucows software library shareware cd roms software capsules compilation cd rom images zx spectrum doom level cd. You can peruse their how to read infinite jest post here. I cant recommend the purchase of the what at first appears to be the amazing ive heard good things about the audio. On sunday, i named infinite jest as a book readers can benefit from dipping into, even if they never read it straight through to the end. Its not possible to put all my thoughts in a video there are so many and they keep coming. A book that has shaped popular culture despite or because of its length which demands a bit of much rewarding work from the reader.
He was also a tragic figure, hanging himself when changing antidepressants in 2008. Beyond the ease with which one can lookup footnotes, consider the following. Theyre only getting infinite jest preloaded on mp3 players, so it will be. 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. In short, if finnegans wake was a rancid fart that was proudly left to rip, infinite jest is a weak one, lacking sound and odor. He did though, leave behind a hugely impressive body of work and infinite jest, in my opinion, having read everything he has written over the years, is his crowning glory. Infinite jest by david foster wallace, 9780349121086, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. David foster wallaces infinite jest is an audiobook, minus. An ambitious and frequently brilliant fictional exploration of the pursuit of pleasure and its ramifying consequences, by the antic author of girl with curious hair 1989, etc. Infinite jest is a 1996 novel by american writer david foster wallace. What its like to record the audiobook version of infinite jest. Why i cannot recommend the infinite jest audio book infinite jest. Also check out my tips on how to finish reading this book.
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