In a sprawling, wild, superhyped magnum opus, david foster wallace fulfills the promise of his precocious novel the broom of the system. Partly this was because i was reading it in situations when the weight and bulk of the physical edition would have been a big hassle, with infinite jest this is more of an issue than with a lot of other books. 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. The novel is a interconnected sequence of events, told out of timeline order, that focuses on addiction in all its forms. Segel stars as the critically acclaimed writer in end of the tour, which tells the story of the fiveday interview between wallace and journalist david lipsky, played by jesse eisenberg. Everybody is identical in their secret unspoken belief that way deep down they are different from everyone else. Infinite jest, the title of david foster wallaces gargantuan new novel, is a kind of inside joke. At the top of a hill is the enfield tennis academy, and at the base of the hill is the ennet hou. Free delivery worldwide on over 20 million books we use cookies to give you the best possible experience. Infinite jest, book by david foster wallace paperback. In the forward, dave eggers admits that this isnt a book that you can read.
Jan 16, 2007 the novel infinite jest is the story of this addictive entertainment, and in particular how it affects a boston halfway house for recovering addicts and a nearby tennis academy, whose students have many budding addictions of their own. Burn is associate professor of english at northern michigan university, usa. I read the kindle version and it worked pretty well for me. I was wondering if someone could explain it to me, not necessarily in the context of the book, but just as a concept in general. Wallace, who railed against irony, wanted to be sincere in his writing. I ordered 2 books from book depository on february 3rd, 2017. Infinite jest by david foster wallace 71,477 ratings, 4. They are items that provide hours of enjoyment for the recipient. At the very least, infinite jest, his new, 1,079page novel including 90 pages devoted to esoteric endnotes, gives a whole new twist to the word infinite. This deluxe paperback editionfeaturing flaps, new cover art, and a new foreword by tom bissellcelebrates the 20th anniversary of the original publication of infinite jest. I felt compelled throughout to read it aloud, such was the almost poetic quality of it. With regard to the basic 14 plot line, the setting for the majority of the action is enfield, a fictional suburbia town outside of boston. Infinite jest has a reputation for being one of those books that everyone starts and no one finishes. Apr 22, 2020 book depository is the worlds most international online bookstore offering over 20 million books with free delivery worldwide.
Infinite jest is a 1996 novel by american writer david foster wallace. Annulation in infinite jest im almost done with infinite jest and ive noticed that david foster wallace brings up annulation a lot. Infinite jest first edition signed david foster wallace. 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. Crack out your copy of infinite jest, and recreate it in lego. Infinite jest by david foster wallace, 9780349121086, available at book depository with free delivery. Reviews of infinite jest david foster wallace wiki. Dfws masterpiece otherwise known as the pinnacle of postmodern literary snobbery. He is author of david foster wallaces infinite jest continuum 2003. Feb, 1996 infinite jest by david foster wallace 1,079 pages.
As the novel unfolds, various individuals, organizations. A book is also a considerate option when giving to an acquaintance such as. It came amidst and around an apartment move, a college graduation, and a job transition. 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. You start the book having no clue when it is happening and who the various characters are. Feb 01, 1996 admittedly, infinite jest is a tough book. 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. Book has light shelfedgecorner wear else bright and clean, tight and square with no markings or tears. Feb 07, 2016 infinite jest, in other words, can be exceedingly frustrating. 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. Infinite jest is a novel written by david foster wallace. The book depository coupon codes save 10% w may 2020. This huge volume will prop open even a castles gates.
Of course, its exhausting to read such a mega book. Infinite jest by foster wallace, david paperback book the fast free shipping. Apr, 2009 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 has come to so dominate our lives. As the novel unfolds, various individuals, organizations, and governments vie to obtain the master copy of infinite jest for their own ends, and the denizens of the tennis school and the halfway house are caught up in increasingly desperate efforts to control the movie as is a cast including burglars, transvestite muggers, scam artists. Everything ive ever let go of has claw marks on it 606. Additionally signed by the dust jacket artist steve snider on the rear panel. Now you can get flat 10% off on all czech republic books purchase only at the book depository status. I made it through the first 200 pages or so, and was none the wiser. Here, as in all of his work, wallaces achievement was to make thinking about the effects of postmodern life, and thinking about thinking about them, one of. 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. Infinite jest, in other words, can be exceedingly frustrating. Certainly infinite jest requires some interpretive work, as well as the plain old effort involved in devoting oneself to finishing a book that concludes at page 1079, after close to 100 pages of notes and erratanot to mention reading it, as wallace hopes, twice.
That was the project embarked upon back in april by american english professor kevin griffith and his 11yearold son sebastian. First edition stated first printing 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 of late authors magnum opus. Detailed summary, analysis and reading guide bright. At the top of a hill is the enfield tennis academy, and at the base of the hill is the ennet house. To fully understand what wallace was up to, the book bears being read, and reread, with talmudic focus and devotion. Beyond the ease with which one can lookup footnotes, consider the following.
Infinite jest 20th anniversary edition special edition by. This is a reading of an excerpt of the book infinite jest by the late david foster wallace, my favorite author. But if you are seeking something other, then this book will not disappoint. Sep 03, 2012 i first tried reading infinite jest in the summerfall of 2010.
Producing, promoting, and developing innovative comedy and spoken word entertainment in northern ireland. Technically, since the book was originally published in 1996, it is hypothetically set around 2014. 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 has come to so dominate our lives. Infinite jest david foster wallace first edition signed. The buzzing, claustrophobic energy of infinite jest, wallaces mammoth 1,079page satire of america, immediately placed him in the company of pynchon and delillo wall street journal. Infinite jest by david foster wallace book analysis. So while this book does contain many postmodern conventions, its ideas about humanity arent postmodern at all. I absolutely adore this man and his work and i tried my best to do a proper. Infinite jest by david foster wallace, first edition. Steven asin infinite jest is the perfect book for the kindle paperwhite. Infinite jest 9780349121086 by wallace, david foster. 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 has come to so dominate our lives.
Infinite jest by wallace, david foster and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. A gargantuan, mindaltering comedy about the pursuit of happiness in america set in an. They are a onesizefitsall solution to the problem of what to buy for a loved one. In the novels future world, the united states, canada, and mexico together compose a.
I have the old kindle2 so endnotes were a little bit laggy but they link back and forth from the main text easily enough and i. Aug 27, 2014 crack out your copy of infinite jest, and recreate it in lego. Infinite jest by david foster wallace, 9780316306058, available at book depository with free. The novel infinite jest is the story of this addictive entertainment, and in particular how it affects a boston halfway house for recovering addicts and a nearby tennis academy, whose students have many budding addictions of their own. David foster wallaces infinite jest is a postmodern novel with a premodern message. Infinite jest is both sad, depressed and funny and even 25 years after it was published in 1994 remains relevant to the modern age. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience. So infinite jest gets its title from hamletthe melancholy dane meditating on death and remembering poor yorick, the court jester. And the bouncing backandforth is a feature, not a bug. In fact, its take on the very nature of entertainment itself perhaps foresaw the age of vanity and social media, as seen through the prisms of tinder, facebook, twitter and instagram. Infinite jest 20th anniversary edition special edition. I have three helpers to infinite jest, each purchased at different readings of the great novel.
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. The book was edited by publisher little, brown and companys michael pietsch, who has recalled cutting about 250 manuscript pages. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Apr 23, 2011 i just finished reading pages 71 in infinite jest.
Jason segel definitely read all of infinite jest before. That was the project embarked upon back in april by american english professor kevin griffith and his 11. 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. I first tried reading infinite jest in the summerfall of 2010. Technically, since the book was originally published in. I did find it a bit of a slog for the first 100 pages, but once i learned to trust that the author would fill in the blanks for me over time, everything became awesome.
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. Each one has good material, but for an overall or first read of the book. They are not boring bibliographic details, but rather an integral part of the text. The plot of infinite jest takes place in a somewhatmoredystopian future uni. Its been a very long time since the last time i blogged, but now i think i will be back for real.
Infinite jest by david foster wallace free download. Its a long story, with over pages, but if you are hungry for literature, this one is for you. A book is also a considerate option when giving to an acquaintance such as a coworker. Infinite summer blog archive how to read infinite jest. The lack of physicality is a bummer, but i feel its vastly compensated by having access to everything id like to read in seconds. Book depository is the worlds most international online bookstore offering over 20 million books with free delivery worldwide. Infinite jest by david foster wallace, first edition abebooks.
Discover book depository s huge selection of david foster wallace books online. Unquestionably, infinite jest required great ambition and focus to write, and requires a bit of ambition and focus to read as well. Equal parts philosophical quest and screwball comedy, infinite jest bends every rule of fiction without sacrificing for a moment its own entertainment value. Infinite jest by david foster wallace overdrive rakuten. Sep 10, 2016 its been a bit of a journey on this one. It is an exuberant, uniquely american exploration of the passions that make us human and one of those rare books that renew the very idea of what a novelcan do. A study of david foster wallaces infinite jest, and david foster wallaces infinite jest.
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