d e n wrote:I'm on page 432 of IJ and I started it around 5 months ago... I have been taking my time with it though and often end up rereading pages/footnotes as I go as to ensure I'm not unconscious of important details , not to mention 1 page of IJ is really like 1.75 pages of a normally sized book. I also have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and if don't through the prose smoothly i reread words - and there are plenty of words to stumble over in IJ. I am feeling though, for this second half I want to delve in and keep the momentum flowing and try to finish it before the end of Summer. I was surprised to see Dave Eggars in the foreword refer to IJ as a crazy single month of reading. I'm also reading Consider the Lobster at the same time for when I'm on the move since IJ is often too heavy an object to carry around. Just finished the Kafka essay. Going to hit up Girl With Curious Hair after. I think if you really feel a connection with DFW read Infinite Jest first. It's almost inevitable if you like his non-fiction and short stories and for me I figured if I didn't read it now I'd wouldn't be able to not face when I'm older. I wanted to have experienced it now and gained insight on addiction while I'm younger (22) ... personally, there is no way I could have seriously read this book in highschool.
In IJ the last amazing passage to me was the Eschaton game... holy! OTIS P. LORD. the book is very sad, but it is also incredibly entertaining.
Anyway, David Foster Wallace is just one of those people... words fail. He reminds of Elliott Smith in way... he was a genius with so much heart. just tuned to a different frequency... and he eliminated his own map for keeps. He was also extremely prophetic with IJ in regards to entertainment.
but honestly turning back is for bitches so fook all the people who didn't even read past page 200 then flooded amazon with unfavorable critiques.
P.S another thing I've noticed with IJ is that it is sort of like training in reading. After reading that book, between the length and the language, almost nothing will ever phase you in reading again...
before I started IJ I had just finished Man, Nature, and Woman and a book of essays called This Is It by Alan Watts .
also will be reading You Are Not A Gadget per recommendation from M. Sandison
In much agreement for this post, DFW was so passionate and genuine - huge respect for the man. Keep at it though man, its just a beautiful book. Also I definitely sympathise with the whole meticulous way of re reading something, I do it myself too.
One tip for IJ if you haven't already done it: Use two book marks so flicking becomes much easier
Im about to start The Magic Mountain again, so so good.
Sagan: In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.
Basinski: I wanted Cascade to become this crystalline organism like a star or a liquid crystal spaceship, a jellyfish traveling through the galaxy…