His novel infinite jest 1996 was listed by time magazine as one of the 100 best englishlanguage novels published between 1923 and 2005. Feb 26, 2016 12 if you think infinite jest at 1,100odd pages is a long book, be advised that it started longer. He was also a tragic figure, hanging himself when changing antidepressants in 2008. Dfws masterpiece otherwise known as the pinnacle of postmodern literary snobbery. David foster wallaces second novel is s et in an absurd but agonizingly believable nearfuture, and. 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. Some of the notes have footnotes themselves, and one of them is a lengthy filmography. 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.
Nov 27, 2017 i kind of strongly disagree with alexs post about the endnotes. I kind of strongly disagree with alexs post about the endnotes. Start a free 30day trial today and get your first audiobook. Feb 01, 1996 admittedly, infinite jest is a tough book. I cant recommend the purchase of the what at first appears to be the amazing ive heard good things about the audio. Wallace wrote to a friend that the fuckers cut by 600 pages from the first version. So this was the list of 11 most expensive audible books. Infinite jest has a reputation for being one of those books that everyone starts and no one finishes. Infinite jest is both sad, depressed and funny and even 25 years after it was published in 1994 remains relevant to the modern age. Because of his schedule, pratt had to record it in. 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. Initially the audiobook did not include the endnotes except as a text file attachment. In terms of pages spanned, there are two main plots that are on the whole fairly disjoint.
The novel is widely noted for its unconventional narrative structure and its experimental use of endnotes there are a total of 388. Set in an addicts halfway house and a tennis academy, and featuring the most endearingly screwedup family to c. Infinite jest also ends abruptly, leaving as many questions unanswered as does jims suicide. 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. It has been categorized as an encyclopedic novel and made time magazines list of the 100 best. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in infinite jest, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Hal incandenza, who is narrating, is in the admissions office of the university of. So im almost always constantly listening to books and im trying to find more and more time to do that and what ive been doing the past couple of years is ill put on some mindless game in the background. 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. Oct 19, 2016 ive read infinite jest three times the second reading being immediately after the first, of course, since the narrative is circular and the first part makes full sense only when you cruise into it from the last bits. I did find it a bit of a slog for the first 100 pages, but. Set in an addicts halfway house and a tennis academy, and featuring the most endearingly screwedup family to come along in recent fiction, the novel explores essential questions about what entertainment is and why it has come to dominate our lives, about how our desire for entertainment affects. Infinite jest ebook by david foster wallace rakuten kobo.
Sep, 2012 behind the david foster wallace myth the audiobook of d. 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. My transcript for the last year might have been dickied a bit, maybe, but that was to get me. It is the most fun book of this length that i have ever read. There is stuff that happens in the opening pages that. Burn 2012 the david foster wallace reader 2014 this 976 page book contains almost every other aspect of david foster wallaces work. Written by david foster wallace, audiobook narrated by sean pratt. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. A multilayered postmodern saga of damnation and salvation. I read it for the third time this year due to all of the 20th anniversary publicity and enjoyed it even more. Infinite jest is a 1996 novel by american writer david foster wallace. Infinite jest is a gargantuan, mindaltering comedy about the pursuit of happiness in america.
Why i cannot recommend the infinite jest audio book infinite jest. Ive read infinite jest three times the second reading being immediately after the first, of course, since the narrative is circular and the first part makes full sense only when you cruise into it. Infinite jest audiobook by david foster wallace 9781609418120. I cant recommend the purchase of the what at first appears to. The audiobook for infinite jest was released in 2012. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. A gargantuan, mindaltering comedy about the pursuit of happiness in america set in an addicts halfway house and a. In terms of pages spanned, there are two main plots that are on the. Infinite jest is difficult to summarize, not only because of its length but also because fundamental questions about narrative theory must be addressed in order to do so. Each of the characters occupies a distinct place in the fictional world.
Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Infinite jest infinite jest audiobook, by david foster wallace. Hal incandenza, who is narrating, is in the admissions office of the university of arizona along with his uncle charles. Wallaces particular conceit in infinite jest is that the events described are taking place in the indeterminate future, possibly. Finally he succumbed, making what he considered the perfect entertainment. These are the endnotes to david foster wallaces infinite jest, a gargantuan, mindaltering comedy about the pursuit of happiness in america. Equal parts philosophical quest and screwball comedy, infinite jest bends every rule of fiction without sacrificing for a moment its own entertainment value.
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 david foster wallace, paperback barnes. Its not a stretch or very original to call infinite jest the defining work of the 1990s. He is seated across from the dean of admissions, the dean of academic affairs, the dean of athletic. One of the main themes of infinite jest write better stories. Burn 2012 the david foster wallace reader 2014 this 976 page book contains almost every other aspect of david foster wallaces work, for instance it has the syllabus he designed as a professor for writingreading courses at pomona college, and additional excerpts not. There are moments so well represented that you feel yourself drawn into the story. In fact, its take on the very nature of entertainment itself perhaps foresaw. Without endnotes, the audiobook version of infinite jest ends up being around 56 hours.
You start the book having no clue when it is happening and who the various characters are. 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. Sep 10, 2016 its been a bit of a journey on this one. Now 20 years later, the novel infinite jest itself has ironically achieved an oddly. 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. Like his alter egos experimental films, the book seems like an exercise in what one gifted artist can produce without the hindrance of an editor. One of the many reasons infinite jest is so great is that the depictions of alcoholism, depression, and drug abuse are incredibly real. Listen to infinite jest by david foster wallace available from rakuten kobo. What its like to record the audiobook version of infinite jest.
Why i cannot recommend the infinite jest audio book. Apr 12, 2012 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. Maxs new biography makes a sad ending all the more shocking. So im almost always constantly listening to books and im trying to find more and more time to do that and what ive been doing the past couple of years is ill put on some mindless game in the background where i dont have to pay attention to any story or anything like that and just immerse myself in the book. To fully understand what wallace was up to, the book bears being read, and reread, with talmudic focus and devotion. I think what you say about infinite summer is quite interesting. Apr 12, 2019 one of the main themes of infinite jest write better stories. The depressed person by david foster wallace 1998 pdf. Set in an addicts halfway house and a tennis academy, and featuring the most endearingly. Luckily that has been remedied and the endnotes were released as a separate audio file similar to using two bookmarks, ive had to use two audio players to bounce back and forth. David foster wallaces infinite jest is an audiobook, minus. 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. Set in an addicts halfway house and a tennis academy, and. He did though, leave behind a hugely impressive body of work and infinite jest, in my opinion, having read everything.
The lengthy and complex work takes place in a semiparodic future version of north america, and touches on substance addiction recovery programs. Infinite jest is a 1996 novel by david foster wallace. My transcript for the last year might have been dickied a bit, maybe, but that was to get me over a rough spot. Dfw lived this book, give or take a microwaved head. One of the most powerful descriptions of suicide ive ever.
Infinite jest, in other words, can be exceedingly frustrating. Infinite jest as infinite jest a supposedly fun blog. Feb 07, 2016 infinite jest, in other words, can be exceedingly frustrating. Infinite jest audiobook by david foster wallace, read by. Behind the david foster wallace myth the audiobook of d. I listened to the infinite jest audio book earlier this year i thought sean pratts. One thing about ij is that there really isnt one coherent plot. Oct 15, 2014 its not a stretch or very original to call infinite jest the defining work of the 1990s.
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