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addimop's review against another edition
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this took me so long to read i simply cannot give it anything less than 5 stars…. however! i dont want to immediately start extolling the genius of DFW, this book is too long and i would argue self-aggrandizing (him writing it to impress a girl makes sooo much sense). Im happy ive finished it partly because it was a literary delight and partly so i can finally grill the men who start raving about it.
This is a story of family, addiction, and entertainment set against an almost speculative-fiction background which I think allows this book to stay incredibly relevant (especially in our current political situation). Johnny Gentle, Subsidized Time, and the InterLace Viewers all feel very prescient to 2024. This book was not only a hard read from a literary perspective but also delves into dark topics, especially when it comes to Ennet House and its residents.
The writing is beautiful and has such a strong voice to it. He has a way of breaking up the most pretentious passages with a very down-to-earth sentence, or a dark and sad passage with the funniest thing you’ve ever read. There were multiple times I laughed out loud (Hal’s NA experience took me outttt). I also really enjoyed how DFW acknowledges marijuana as an addictive substance (even to the point of needing rehab), i feel like marijuana is not regarded this way anymore for better or worse. Lastly, I loved the math aspects of the book, but I gotta say… were his explanations overly difficult or am I dumb? Why did I not understand anything when they started talking about math lmao. ( related quote: “ only at times like this, when you are directionless in a dark wood, trust to the abstract deductive. when driven to your knees, kneel and revere the double S. Leap like a knight of faith into the arms of Peano, Leibniz, Hilbert, L’Hopital. You will be lifted up. Fourier, Gauss, LaPlace, Rickey. Borne up. Never let fall. Wiener, Reimann, Frege, Green. “)
My main issue with the book was the way race was handled. Several slurs are used throughout and weird AAVE vernacular is used for certain characters. I genuinely cannot tell if this is a reflection of the characters, a reflection of DFW, or simply a sign of the times. In any case, it was off-putting for me.
Overall, this book was a rollercoaster, sometimes i loved it, sometimes i wanted to throw it out my window. I see how it pulls you in for rereads, as I feel I missed several “minor” details that were actually very important to filling in plot holes. Perhaps a reread is in my future.
This is a story of family, addiction, and entertainment set against an almost speculative-fiction background which I think allows this book to stay incredibly relevant (especially in our current political situation). Johnny Gentle, Subsidized Time, and the InterLace Viewers all feel very prescient to 2024. This book was not only a hard read from a literary perspective but also delves into dark topics, especially when it comes to Ennet House and its residents.
The writing is beautiful and has such a strong voice to it. He has a way of breaking up the most pretentious passages with a very down-to-earth sentence, or a dark and sad passage with the funniest thing you’ve ever read. There were multiple times I laughed out loud (Hal’s NA experience took me outttt). I also really enjoyed how DFW acknowledges marijuana as an addictive substance (even to the point of needing rehab), i feel like marijuana is not regarded this way anymore for better or worse. Lastly, I loved the math aspects of the book, but I gotta say… were his explanations overly difficult or am I dumb? Why did I not understand anything when they started talking about math lmao. ( related quote: “ only at times like this, when you are directionless in a dark wood, trust to the abstract deductive. when driven to your knees, kneel and revere the double S. Leap like a knight of faith into the arms of Peano, Leibniz, Hilbert, L’Hopital. You will be lifted up. Fourier, Gauss, LaPlace, Rickey. Borne up. Never let fall. Wiener, Reimann, Frege, Green. “)
My main issue with the book was the way race was handled. Several slurs are used throughout and weird AAVE vernacular is used for certain characters. I genuinely cannot tell if this is a reflection of the characters, a reflection of DFW, or simply a sign of the times. In any case, it was off-putting for me.
Overall, this book was a rollercoaster, sometimes i loved it, sometimes i wanted to throw it out my window. I see how it pulls you in for rereads, as I feel I missed several “minor” details that were actually very important to filling in plot holes. Perhaps a reread is in my future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Racial slurs, and Sexual violence
ciarafor's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I’m taking away a star for the sheer amount of racism and sexism in this book - every single female character is objectified so extremely this book can be difficult to read as a woman sometimes.
Taking away another star for the number of times I grew exasperatedly bored with long passages about the individual hallway patterns and structures of buildings and longest backstories that sometimes were crucial and other times entirely useless. And for the way this book made me want to crawl out of my skin way more than once.
But I can’t justify taking away any other stars, because outside of those two (pretty significant) things, this book was one of the most intelligent, intriguing, and powerful books I’ve read. I will not subscribe to the Myth of Male Genius or allow DFW to be venerated as faultless, but this work really is something you kind of have to put a capital G on the Genius for. The entire book, DFW tells you exactly what he’s doing and going to do, and when he does it, it’s still somehow earth shattering. It’s bold, it’s boundary-breaking, and it has left me reeling on more than one occasion. I personally believe the point of literature is to make you feel things, experience things you haven’t had the occasion to touch or think on, to live through someone else’s creation. At its core, Infinite Jest will make you feel, and think, and live through all kinds of stuff you didn’t want to, and may be better off or far worse off for. Read at your own risk - but if you want to experience something unlike anything else you have thus far, and you can stomach what comes with it, Infinite Jest might just be worth picking up.
Taking away another star for the number of times I grew exasperatedly bored with long passages about the individual hallway patterns and structures of buildings and longest backstories that sometimes were crucial and other times entirely useless. And for the way this book made me want to crawl out of my skin way more than once.
But I can’t justify taking away any other stars, because outside of those two (pretty significant) things, this book was one of the most intelligent, intriguing, and powerful books I’ve read. I will not subscribe to the Myth of Male Genius or allow DFW to be venerated as faultless, but this work really is something you kind of have to put a capital G on the Genius for. The entire book, DFW tells you exactly what he’s doing and going to do, and when he does it, it’s still somehow earth shattering. It’s bold, it’s boundary-breaking, and it has left me reeling on more than one occasion. I personally believe the point of literature is to make you feel things, experience things you haven’t had the occasion to touch or think on, to live through someone else’s creation. At its core, Infinite Jest will make you feel, and think, and live through all kinds of stuff you didn’t want to, and may be better off or far worse off for. Read at your own risk - but if you want to experience something unlike anything else you have thus far, and you can stomach what comes with it, Infinite Jest might just be worth picking up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
lizburny's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It is a book that pulls you in and pushes you away.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Islamophobia, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
beansrowning's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It took several months of non-committal reading and a month of solid reading to knock this out.
Wow. Not sure where to begin. I both loved many sections and hated an equal amount.
I get why so many people just don't finish it, but I'm happy I did. Not my favorite book, but one that has (maybe a bit too much) to say.
Wow. Not sure where to begin. I both loved many sections and hated an equal amount.
I get why so many people just don't finish it, but I'm happy I did. Not my favorite book, but one that has (maybe a bit too much) to say.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, and Alcohol
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
julziez's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
edick's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Man, I might be ensnared by the feelings I have from finishing this amazing piece, so the almost-5 might be impulsive, but I absolutely loved Infinite Jest.
Wallace’s style and flow of writing is truly mesmerizing. His insertion of minute details may seem sporadic at first, but as I moved through IJ I found a calculated precision that revealed itself slowly, as you see everything tie into itself. I know that this is a popular one to reread, and I plan on it, but I was so crushed when I hit the last page. I haven’t got a feeling like this since East of Eden — Wallace absolutely immerses you in a scattered mix of O.N.A.N. locales, and I was so sad to not have any more to explore.
There’s just so much I can ramble about with this one. Overall, Infinite Jest just displays so much… humanity, I’d say. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but so many elements of the lens Wallace viewed the world with ring true to me. So much incredible, subtle humor enmeshed in some absolutely desolate, crushing vignettes of Enfield’s inhabitants stumping through life. There are so many absolutely bizarre fragments here, but simultaneously it all feels so raw & authentic.
I realized it not too far in, but the weird MFA-litbro reputation Infinite Jest has these days is absurd. Wallace’s prose is so fun, so addicting, but with pretty substantial depth and agility. It doesn’t really talk down to ya, but he throws in some interesting word choice and concepts to keep you on your toes. Yes, it’s long and winding, but like many amazing “non-linear” works its beauty simply unfolds the more you immerse yourself.
Wallace’s style and flow of writing is truly mesmerizing. His insertion of minute details may seem sporadic at first, but as I moved through IJ I found a calculated precision that revealed itself slowly, as you see everything tie into itself. I know that this is a popular one to reread, and I plan on it, but I was so crushed when I hit the last page. I haven’t got a feeling like this since East of Eden — Wallace absolutely immerses you in a scattered mix of O.N.A.N. locales, and I was so sad to not have any more to explore.
There’s just so much I can ramble about with this one. Overall, Infinite Jest just displays so much… humanity, I’d say. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but so many elements of the lens Wallace viewed the world with ring true to me. So much incredible, subtle humor enmeshed in some absolutely desolate, crushing vignettes of Enfield’s inhabitants stumping through life. There are so many absolutely bizarre fragments here, but simultaneously it all feels so raw & authentic.
I realized it not too far in, but the weird MFA-litbro reputation Infinite Jest has these days is absurd. Wallace’s prose is so fun, so addicting, but with pretty substantial depth and agility. It doesn’t really talk down to ya, but he throws in some interesting word choice and concepts to keep you on your toes. Yes, it’s long and winding, but like many amazing “non-linear” works its beauty simply unfolds the more you immerse yourself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Suicide, and Murder
Minor: Transphobia and Xenophobia
book_dragon001's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
It’s important to go into this book knowing that it’s a challenging read. In all the mess though you can come away with 3 different plot stems all pointing toward the argument I think Wallace was making. The futuristic American society muddled in addiction, need for entertainment, and unhealthy race for success all explore how we can find a virtuous life if we choose the right thing to consume our lives. Some waste away from a search for entertainment and others wither at the stress inducing need for success. I think this novel has a beautiful argument going for it and if you’re strong willed enough, tough it out to the end and you will not be disappointed!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Sexual assault and Suicide
Minor: Racial slurs and Sexism
keebro's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Racial slurs
surdiablo's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Alright, I have put off writing this review for so long since I felt I needed to mull over it for a while and the process felt somewhat daunting. It's time to finally express my thoughts regarding this literary behemoth that's been taunting me for a while. As you can imagine from the rating, I have mixed feelings, although my overall impression is positive. This will be a short ramble without much eloquence, but with indirect spoilers so brace for impact if you choose to read it in its entirety. As usual, I will start with the good, the bad, and the ugly.
So DFW was undoubtedly a genius and an extremely talented writer, no argument there. This sprawling interconnected narrative takes a lot of chops to pull off and that's what impressed me the most, along with his realistic depiction of addiction and mental health crises. Various characters with their distinct voices develop throughout the scrambled timeline of the story. It explores several themes and concepts like what it means to be truly free, the advancement of technology, the influence of media in society, and so forth, which for the most part was well-executed. The way he switches between different POVs was impressive and occasionally jarring, alongside his footnotes within footnotes, which ranged from significant to superfluous. The chapters featuring Marathe and Steeply were among my favorite sections since they involved lots of philosophical musings, and the AFR plot in general was fantastic. The humor, often dark, got plenty of random chuckles from me at the most unexpected times. Several passages left me awestruck thinking to myself "Damn, this man can write!". Regardless of the cons I am about to list, I can see why this book is revered and there are moments of brilliance I simply can't deny the existence of.
But I'm afraid that's where my praises end. Infinite Jest, despite all its merits, is ultimately too bloated and self-indulgent for me to fully appreciate. A lot of people seem to mention how the experience felt rewarding to piece info together from footnotes and random tangents, but I found it to be a chore for the majority. ( I don't care much about drugs or tennis, so that was always gonna be difficult tbh, so your mileage may vary ). There were moments it worked well, the filmography list for example, but all the pharmaceutical descriptions and meandering did nothing to serve the overall narrative or pacing. ( No, I don't care if switching back and forth between footnotes emulates a tennis match! ). The difficulty felt purely artificial, things were often complicated just for the sake of it, and almost half of the novel is DFW just flexing himself, entire sections existing solely to showcase his intellectual prowess which I found pretentious. Now I'm fine with the occasional self-indulgent writing but in this case, it became annoying after the first half. While being realistic, there's plenty of repetition regarding addiction which did not need to be hammered down as it was. I did enjoy the overall story, although it would have been preferable to get a more conclusive ending for other characters besides Hal and Gately but I know that's moot since it's a post-modern book. Many might disagree, but I concur with the sentiment that there's an amazing 500 to 700-page book in there somewhere. Ultimately, it was a journey with peaks of brilliance and valleys of frustration. I do not regret reading it, it just didn't blow me away like I thought it would. I'm not the biggest fan of post-modernism anyway so if the themes strike your fancy, certainly go ahead. The experience is certainly one of a kind, for better or worse.
P.S. It didn't bother me, but there's plenty of disturbing imagery as well if you are planning to read it but wasn't aware. Enough to make me add this at the end. 😄
So DFW was undoubtedly a genius and an extremely talented writer, no argument there. This sprawling interconnected narrative takes a lot of chops to pull off and that's what impressed me the most, along with his realistic depiction of addiction and mental health crises. Various characters with their distinct voices develop throughout the scrambled timeline of the story. It explores several themes and concepts like what it means to be truly free, the advancement of technology, the influence of media in society, and so forth, which for the most part was well-executed. The way he switches between different POVs was impressive and occasionally jarring, alongside his footnotes within footnotes, which ranged from significant to superfluous. The chapters featuring Marathe and Steeply were among my favorite sections since they involved lots of philosophical musings, and the AFR plot in general was fantastic. The humor, often dark, got plenty of random chuckles from me at the most unexpected times. Several passages left me awestruck thinking to myself "Damn, this man can write!". Regardless of the cons I am about to list, I can see why this book is revered and there are moments of brilliance I simply can't deny the existence of.
But I'm afraid that's where my praises end. Infinite Jest, despite all its merits, is ultimately too bloated and self-indulgent for me to fully appreciate. A lot of people seem to mention how the experience felt rewarding to piece info together from footnotes and random tangents, but I found it to be a chore for the majority. ( I don't care much about drugs or tennis, so that was always gonna be difficult tbh, so your mileage may vary ). There were moments it worked well, the filmography list for example, but all the pharmaceutical descriptions and meandering did nothing to serve the overall narrative or pacing. ( No, I don't care if switching back and forth between footnotes emulates a tennis match! ). The difficulty felt purely artificial, things were often complicated just for the sake of it, and almost half of the novel is DFW just flexing himself, entire sections existing solely to showcase his intellectual prowess which I found pretentious. Now I'm fine with the occasional self-indulgent writing but in this case, it became annoying after the first half. While being realistic, there's plenty of repetition regarding addiction which did not need to be hammered down as it was. I did enjoy the overall story, although it would have been preferable to get a more conclusive ending for other characters besides Hal and Gately but I know that's moot since it's a post-modern book. Many might disagree, but I concur with the sentiment that there's an amazing 500 to 700-page book in there somewhere. Ultimately, it was a journey with peaks of brilliance and valleys of frustration. I do not regret reading it, it just didn't blow me away like I thought it would. I'm not the biggest fan of post-modernism anyway so if the themes strike your fancy, certainly go ahead. The experience is certainly one of a kind, for better or worse.
P.S. It didn't bother me, but there's plenty of disturbing imagery as well if you are planning to read it but wasn't aware. Enough to make me add this at the end. 😄
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Gore, Mental illness, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, and Sexual violence
charlottekm's review against another edition
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis