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notcharlottete's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexism
Moderate: Suicide and Toxic relationship
claudiatylr's review
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Woof, where to start with this one? This was as exhausting as I was promised. DFW is on the one hand an incredibly gifted writer, with prose more haunting than I’ve read in a while. Yet on the other hand he seems deeply insecure, begging the reader to know that he knows his characters are evil. Yet still revealing on every page how much he seems to personally relate to the monstrous men. He also alludes to the fact that he imagines his reader as a woman, which makes it all the more sinister.
While I’m glad I finally choked my way through this one, I can’t really recommend it to any audience. For women it feels almost violating to read, while men seem to somehow become complicit just by tagging along with the narrator.
P.S. To the college bros who told me this was their favorite book…. bombastic side-eye.
While I’m glad I finally choked my way through this one, I can’t really recommend it to any audience. For women it feels almost violating to read, while men seem to somehow become complicit just by tagging along with the narrator.
P.S. To the college bros who told me this was their favorite book…. bombastic side-eye.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Rape, and Sexual assault
crostonk's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I love the unparalleled style of David Foster Wallace’s writing; DFW compilations are excellent. The stories are full of weird ideas and unique perspectives served up like tapas from a place at the intersection of postmodern-metacognitive anxiety and a train full of guys who smell weird.
The story(?) Datum Centurio, a fictitious futuristic usage dictionary entry for the word “date”, is a novel way of making a statement about contemporary (circa-1990s) relationships. It is a perfect example of why I love DFW and the medium of short stories in general.
Octet’s philosophical and moralistic premise and subsequent devolution into self-referential anxiety is great. DFW’s writing always feels unvarnished - the footnoted “Milorad Fucksalot” serving to demonstrate an idea without need for “flaccid abstractions” or prolonged explanation.
Similarly, “the uremic breeze that follows” shows how wonderful DFW is with language - florid abstractions for purpose (and elegance).
The presiding thread of psychological trauma attributed to youth, sexual violence, and masculinity is compelling throughout this collection, although I don’t necessarily find David Foster Wallace’s writing insightful as much as erudite. Reading DFW is like having a conversation with a clever friend who accurately represents facets and faces of existence for consideration without a prescribed moral conclusion.
DFW is the author I have the most fun reading - always sharp and funny. It is a treat to read his words.
The story(?) Datum Centurio, a fictitious futuristic usage dictionary entry for the word “date”, is a novel way of making a statement about contemporary (circa-1990s) relationships. It is a perfect example of why I love DFW and the medium of short stories in general.
Octet’s philosophical and moralistic premise and subsequent devolution into self-referential anxiety is great. DFW’s writing always feels unvarnished - the footnoted “Milorad Fucksalot” serving to demonstrate an idea without need for “flaccid abstractions” or prolonged explanation.
Similarly, “the uremic breeze that follows” shows how wonderful DFW is with language - florid abstractions for purpose (and elegance).
The presiding thread of psychological trauma attributed to youth, sexual violence, and masculinity is compelling throughout this collection, although I don’t necessarily find David Foster Wallace’s writing insightful as much as erudite. Reading DFW is like having a conversation with a clever friend who accurately represents facets and faces of existence for consideration without a prescribed moral conclusion.
DFW is the author I have the most fun reading - always sharp and funny. It is a treat to read his words.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Rape
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
kelleo615's review
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
rexregum's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Misogyny, Mental illness, and Rape
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexism, Incest, and Suicide
Minor: Medical content
mergrubb's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
fast-paced
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
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