Scan barcode
spav's review
2.0
Brilliant at times, messy and boring in general; this is a book I didn't like from Foster Wallace.
sarahjustice's review against another edition
2.0
I started off really enjoying this book. The author is very creative and I liked his use of repetition and other literary devices. But, towards the end the book got kind of heavy and it was really hard for me to finish. I'm usually a pretty quick reader, but it takes a lot of thought and consideration to fully interpret this book's meaning. Overall, I would probably recommend it to a select few, but I honestly wouldn't read it again.
robbe'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
johnthecrow's review
3.0
I mean this as respectfully as possible: I can see why this guy killed himself. To be able to articulate the level of grating self-consciousness on display here can only indicate it was something he himself suffered from.
On the whole not as entertaining (lol) as Infinite Jest. Too experimental and lacking in what makes DFW good, namely the humor and hyperrealistic dialogue, but still mostly engaging.
On the whole not as entertaining (lol) as Infinite Jest. Too experimental and lacking in what makes DFW good, namely the humor and hyperrealistic dialogue, but still mostly engaging.
eric_peartree's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.5
monica716's review against another edition
1.0
I’ve never read DFW before and I guess he’s just not my thing? Though the interview portions were interesting in their grotesque-ness, the collection of stories as a whole was just boring.
carly_golightly's review
3.5
3.5 stars.
I’m pretty conflicted with DFW as a person and I struggle to separate the art versus the artist. At times this felt cathartic, because - well yeah, men are hideous and that’s the commentary. Or is it? His metafiction makes me feel bad for the interviewees while simultaneously cringing in discomfort at their behavior. We know DFW had his own foray into being a chauvinistic toxic man.
His prose - gorgeous. The interviews - incredible range. His creative ability to build layers on characters - an absolute delight. But is it really critiquing masculinity, or is it just another book spotlighting men? Lit bros are not able to spot the difference.
I’m pretty conflicted with DFW as a person and I struggle to separate the art versus the artist. At times this felt cathartic, because - well yeah, men are hideous and that’s the commentary. Or is it? His metafiction makes me feel bad for the interviewees while simultaneously cringing in discomfort at their behavior. We know DFW had his own foray into being a chauvinistic toxic man.
His prose - gorgeous. The interviews - incredible range. His creative ability to build layers on characters - an absolute delight. But is it really critiquing masculinity, or is it just another book spotlighting men? Lit bros are not able to spot the difference.
brianhuynh's review
challenging
emotional
funny
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
At times great, at times truly awful. A slog.