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naamon's review against another edition
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
It was fine. Like to hear from DFW but I think other interviews were more electrifying. This has more personal insight though.
krispee's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book because it offers great insight into David's mind in re Infinite Jest, as well as many other topics, and he said some beautiful and interesting things. At first I didn't like Lipsky, but he grew on me. There was a part in his afterword in which he quoted David's sister that made me break down and cry. I strongly recommend this book for any DFW fan.
barrettcmyk's review against another edition
have you ever read Infinite Jest?
have you ever read anything by David Foster Wallace?
if you have -- great! perhaps you'll like this book. if, like me, you haven't -- well, it might not hold all that much interest for you. particularly if you're not a frequent reader of contemporary writers, and / or like to discuss the process of writing.
i do still want to read Infinite Jest, and I'm glad I now know a little more about DFW (there's an Afterword at the beginning of the book). I just couldn't really get into a book sized interview about a book i haven't yet reading. poor timing on my part. sad trombone.
have you ever read anything by David Foster Wallace?
if you have -- great! perhaps you'll like this book. if, like me, you haven't -- well, it might not hold all that much interest for you. particularly if you're not a frequent reader of contemporary writers, and / or like to discuss the process of writing.
i do still want to read Infinite Jest, and I'm glad I now know a little more about DFW (there's an Afterword at the beginning of the book). I just couldn't really get into a book sized interview about a book i haven't yet reading. poor timing on my part. sad trombone.
barafra's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
2.0
Love DFW's musings but the interviewer asks such boring questions. He asks so many questions about Infinite Jest's fame and success but barely explores DFW's writing process. Disappointing!
helenaut's review against another edition
2.0
some insightful bits - loved the DFW voice - but the formatting/flow/style was just awful.
cootarooski's review against another edition
2.0
My advice is to steer clear of this book unless you are a foaming-at-the-mouth fan of either DFW or Lipsky. My intention in reading this was to peer inside Wallace's mind, but Lipsky's constant interruptions kept preventing that. To read the transcript of a road trip with a person of DFW's intelligence and psyche sounds mesmerizing, and there were many times that I was gobbling up his insights and anxieties. But I found reading every um, er, and ah to be frustrating and distracting. Add to that Lipsky's repeated suppositions about Wallace's intent, and the experience lost almost all of its magic for me.
infinitejoe's review against another edition
5.0
I saw a lot of 4 star reviews on this one, which I can completely understand, because I was going to give it 4 stars too, because how could I possibly give this the same amount of stars that I gave DFW's actual books? And then I thought, you know what, screw it, it's 5 stars. Maybe not a 5 stars in the way that Infinite Jest was a 5 stars, but it's a 5 stars nonetheless. Although DFW's books give you a deep understanding of his innermost thoughts and feelings, this "book" gives it to you in a more straightforward and unedited (well, less edited, at least) form. It really highlights what a brilliant person he was, and yet how unbelievably conflicted he could be (or always was), and it sadly reminds me of just how much we lost not only as readers, but as people, when he decided to take his own life.
courtney_mcallister's review against another edition
1.0
My primary issue with this book has to do with David Lipsky and the manner in which he frames his "road trip" with David Foster Wallace. DFW's comments can be refreshing at times, but they are overshadowed by Lipsky's relentless preoccupation with DFW's fame and past addictions. This keeps the narrative from progressing and limits it to a repetitive repertoire. Additionally, Lipsky's use of bracketed commentary comes across as an intrusive attempt at interpreting DFW's statements for the reader. In a way, this bothers me because it reflects Lipsky's opportunistic appropriation of DFW in order to enhance his own reputation as a writer and journalist. I seriously doubt Lipsky would attempt to project his own reading of DFW's comments if DFW were still alive. This book depressed me because I believe it represents the worst of the already despicable class of writing and fanfare designed to exploit a deceased writer's iconic status for personal gain and profit.
ashley073's review against another edition
5.0
I can't get over how much I loved reading this book. I started reading it after I had been awake for about 30 of the last 34 hours, and it totally captivated me- forcing me to stay awake far longer than I would have liked. I ended up giving in to exhaustion and slept, but started reading as soon as I woke up and didn't stop until I finished.
About a month ago I watched a really really really (...see what I did there? haha) wonderful interview with DFW on YouTube- I think it was from a German station or something...anyways- it was like an hour and a half long and it was so incredible. He talked about everything...EVERYTHING.
...and somehow this book totally topped that. I'm happy I watched that interview first though, because I was able to read his parts in his voice with ease. Because I enjoyed that video interview so much, I had pretty high hopes for this book, but I'll be totally honest in saying that it FAR exceeded my expectations. I'm about 250pgs in to Infinite Jest (although I've read a few of his non-fiction books) and this has totally lit a fire in me to get back to IJ after having neglected it for about a month or so (not out of boredom...but you know how those things go...you stop reading for a day, and a day suddenly becomes a month).
The thing about DFW is that he is so shockingly intelligent, but he's also heartbreakingly endearing. He seems like he would have been like my 90-year-old grandmother, in that as soon as we would arrive to her house, she would start asking if we were hungry, and then wouldn't let us leave until we had a weeks worth of leftovers to take home. He just seems like he was genuinely good to people, when many in his position would find it easy to be dismissive of others.
As for the book itself, it read quite naturally...it was easy to feel as though you, the reader, were personally involved in this conversation. I didn't find Lipsky nearly as vexing as some reviewers have noted...I thought he kept his portions pretty brief, and didn't really get in the way too much. Lipsky was kind of obsessed with trying to make a few points- hounding a few topics to death (while still not getting what he wanted, because he didn't seem to be satisfied with the uninteresting reality), but, I mean, everyone has their weak points, and I feel like this book is so incredibly special and intimate that it's so easy to forgive Lipsky for those bits.
Obviously you'll enjoy this book more if you're a fan of, or at least familiar with, DFW's work...but I really think that pretty much anyone interested in modern society- entertainment & "comfort" especially- will find this fascinating.
I know I'll return to this book many times in the future. There were so many spots that I wanted to mark & make little notes about, but I literally couldn't pull myself away from reading in order to take the time to go find a pen...THAT is how wonderful this book was!
Whatever you feel about Lipsky, you've got to admit, we're deeply indebted to him for giving us this gift. Not many people can say that they read a 300 page interview with a writer they love and find fascinating...this book is so. freaking. special. (for want of better words).
About a month ago I watched a really really really (...see what I did there? haha) wonderful interview with DFW on YouTube- I think it was from a German station or something...anyways- it was like an hour and a half long and it was so incredible. He talked about everything...EVERYTHING.
...and somehow this book totally topped that. I'm happy I watched that interview first though, because I was able to read his parts in his voice with ease. Because I enjoyed that video interview so much, I had pretty high hopes for this book, but I'll be totally honest in saying that it FAR exceeded my expectations. I'm about 250pgs in to Infinite Jest (although I've read a few of his non-fiction books) and this has totally lit a fire in me to get back to IJ after having neglected it for about a month or so (not out of boredom...but you know how those things go...you stop reading for a day, and a day suddenly becomes a month).
The thing about DFW is that he is so shockingly intelligent, but he's also heartbreakingly endearing. He seems like he would have been like my 90-year-old grandmother, in that as soon as we would arrive to her house, she would start asking if we were hungry, and then wouldn't let us leave until we had a weeks worth of leftovers to take home. He just seems like he was genuinely good to people, when many in his position would find it easy to be dismissive of others.
As for the book itself, it read quite naturally...it was easy to feel as though you, the reader, were personally involved in this conversation. I didn't find Lipsky nearly as vexing as some reviewers have noted...I thought he kept his portions pretty brief, and didn't really get in the way too much. Lipsky was kind of obsessed with trying to make a few points- hounding a few topics to death (while still not getting what he wanted, because he didn't seem to be satisfied with the uninteresting reality), but, I mean, everyone has their weak points, and I feel like this book is so incredibly special and intimate that it's so easy to forgive Lipsky for those bits.
Obviously you'll enjoy this book more if you're a fan of, or at least familiar with, DFW's work...but I really think that pretty much anyone interested in modern society- entertainment & "comfort" especially- will find this fascinating.
I know I'll return to this book many times in the future. There were so many spots that I wanted to mark & make little notes about, but I literally couldn't pull myself away from reading in order to take the time to go find a pen...THAT is how wonderful this book was!
Whatever you feel about Lipsky, you've got to admit, we're deeply indebted to him for giving us this gift. Not many people can say that they read a 300 page interview with a writer they love and find fascinating...this book is so. freaking. special. (for want of better words).