395 reviews for:

The Broom of the System

David Foster Wallace

3.76 AVERAGE

jwrampino's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

aargraa's review against another edition

2.0

challenging mysterious reflective sad 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

bjor6n's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

bibliophilicemily's review against another edition

0.5

mysterious reflective medium-paced

sarahrice's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

edison's review against another edition

2.0

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I gave up around page 150. This was my first Wallace book, and I still plan to try Infinite Jest, but I'll hope it's a more mature and cogent book. This one was just a chore; it seemed to drag on and on, with very little happening, despite a number of interesting plot points having been set up early in the novel. Too many other books on my shelf to spend any more time enduring this one.

bryanfox's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

evantarrh's review against another edition

2.0

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the only redeeming feature of this book is that there is a character named Judith Prietht. otherwise it is not good

amoebver62's review against another edition

3.0

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I'm glad I read it, if just to take the taste of a writer unlike any I have read before. I have told friends that if Haruki Murakami had Tom Robbins' sense of humor he might write a bit like DFW. There's definitely a surreal-realism taking place (the city-plan base on Jayne Mansfield's profile, the G.O.D., the brother's fake-leg/stashbox, the shadow moving through the office). All of that made it more fun to read than I've had since my last Tom Robbins fix (especially with business names like Frequent & Vigorous and the Big B.M. Cafe), but, in the end, WTF?!!!

vali42's review against another edition

4.0

challenging funny reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes