The Pale King: An Unfinished Novel by David Foster Wallace

The Pale King: An Unfinished Novel

David Foster Wallace

550 pages • first pub 2011 (editions)

fiction contemporary challenging reflective slow-paced
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Description

The agents at the IRS Regional Examination Center in Peoria, Illinois, appear ordinary enough to newly arrived trainee David Foster Wallace. But as he immerses himself in a routine so tedious and repetitive that new employees receive boredom-survi...

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Community Reviews Summary of 1,266 reviews

Moods

challenging 81%
reflective 74%
funny 58%
dark 32%
emotional 25%
sad 23%
informative 20%
mysterious 11%
adventurous 9%
inspiring 6%
lighthearted 6%
relaxing 6%
tense 6%
hopeful 4%

Pace

slow 84%
medium 15%

Plot- or character-driven?

Character: 76% | A mix: 11% | N/A: 11%

Strong character development?

No: 50% | It's complicated: 34% | Yes: 15%

Loveable characters?

It's complicated: 45% | No: 30% | Yes: 24%

Diverse cast of characters?

Yes: 38% | No: 35% | It's complicated: 19% | N/A: 6%

Flaws of characters a main focus?

Yes: 48% | It's complicated: 41% | No: 10%

Average rating

3.94

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Content Warnings

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