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A review by livinlargemike
Both Flesh and Not: Essays by David Foster Wallace
"In sum, to really try to be informed and literate today is to feel stupid nearly all the time, and to need help."
This collection is a bit of a wash, but the best essays are essential reading. Of those essentials consist "The Nature of the Fun," "Borges on the Couch [which better pinpoints the mythology of Borges' stories and why they are revolutionary than anything else I've encountered]," "Deciderization 2007—A Special Report," and "Just Asking," of which the last's questions only seem more dire here in 2017. "Twenty-Four Word Notes" is a succinct usage guide to keep in your back pocket, as engaging as a usage guide can be. The others are mostly forgettable, or have better counterparts in his other collections (primarily w/r/t the tennis commentaries).
This collection is a bit of a wash, but the best essays are essential reading. Of those essentials consist "The Nature of the Fun," "Borges on the Couch [which better pinpoints the mythology of Borges' stories and why they are revolutionary than anything else I've encountered]," "Deciderization 2007—A Special Report," and "Just Asking," of which the last's questions only seem more dire here in 2017. "Twenty-Four Word Notes" is a succinct usage guide to keep in your back pocket, as engaging as a usage guide can be. The others are mostly forgettable, or have better counterparts in his other collections (primarily w/r/t the tennis commentaries).