So about six months ago, (based on a friend's heavy recommendation) I purchased INFINITE JEST with all the intention and energy of reading this 1000+ page novel. By the time i received it in the mail, I became distracted by other books and never started it. It still commands a large spot on my tiny bookshelf, but i have yet to read it.

I also just recently read an article he did for Gourmet magazine and loved it. I was wondering if anyone can recommend another one of his books as a warm up to his more lenghty writing.

I too have yet to read infinite jest, but can highly recommend 'Broom of the System,' his first novel. One of the few books not written by Kurt Vonnegut that actually made me laugh out loud. His short stories and essays are also always very good.

I think this is the first book (INFINITE JEST)I've come across, in which i'm intimidated by...which, I'm aware, sounds completely silly. But it has nothing to do with the length either. I've read MOBY DICK (easily in my top 5) twice and other large novels multiple times. I suppose it's knowing about the multipule characters, his weaving in and out of different languages, sentences that can last a page, and his overall exercise in uncoventional prose (my friend told me i'd need AT LEAST two bookmarks when tackling INFINITE JEST).

I'm starting to sound like a person who's afraid of a committment!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by slackerjacks:
So about six months ago, (based on a friend's heavy recommendation) I purchased INFINITE JEST with all the intention and energy of reading this 1000+ page novel. By the time i received it in the mail, I became distracted by other books and never started it. It still commands a large spot on my tiny bookshelf, but i have yet to read it.

I also just recently read an article he did for Gourmet magazine and loved it. I was wondering if anyone can recommend another one of his books as a warm up to his more lenghty writing.

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but my husband and I had decided to read this one out loud to each other. We got a fair ways into it (it's great!) but somehow got distracted. I always imagine that I'll finish it someday. However, to satisfy your David Foster Wallace cravings on a smaller scale, you could check out "A Supposedly Fun Thing that I'll Never Do Again," which is a collection of essays. The essay of the title is REALLY witty and insightful (and I won't spoil it by telling you what the thing is). I would suggest not to bother with "Portraits of Hideous Men" (or something similar to that -- I can't find it at the moment). The stories seemed generally unpleasant without much point.