Infinite Summer 2015 discussion
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Infinite Jest
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Awesome. This is exactly what I need. Looking forward to it!
2015 is THE YEAR I finally tackle this bad boy, happy to be on board!
Hi Ron! Funny seeing you here. I tried the 2014 version of this group and was distracted by the perils and pleasures of new parenthood. I think I made it to 25% (Kindle). I plan to dive in and finish this time.
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Ron wrote: "2015 is THE YEAR I finally tackle this bad boy, happy to be on board!"Hi everyone. Just posted a comment and hope it gets through. First time with this book. Glad to be surrounded by such literate folks. Richard
Me again. Don't think the first one went through. Someone at Barnes and Noble told me about this group. Read Pale King last year but wanted a novel that David wrote on his own and not one cut and pasted by his editor. Sara, thanks for the schedule. It's a great relief.Richard
Welcome aboard, everyone!:)
So I'm curious. Has anybody read I.J. before now? If you have, any helpful hints?
Richard wrote: "So I'm curious. Has anybody read I.J. before now? If you have, any helpful hints?"I just finished my second reading last week.
Hints:
Read ALL of the end notes. They are very much a part of the novel.
Give yourself time to read this book. It's too dense to read a few minutes on the bus, or ten minutes here or there. Instead, I recommend immersing yourself in the writing.
Jim wrote: "Richard wrote: "So I'm curious. Has anybody read I.J. before now? If you have, any helpful hints?"I just finished my second reading last week.
Hints:
Read ALL of the end notes. They are very mu..."
These are both excellent tips, Richard!
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I second Jim's suggestion to read the endnotes. I don't think one could be properly said to have read the book without them.
Also, I'd recommend taking physical (or digital) notes directly in the book, or alongside: characters, themes that are interesting, questions you have that may be resolved later. Certainly not required, but I regretted not doing this the first time through when I found the various plotlines becoming complicated to recall.
One final tip - we'll discuss it when we get there - there's a section a few hundred pages in that a lot of people find hard to get through. I strongly suggest pushing through it. It's part of the experience.
Oh, and welcome!
Wow! Thanks for all the tips. I'm REALLY afraid to ask, but by endnotes do you mean the footnotes at the back of the book? I hope not but if you all think so, I'll go back to the beginning and read them. And thanks for the warning about the thick stuff coming up...I'm a little ahead of schedule right now but won't be after a few weeks. Happy Weekend, everyone.
Richard wrote: "Wow! Thanks for all the tips. I'm REALLY afraid to ask, but by endnotes do you mean the footnotes at the back of the book? I hope not but if you all think so, I'll go back to the beginning and read..."Yep, those are the notes.
Hi everyone! I just finished IJ a couple of months ago so I don't plan on doing a full reread this summer, however if it's OK I would love to follow the discussion and dip back into the book periodically as the group progresses. Reading IJ felt like taking a momentous journey to me so it is exciting to see others jumping in.If I were going to give any advice other than what has already been mentioned, it would be to enjoy each page as it comes. Trust Wallace and try not to worry if you're not getting the big picture. (That's not to say there ISN'T a big picture of course...it just takes some time to get there, lol)
Sarah wrote: "there's a section a few hundred pages in that a lot of people find hard to get through. I strongly suggest pushing through it. It's part of the experience."
Haha, Sarah I'm pretty sure I know what you're referring to, and if it's what I think it is I totally agree. That was tough.
Hello, John! It's so good to see you here, as well! If I may speak on behalf of the group, you are more than welcome to follow and discuss the book with us. The more the merrier, I say.And agreed, it always makes my day to see others reading IJ, and their opinions of it.
Excellent advice! Being 601 pages into it, I still have no idea where it's going, and what exactly the Bigger Picture is, but I'm trying not to worry. I trust that Wallace won't lead me astray, but at the same time, you REALLY must be patient.:)
Which particular section, Sarah?
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Richard wrote: "So I'm curious. Has anybody read I.J. before now? If you have, any helpful hints?"My big hint about IJ is that this book is structured around themes/motifs/recurring topics and NOT in a linear fashion. There's this earnest and desperate "something" behind the words of the story. IJ is not just the story in front of you, it's a means to communicate deeply held emotions/convictions/doubts/fears/you-name-its that are so hard to come out and just say without inducing eye-rolls at how banal/commonsensical it would sound to just say it.
Consider how your eye is structured and what happens when you look at stars: the center of your vision is where the highest density of Cones are located. The periphery is dominated by Rods. When you focus on a part of the night sky, your periphery picks up the dim stars. When you turn to look at one of those dim stars, it seems to disappear. This is sort of what's going on with IJ: DFW's solution was to put those hard-to-explicitly-address-and-not-sound-naïve/ridiculous thoughts in the periphery of your mind's eye to give himself the best shot at communicating what can be so hard to just come out and say.
So, much like John wrote on May 22, I recommend you take you time. DFW's prose is surgically precise - which makes it, simultaneously, almost unendurably beautiful/maddening.
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Sarah wrote: "I remembered the tough part I mentioned being a few hundred pages into the book. It's definitely in our week 1 section."Haha, I realize now that you're probably talking about the (view spoiler)? From your original comment my mind went to the section beginning on page (view spoiler), which was "tough" in the sense that it was kind of disturbing.
It's really nice hearing everyone's thoughts. Haven't been in a book group for a few years because I liked going at my own pace. I guess I'll be okay with this. I'm back at page 6o for the 3rd time and I can get what it's like when someone just said they were rereading the whole damn book after a few reads. Like I said about that easy read that I do most summers, each time is like peeling another layer of an artichoke. already I've seen a few things that I missed just a few weeks ago...and as much as I didn't want to read those endnotes, yes, they are part of the book itself.
Paul wrote: "Richard wrote: "So I'm curious. Has anybody read I.J. before now? If you have, any helpful hints?"My big hint about IJ is that this book is structured around themes/motifs/recurring topics and NO..."
Wow, Paul, you are SPOT-ON, your analogy to the human eye and how we perceive things is brilliant, and indirectly related to the book, too. I'd never thought of it quite like this, though I suspected that Wallace wasn't simply being obtuse, verbose, pompous, or any number of adjectives. I'm not sure if he wrote IJ the way he does in order to not sound naive, silly, etc..., but I like the way you think. Thank you.
John wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I remembered the tough part I mentioned being a few hundred pages into the book. It's definitely in our week 1 section."Haha, I realize now that you're probably talking about the [s..."
Once I got used to the unique voice and tone of the Wardine section, I didn't find it that difficult. It's a little challenging, but a lot of fun to read. How did everyone else take it?
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After a few hours of sleep I will begin reading it. =)
My bookclub is doing this book,and discussing it at our meetings for both July and August. I am starting it now....I am scared...I am excited...I have a first edition hardback copy, from 1996,and this is my first time to read it. I plan to start in the morning....I don't want to write in my book, since it's a first edition copy. I wish I'd had the opportunity to get it signed.....but can't change that now. So, I bought a brand new notebook,and plan to write it in.
I looked for discussion questions online, with no real luck.....I have been the leader of this bookclub for 12 years this month,and always been able to find discussion questions.....so anyway....any one have any tips on any questions out there? Also, do you suggest that I purchase ELEGANT COMPLEXITY by Greg Carlisle?? Is it worth the bucks?
I want to be prepared in leading this discussion, because I can tell you that members are already bitching about this book,and we've not even started.
Thanks!
I did read that someone suggested you get a paperback copy,and write all over it....I am hoping the notebook will take the place of that....thoughts? Even someone suggested tearing the book in half?
I've heard Elegant Complexity is helpful in understanding IJ, but I'm not sure if it will offer discussion questions. My best advice would be to comb through the weekly discussion threads here to find discussion questions and topics. I'm sure you'll have more than enough material by the time we're done each week. Even if they aren't stated as discussion questions, the concerns the Infinite Summer group raise will surely be good material to build on.
I wouldn't tear IJ in half. I think that suggestion was made with tongue in cheek. Your notebook should be fine.
Gary wrote: "My bookclub is doing this book,and discussing it at our meetings for both July and August. I am starting it now....I am scared...I am excited...I have a first edition hardback copy, from 1996,and t..."If your first edition is in good shape, consider putting it in a box somewhere and buying a reprint. The first editions can be pretty valuable for being such recent books: the book dealer down the street from me has one in a display case for $600.00.
A notebook would probably suit you alright.
Elegant Complexity is a VERY thoroughly cross referenced guide through IJ and Mr. Carlisle did a very good job of withholding any speculations about the book, instead focusing on what he could definitely establish from the text. It won't spoil the book, it'll just reinforce the sections as you read them and occasionally remind you of things you had read hundreds of pages ago. I say buy it.
As for discussion questions: No, I do not think you're going to find many collections of them (if any), but you'll be better served to write your own. One issue that's worth discussing is the recurrence of images throughout the book. What does DFW seem fixated on? What seems to be the mood when image X is used vs. image Y.
My first edition is in great shape. Never been read.
Thanks for the input, guys....I may consider getting a paperback copy. $600 bucks, eh? Unsigned?
Gary wrote: "Thanks for the input, guys....I may consider getting a paperback copy. $600 bucks, eh? Unsigned?"Have a look around the internet for confirmation of valuation, but yes, the copy I'm referring to was unsigned.
I just ordered the PAPERBACK. I will read my copy until I receive it. Should be in about 4 days. Then my pristine first edition copy will go back on the shelf.
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How will the end note discussion be handled? Can we discuss endnote pertaining to the week we're in?
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Yes, absolutely. Endnotes that are "children" of that week's section should be discussed in that week's section. Great question!
Gary wrote: "I did read that someone suggested you get a paperback copy,and write all over it....I am hoping the notebook will take the place of that....thoughts? Even someone suggested tearing the book in half?"I bought a paperback copy a few years back. Today I did my first underlining of the part about Mario feeling invisible when other people are talking in front of him.. Sometimes I feel like that. So I'm glad I have the paperback.
Gary wrote: "I did read that someone suggested you get a paperback copy,and write all over it....I am hoping the notebook will take the place of that....thoughts? Even someone suggested tearing the book in half?"I'm using a notebook and highlighter. Taking notes in the book doesn't work for me. I didn't want to highlight at first but I said screw it a book like this demands it so......
I put my first edition copy back on the shelf, unread,and finally my paperback copy arrived...I have my notebook...and pen,and I think I may do the highlighter thing too....and write in the notebook,and in the margins of the book,and I will make that paperback investment work for me....... LOL.
Sarah wrote: "Good call, Gary!"Thanks, Sarah, I am ready to plunge in!
My IJ, purchased on Kindle from Amazon, is slightly off the schedule. It was on track with the schedule's numbers until this week when it left. For example, right now I'm at 20% Page 229 Loc 5266, but the schedule says 21% will be page 210 / loc 4844. No big deal, but if I wind up talking about something outside our weekly boundary it's because I'm navigating that difference.
Hope everyone is enjoying their reading!
I am behind already...thinking I am gonna really hit it hard the next couple of days......
Hey, I just found this group and happen to be right on schedule reading-wise! :)
Welcome Daniel......I'm soo behind but hope to catch up this week. :)
The whole thing works out to about 10 pages a day (depending on that week's endnotes) - feel free to read ahead, but for your sanity's sake try not to fall behind.
Progress markers are provided by page (same for all physical editions), Kindle location, and %.
Summer's always felt better in "school break" mode, rather than "solstice to equinox", so let's kick off the first week of June and wrap up before September starts. (Strong objections? Feel free to let me know.)
-- Sarah
June
Friday 6/5: page 63 / loc 1522 / 6%
Monday 6/8: page 94 / loc 2233 / 9%
Friday 6/12: page 137 / loc 3236 / 13%
Monday 6/15: page 168 / loc 3900 / 17%
Friday 6/19: page 210 / loc 4844 / 21%
Monday 6/22: page 242 / loc 5561 / 24%
Friday 6/26: page 284 / loc 6545 / 28%
Monday 6/29: page 316 / loc 7250 / 32%
July
Friday 7/3: page 358 / loc 8174 / 36%
Monday 7/6: page 390 / loc 8869 / 39%
Friday 7/10: page 432 / loc 9832 / 44%
Monday 7/13: page 464 / loc 10556 / 47%
Friday 7/17: page 506 / loc 11510 / 51%
Monday 7/20: page 537 / loc 12243 / 54%
Friday 7/24: page 580 / loc 13233 / 59%
Monday 7/27: page 611 / loc 13925 / 62%
Friday 7/31: page 653 / loc 14900 / 66%
August
Monday 8/3: page 685 / loc 15628 / 69%
Friday 8/7: page 727 / loc 16554 / 74%
Monday 8/10: page 759 / loc 17293 / 77%
Friday 8/14: page 801 / loc 18315 / 81%
Monday 8/17: page 833 / loc 19021 / 84%
Friday 8/21: page 875 / loc 19972 / 89%
Monday 8/24: page 907 / loc 20767 / 92%
Friday 8/28: page 949 / loc 21708 / 96%
Monday 8/31: page 981 / loc 22403 / 100%
Note: by the end of the dates above, you should have read to the specified page / location / percentage.