2025 Reading Challenge discussion

This thread is to discuss David Foster Wallace‘s book, Infinite Jest.


***Please remember to mark spoilers.***

Participants: Sean, Scott, Suki, idontknow, DIanne

(This will be a two month read.)

Suggested break down of reading so that you can check in and let us know how you're doing. The following breakdown is purely a suggestion and is therefore not set in stone.

Rather than putting dates for each section I've done it so that it takes into account that not everybody will necessarily have the book at the same time.

Week 1: 136
Week 2: 136
Week 3: 136
Week 4: 136
Week 5: 136
Week 6: 136
Week 7: 136
Week 8: 136

Ready to read this one it's going to be long but I'm glad it's a 2 month read.

I'm game if there are a couple others in.

SPOILER, sort of (hearsay advice about reading).

(view spoiler)[I have heard many times the first ~200 pages should be read last; but that's kind of tasteless taken literally. I mention it just as a heads up. The "meat" of the book is supposedly somewhere after the first 200, and the first 200 are understood better thereafter (hide spoiler)]

Will probably have to edit this post since I haven't used the spoiler tag before...

I’ve read about the first 100 pages so far.

Definitely continuing. idontknow you would be welcome to join

Idontknow wrote: "I'm game if there are a couple others in.

SPOILER, sort of (hearsay advice about reading).

[spoilers removed]

Will probably have to edit this post since I haven't used the spoiler tag before..."

I have added you to the list of participants!

Reading two books atm but when I finish one I'll start IJ. Probably tomorrow or the next day. I heard this book wasn't until 2 more months? But if we are already started... It might take me more than 2 months anyway. I truly have attempted this one many times; it's a stumbling block for me.

Have we officially started, or should I wait? Thanks for reply.

Yes the read is July and Aug. we can extend beyond that if necessary

Officially started (again). Skipped over a few small parts I know and read several times. Don't know if it counts if I skip skim parts I've already read multiple times... ?

(view spoiler)[I have the parts marked (just a few paragraphs here and there that annoy me - I get the point they are trying to make, I just choose to skip skim them this time since I've read them about 4 times now). (hide spoiler)]

Do u always try and read this book straight through? This books so far appears something like pulp fiction times 1000. Where pulp fiction has about 3 stories and a seemlying random order of 7 cut up scenes so time jumps around. IJ seems sort of like this but much more so. MAybe reading the chapters in a different order would be useful. Say in time order by storyline.

Right now I’m reading straight through

Heheh yeah I've heard a lot about it in passing but never paid attention to anything specific. In a spoiler above I mentioned I had heard there are other methods of reading it (I heard the same thing about JJ's Ulysses), but I would try reading it straight through anyways.

I see it as, first run through at least, it was written in this order for a reason (or not; but this is the way it's presented), might as well humor it. Afterwords, can go back through more leisurely, or see what others thought and how they recommend reading it. At lest then you can follow their arguments a bit better. Thanks for the heads up, and I am indeed reading straight through this time (again).

It is kind of [almost] amusing going back and forth between chapters about Tennis and Alphabet agencies though.

I have noticed in the table of contents the chapters are getting longer. The first few chapters were about 10 pages. Now they are about 50 pages. And the last chapter is like 500 pages which would be almost half the book. Weird...

I know I'm late but I'd like to join. I've started several times but want to start over and give it a go. Is this okay?

Sure this is a two month read so welcome aboard.

DIanne, I have added you to the list of participants!

I'm about a third of the way. OMG.. I can't believe the stuff in this book. A book about addiction that is itself addicting.. Was Wallace a Prophet??? ... Not literally but this book has some similarities to current events/people ...

(view spoiler)[
The president in the book and his election seems a bit similar to the current US president.. "Toupee wearing promotor and entertainment bigwig...".
(hide spoiler)]

I'm about 2/3 though this book is really good so far.

Mary Pat wrote: "DIanne, I have added you to the list of participants!"

Thank you, Mary Pat. I am officially starting today.

Well I finished all the regular pages. Not sure I'm finished though might need to go over some stuff again and the end notes.

The book was really enjoyable .. but

(view spoiler)[
After reading the book which had a very abrupt ending. Well mainly there seems to be a big gap between the events in the first chapter of the book where Hal is interviewing for a Tennis Scholarship which is clearly after the rest of the book. The book itself doesn't appear to explain how Hal became unable to speak. etc. I decided to follow idontknow's advice and read the last 200 pages last. Well I found that there are clues in what seemed to be throwaway lines in the beginning to what happens and I'm sure there are alot more ... I might still read some more but I'm not ready to reread the whole thing right away..
(hide spoiler)]

I was having trouble with the book itself because of all the words I didn't understand. I've just purchased it for my Kindle which will make that part a lot easier. Determined not to give up.

I found the book went pretty fast once I got going. It takes awhile because it’s long but I found the book very engaging so the time spent feels very enjoyable.

(view spoiler)[
I have a theory about the ending, the year later sequence in the first chapter, when Hal is talking to the college ppl and they can’t understand him. I was thinking some sort of physical change had happened to Hal so he’s not understood. But maybe the problem is Hal has become a normal feeling person and everybody else has been brainwashed by tv into mindless drones to the point that they can’t understand Hal.
(hide spoiler)]