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noname223

Archangel
Aug 18, 2020
5,195
I currently read The Pale King of DFW he committed suicide while working on it. And I fucking love it. I don't read all chapters because some only have the function to simulate boredom. I know I am a faker for doing that. But some chapters can be seen as standalone chapters. And I read the long chapters with 50-120 pages. And there were brilliant chapters. I love the current exchange so fucking much.

I am not a good reader. I tend to ruminate way too much during reading but at least I can get new ideas for threads by doing that. David was a great observer, his knowledge of technical terms is mind boggling and very impressive. He had such a witty poignant humor. His humor is not the kind of humor you see in bullshit TV shows. It feels different way deeper and sometimes it can really touch my soul and I can relate to it. DFW fought with his demons, his pain, his neuroticitism, his anxiety and his fears. I can relate so fucking much. His literature really comforts me by not feeling that alone anymore.

The genre is not that important to me. I might reach a level where I read all of his texts in 2-3 years in case I live that long. Do you have a recommendation of books or authors that have a similar experience? Usually I am too lazy for reading because I need something that stimulates me more (As distraction of my mental agony). But hell reading DFW gives me so fucking much. It is perfect for my holidays to give my fixation on politics a break. His texts also contain philosophical questions which has an allure too. He is a good antidote for the modern internet addiction Zeitgeist.

I don't read enough to perfectly describe the experience of reading DFW but others might have good recommendations for me. Hopefully.
 
XXXWRLD

XXXWRLD

Member
May 22, 2023
49
I enjoyed The Pale King a lot. Mind Numbingly boring at points, then lucid as if your being was perfectly reflected, in characters, in ways that surprise you. I find it fascinating how he thought of modern life as fractured, and sought ways to reflect that in his work ( part of the reason why Infinite Jest had so many footnotes) Then with Pale King he left hundreds of pages on the desk and had chapters placed in different places in his office out of order. Part of me feels like him leaving the way he did was to further fracture the book in interesting ways.
I really enjoy watching his interviews, as well as hearing him narrate his work. His short stories and articles are great.
I've looked for similar authors as well but I really haven't been able to find any that are comparable IMO
The David Foster Wallace subreddit has some threads on the topic that you might find interesting.
 
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