I really love David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest. One of my few claims to intellectual fame is the fact that I've actually read the entire book, and multiple times. A lot of people get thrown off by the enormity of the novel and Wallace's love of hyper-obscure language, but once you get into the rhythm of what he's doing everything falls into place quite easily. Infinite Jest is an easy read, once you get past the first 200 or so pages.
It's helped by the fact that the book is very funny, and Wallace's satire is razor sharp. Set in the future (no dates are given, as years are now subsidized by corporations - most of the novel is set in the Year of the Depends Adult Undergarment), Infinite Jest is about a lot of things, but if I had to boil it all down to a logline I'd say it's about a film that is so entertaining the people who watch it can't stop, and wither away and die. But that's just a sketch of what the book is, and opening the pages expecting to read about that will disappoint you. It's also about tennis and drugs and wheelchair terrorists and Quebecois separatists and twelve step programs and depression and much, much more.
In the future of Infinite Jest the US, Mexico and Canada have come together as the Organization of North American Nations (ONAN), and William Beutler has created a print of ONAN's seal. Love the sombrero. He's also created an interactive map of Infinite Jest's Boston; most of the novel takes place in New England and Boston proper. If that's not enough, he's produced a print of a map of all of ONAN that you can hang on your wall.
Click here to check out Beutler's interactive map. Click here to go shopping in his Infinite Store. Click below to buy Infinite Jest.
About the Author: A ten year veteran of writing for the web, Devin has built a reputation as a loud, uncompromising and honest voice – sometimes to the chagrin of his readers, but usually to their delight.
