Infinite Jest

I try not to write about whatever book I'm reading because it always seems that its virtually impossible to do so without sounding pretentious, like the teller is really saying, " He I read books, not like you TV watching retards".

But seeing as any reader here knows that I watch the requisite amount of TV and I'm as retarded as any red blooded American male, I'll assume that you'll be cool with me mentioning that I read.

Anyway, I just finished Infinite Jest by this dude named David Foster Wallace. The book is looooong. Year ago, younger and more robust I made it through The Stand. A half dozen years back I made it through Atlas Shrugged, but that was only because I skimmed most of the rant at the end AND I was on jury duty. This book is as long and it took me 6 weeks to finish, but had me entertained from cover to cover.

The book is a half dozen short stories intertwined and it heavy on descriptive observation and light on substantive plot. It covers some area...namely athletics, substance abuse/addiction, family relationships, and mental illness, with realistic and hilarious detail that reveals much about the authors background. The book was named in Time's listing of the top 100 novels of all time, but sadly the potential for any future offering about the Endfeld tennis academy or any other offering's by the talented writer ended when David Foster Wallace killed himself last September.

Anyway, you can find the book for $10 on Amazon. You might find the first chapter a little tough to get through until you sync with the timing and tone, but after that you should find the book enjoyable.