Book #3 - "Infinite Jest" (and 4 and 5 and 6...?)

(Just the major characters... And I had to move to other pages to continue them)

I can count this as the biggest accomplishment of the year. And the most enjoyable. The most addictive. Unfortunately, it doesn't allow me to cross anything off of my list, but I did put twenty gold stars next to my name on my personal "You're awesome!" chart. (kidding)

I finished it. IJ. Infinite Jest. The most intense reading experience I have ever encountered. It took over six weeks of reading and 1079 pages later, I am still reeling. In fact, I can't close the book. I have gone back through parts already and I just finished 30 minutes ago. I am reading online guides and getting other viewpoints. Truly Infinite Jest.

I cannot begin to describe this book. Ken couldn't stop talking about it when he read it last year and when he gifted it to me for Christmas, I was hesitant to dig in. But I found true joy at wikipedia-ing all sorts of obscure references. Putting together themes in my mind. Pondering characters on the treadmill. I was attached to this book. I didn't want it to reject me. It was almost as if I had a relationship with IJ for these weeks. It sounds strange. But read it yourself and you will be sucked into DFW's world. And what a world it is. Ken and I have already scheduled a rereading next year where we can both tackle it again at the same time and have full-blown discussions on The Entertainment, on the P.G.O.A.T, on DMZ, art and literature references using a different color pen for new marks and comments. I sound like an intellectual snob here, but really this book is accessible. It just looks daunting. Some reviewers refused to even finish it, and I almost want to send them belated emails and encourage them to try again. One review that offers a quick summary can be found here.

My fellow teachers thought I was preparing for an exam because I was concentrating with furrowed eyebrows and a scribbling pen. There were times when I forgot I was at school and would open my mouth in shock at what I was reading or laugh outloud. Ken has assured me that other books will be enjoyable, but I'm afraid that I've reached the pinnacle of my reading career. After searching for a book to fill huge shoes (and large chunks of time... 8 days of classes this month TOTAL), we are going to attack "War and Peace" head-on once the copies arrive. C'mon, Amazon, speed things up a bit!