A gargantuan, mind-altering comedy about the Pursuit of Happiness in America
Set in an addicts' halfway house and a tennis academy, and featuring the most endearingly screwed-up family to come along in recent fiction, Infinite Jest explores essential questions about what entertainment is and why it has come to so dominate our lives; about how our desire for entertainment affects our need to connect with other people; and about what the pleasures we choose say about who we are.
Equal parts philosophical quest and screwball comedy, Infinite Jest bends every rule of fiction without sacrificing for a moment its own entertainment value. It is an exuberant, uniquely American exploration of the passions that make us human — and one of those rare books that renew the idea of what a novel can do.
"The next step in fiction...Edgy, accurate, and darkly witty...Think Beckett, think Pynchon, think Gaddis. Think." —Sven Birkerts, The Atlantic
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"Had to read this cause everyone was talking about it, but it took me two years to get through it. I loved the endnotes (I know they annoyed a lot of people), especially the filmography titles and descriptions. "Three Cheers for Cause and Effect!""
— Matthew (4 out of 5 stars)
" So crazy. I loved it. "
— Kyle, 2/8/2014" Possibly the most incredible book I have ever read, absolutely amazing, but totally unconventional. You either love it or hate it. I loved it. "
— Marc, 1/10/2014" An amazing well written book, but a rather weak ending. All in all a tough but rewarding read. "
— Keith, 12/30/2013" It is brilliant, it is exhausting, and it is finished. "
— Zac, 12/21/2013" Loved it except the ending "
— Charlie, 12/20/2013" Maybe the best book ever written. Amazing! "
— Guy, 12/14/2013" Just so good. Better the 2nd time than the first. Can I give it 6 stars? "
— Koz, 12/7/2013" I'm actually rereading this behemoth of a novel. What a marvelous experience it is to revel in David Foster Wallace's brilliance. "
— John, 11/26/2013" Dense, difficult to read at times, often amazing. Worth the struggle. A great challenge book. "
— Richard, 11/26/2013" Reserving rating this for after I give it some thought (and yes, read up a bit more on it post-finish). "
— Alicia, 11/5/2013" The book that changed my life, and the way I read other books "
— Regina, 10/13/2013" Extremely long, cerebral, and circular, but it was well worth reading and everybody should at least try to. "
— Nick, 10/7/2013" This book is pretty hard going,it's a brick. Though the plot isn't particularly rewarding, the book's strengths lie in it's characters, and some excellent descriptive writing. "
— Sean, 9/27/2013" Absolutely amazing. I'm still speechless. "
— Lety, 8/26/2013" The most frustrating book I have ever read. Disjointed and chaotic, while being engrossing and entertaining. There were far too many narrative strands to ever be tied up. Worth reading but it won't be to everybody's taste. "
— Jonathan, 8/13/2013" i enjoyed reading this book page by page... i look forward to reading it again in a few years time and actually understanding the big picture of it. "
— Catherine, 12/21/2012" I cannot begin to write a review on such a masterpiece. All I can say is read it, it will take you places in your brain you've never been to. "
— Myriam, 8/24/2012" Just holy shit is all. "
— Andrew, 7/3/2012" Man, I loved this book. It is the most challenging book I have ever read, but it feels great to have finished it. Hilarious, beautiful, and poignant. "
— Rudy, 5/1/2012David Foster Wallace (1962–2008) was the New York Times bestselling author of Infinite Jest, The Broom of the System, and Girl with Curious Hair. His essays and stories have appeared in Harper’s, the New Yorker, Playboy, Paris Review, Conjunctions, Premiere, Tennis, the Missouri Review, and the Review of Contemporary Fiction. He received numerous awards, including the Whiting Award, the Lannan Award for Fiction, the QPB Joe Savago New Voices Award, and the O. Henry Award.
Lloyd James (a.k.a. Sean Pratt) has been a working professional actor in theater, film, television, and voice-overs for more than thirty years. He has narrated over one thousand audiobooks and won numerous Earphones Awards and nominations for the Audie Award and the Voice Arts Award. He holds a BFA degree in acting from Santa Fe University, New Mexico.