What do a trip on a luxury cruise ship, a tennis tournament in Canada and the Illinois State Fair have in common? They are all part of David Wallace's "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments."
While almost anyone other than a thick-lensed wearer of reading glasses wouldn't think twice about passing on a book with "essays and arguments" as its subtitle, many people have discovered that articles by David Foster Wallace are as humorous and entertaining as any comedic work out there.
In this audiobook, Wallace pulls together seven topics, including the films of David Lynch and postmodern literary theory to provide a rip-roaring ride of his own. Wallace fans used to his delightful works of fiction will not be disappointed in what he refers to as "essays and arguments" as he recalls events and fun-filled days he does not wish to repeat.
Fans are fond of Wallace's intense intellect as well as the way he combines his observations with a stark humor that takes jabs at revelers eating funnel cake and hot dogs at the Illinois State Fair as well as travelers getting away from it all by climbing aboard a ship for a week-long Caribbean cruise.
Entertainment Weekly has listed "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments" as one of its 100-best books written between 1983 and 2008. Not only are the pieces themselves cleverly written, but Wallace brings comedy to even the footnotes scattered throughout the book.
Listeners to Wallace will, in addition to being entertained, add to their vocabulary without even trying. He's that good.
David Foster Wallace is an American writer. Born in New York in 1962, he hails from a journalism background. He attended Amherst College and the University of Arizona and is well-known for his articles, short stories and novels. Wallace died in 2008.
Wallace is best known for his 1200-page novel, Infinite Jest, published in 1996.