Litsy

kspenmoll

Digging in | Loretta Nyhan

This novel‘s epigraph is relevant on so many levels…
#14books14weeks #week13

Liz_M

45 likes

JenP

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #week13
This commentary: http://infinitesummer.org/archives/1478 discusses the issue of deviancy in IJ. The author makes a claim that she believes DFW is making a statement about the consequences of deviating from the norm.

I happen to disagree with most of her points. However, what do you think? What is DFW saying about deviancy and happiness? Are there any "normal" characters in IJ and what is normal?

britt_brooke It depends on the definition of "normal." The author of this Infinite Summer post seems to think that normal equals perfect, which is ridiculous. People are flawed beings. I actually find a lot of the characters to be believable and common in society. There are certainly exceptions, but we're being exposed to some pretty extreme circumstances (i.e. terrorism, UHID, Lenz). I think DFW is trying to show us varying degrees of pain and suffering. 8y

Skeebies05 Yeah, who gets to say what is "normal"? Maybe he is saying something about how society has tried to come up with a normal. He has purposely turned things upside down. Because Joelle was also crippled by her extreme beauty. She seems to feel more comfortable under her veil. 8y

Skeebies05 Side-note this author also made a crack about how they could be "thwarted by a flight of stairs". Do people still think like this? What a ridiculous comment to make. 8y

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AshleyHoss820 I feel as though what makes them "deviant" is exactly what makes them "normal". We ALL have issues, to varying degrees. I think the extremity of their addictions/illnesses make it obvious/identifiable, but I don't find them non-relatable...except Lenz... (edited) 8y

AshleyHoss820 @Skeebies05 I agree! We all know for a fact that Marathe has ridiculous upper body strength, so he could very well walk on his hands. (Something I definitely can't do, legs or no legs) I know I don't want to "hear the squeak" anytime soon. ? 8y

LeahBergen Hmm. I'm with you, @JenP . I disagree with her overall premise that DFW is saying something about punishing those that deviate at all from the "normal". I just don't see it at all in anything I've read so far. 8y

28 likes6 comments

JenP

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #week13
This week has another long footnote centered on Struck and his essay topic about the AFR. Great detail is presented about the game played by Canadian boys that funnels into AFR.

What is the point of giving us this much detail? DFW seems to make some parallels between this game, tennis, and addiction/recovery. What are some of the similarities?

Tcip I think that a big part of the AFR history really did it for me to understand the "outskirts of Tucson" scenes and to understand the whole point of the AFR. Addiction to drugs is something understandable. We all get that drugs change your chemical balance and makes you want more. Addiction to more abstract and normal things is something that the world in the 90s (when the book was written) was just coming out as a serious thing. Orin and his 8y

Tcip Addiction to emotional abuse of others, addiction to entertainment, addiction to tradition and death (AFR) addiction to failure and achievement (ennet house and ETA). I think that a great focus of this book is about addiction in the banal forms of American society. That is why the AFR history was so stunning to me. 8y

britt_brooke Putting a great amount of trust in others (timing, training, recovery). Having the will to overcome and succeed (to jump, to be ranked, to get/stay sober). 8y

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Literaryunicorn I have always wanted to tackle this book. Where did this challenge come from? 8y

JenP @Literaryunicorn I just asked people if anyone wanted to join in a buddy read and it grew from there. I come up with the questions and weekly prompts myself but use sources from various Infinite Jest sites. 8y

JenP @Literaryunicorn I do recommend trying to read it with a group of people. It's been fun to do that 8y

Currey And in regard to deviancy, the train "game" is not elective. The one who doesn't jump is drowned (or that is the implication). This description of cultural addiction stands juxtaposed with only slightly more elective addiction of watching entertainment or attempting to stay sober. 8y

Hooked_on_books I agree with @Tcip about all being related to addiction. They are also all forms of intoxication: adrenaline high (trains), drugs, and elite athletics (like the runners' high). 8y

AshleyHoss820 Also, when you do drugs (and anything else addictive), you know they're not good for you. Just like The Game. They KNOW they could lose their life, or be maimed, but they do it anyway. And, just like an addiction, there are varying reasons why. (Peer pressure, for the high, etc.) 8y

LeahBergen I also see a link of belonging to an insular group; a group of peers living within a highly-focused, closed-off world (the Academy, the recovery house, the AFR). 8y

AshleyHoss820 @LeahBergen Yes! Definitely! 8y

britt_brooke @LeahBergen Absolutely agree. 8y

Tcip @Hooked_on_books awe! Thanks for agreeing with me :) 8y

23 likes2 stack adds13 comments

britt_brooke

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

For Marathe. ♿️ And for Struck and his "History of Canadian Unpleasantness course thing." #infinitejestbuddyread #week13

[photo credit: Chris Ayers]

JenP

LeahBergen Gah!!! This is seriously one of the most bizarre ideas in this book! 8y

AshleyHoss820 I cringed reading this! 😳 8y

britt_brooke @AshleyHoss820 Me too. 😲 8y

britt_brooke @LeahBergen Yes, and that's saying a lot! 8y

LittlePixels That's an awesome picture! 8y

73 likes5 comments

Currey

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #week13 I think I got carried away...obsession anyone?

JenP

JenP Wow, I'm impressed 8y

LeahBergen Haha!! That is quite the bingo! 8y

AshleyHoss820 This is so great!! 8y

8 likes3 comments

britt_brooke

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

I'm only about 20 pages in to this week's section but it didn't take long to get bingo! This was such a fun prompt - thanks for keeping it fresh weekly @JenP ! #infinitejestbuddyread #week13

JenP Well done! 👏🏼👏🏼 8y

LeahBergen 👏🏻👏🏻 Awesome! 😂 8y

britt_brooke @JenP @LeahBergen Now, I just need to finish the section. 😜 8y

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LeahBergen Me, too! I have 20 more pages for this section. Don't you feel we are really in the home stretch? 😮 @JenP 8y

britt_brooke @LeahBergen Yes! I can't believe this is the last month. What am I going to do with myself once it's completed?! 😂 8y

LittlePixels @britt_brooke Right?? There's going to be an IJ shaped hole in my day! I might have to find another big read to take its place. 😉 8y

britt_brooke @LittlePixels I think my plan is to dive right into some of DFW's short stories. Maybe. Idk. 😁 8y

81 likes7 comments

AshleyHoss820

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

The "Massive, feral infants" bit was so serious and so hilarious. #infinitejestbuddyread #week13

13 likes

Spiderfelt

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

Reading the section about the AFR methodically searching Antitoi Entertainment for the master samizdat, it would be easier to understand if it was written entirely in French, instead of this awkwardly phrased English. Which idiom is being poorly translated here: "...several curious claims that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was defensive in bed"? #infinitejestbuddyread #week13

Currey There was an earlier reference to MIT being "in bed" with ONAN defense strategy against Quebec but this "intelligence" comes from the kidnapped student who was Madame P's engineer so it sounds like it is about her. ?? 8y

Spiderfelt Clear as mud! Thanks for clarifying @Currey 8y

19 likes2 comments

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