Der Chronist unserer rasenden Depression Nach dem Tod von David Foster Wallace schrieb Richard Powers, er sei «der Beste unserer Generation» gewesen. In diesem letzten Erzählungsband nimmt Wallace mit Schärfe und Witz die Deformationen des Menschen im Medienzeitalter aufs Korn. Und das mit großer Meisterschaft, egal, ob er von den üblen Folgen einer Schönheitsoperation erzählt oder vom Versuch eines Paares, in einem Schlaflabor zu ermitteln, wer durch sein Schnarchen wann wen vom Schlafen abhält. «Schlichtweg brillant.» SÜDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG
David Foster Wallace was an acclaimed American writer known for his fiction, nonfiction, and critical essays that explored the complexities of consciousness, irony, and the human condition. Widely regarded as one of the most innovative literary voices of his generation, Wallace is perhaps best known for his 1996 novel Infinite Jest, which was listed by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English-language novels published between 1923 and 2005. His unfinished final novel, The Pale King, was published posthumously in 2011 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Born in Ithaca, New York, Wallace was raised in Illinois, where he excelled as both a student and a junior tennis player—a sport he later wrote about with sharp insight and humor. He earned degrees in English and philosophy from Amherst College, then completed an MFA in creative writing at the University of Arizona. His early academic work in logic and philosophy informed much of his writing, particularly in his blending of analytical depth with emotional complexity. Wallace’s first novel, The Broom of the System (1987), established his reputation as a fresh literary talent. Over the next two decades, he published widely in prestigious journals and magazines, producing short stories, essays, and book reviews that earned him critical acclaim. His work was characterized by linguistic virtuosity, inventive structure, and a deep concern for moral and existential questions. In addition to fiction, he tackled topics ranging from tennis and state fairs to cruise ships, politics, and the ethics of food consumption. Beyond his literary achievements, Wallace had a significant academic career, teaching literature and writing at Emerson College, Illinois State University, and Pomona College. He was known for his intense engagement with students and commitment to teaching. Wallace struggled with depression and addiction for much of his adult life, and he was hospitalized multiple times. He died by suicide in 2008 at the age of 46. In the years since his death, his influence has continued to grow, inspiring scholars, conferences, and a dedicated readership. However, his legacy is complicated by posthumous revelations of abusive behavior, particularly during his relationship with writer Mary Karr, which has led to ongoing debate within literary and academic communities. His distinctive voice—by turns cerebral, comic, and compassionate—remains a defining force in contemporary literature. Wallace once described fiction as a way of making readers feel "less alone inside," and it is that emotional resonance, alongside his formal daring, that continues to define his place in American letters.
(Accurate rating would probably be 3.7) Reading the book on Cantor by DFW got me intrigued with the author, so I tried to see what he achieves on a non-non-fiction topic ... and was very pleased to find idiosyncracies galore, as I had expected! The edition I read was actually a translated excerpt of the original, but I think, I got most of the spirit. It contained three stories, about: an (amateur?) entomologist and his cosmetic surgery victim mother; a couple and its teetering on the line between dream/waking, love/hate, in-/sanity; and a glossy NY magazine (and associated media tycoon) that is about to devour a "folk" artist who makes, well, literally crappy (but somehow brilliant!) art. - So the topics are more on the outlandish, freakish side - however that does not deter the stories from being enormously well written: the first is in a clever fugato style of various themes, the second plays with the notion of perceptions and their elusive nature, if put to rigorous tests; the finish of the third is formally quite startling, giving some additional commentary to the story through the astonishing means of (not) telling the story itself (though I concede, that I may overinterpret here). The language is pretentious and idiosyncratic, maybe, but entertainingly so. The characters are not really that immediately likeable - but I grew fond of them in a way, probably because of their human flawedness; DFW gives us a Very close, intimate look on them. It is a (very) strange and (quite) beautiful book. My edition markets it as "amusing", whereas I found it dark, but not depressing. Make that: dark humour, at its best; to be read with an open and working mind and heart.