Matthew’s Comments (group member since Mar 08, 2015)

Matthew’s comments from the Reading List Completists group.

Jessica wrote: "It's the bug that Hal watches crawl in and out of his et center. Later in another chapter another character watches a bug crawl around and it's described the same way. I will get pg numbers later."

Oh man, yeah, I don't remember either of those!

Jessica wrote: "Is this bug that continues to pop up important?"

Ugh . . . I don't remember a bug and I am on page 211 - so I hope not!

Of course, I keep seeing other mentions of things I don't remember. SO MUCH STUFF IN THIS BOOK! SO MANY TREES AND DRUGS DIED IN THE MAKING! (See previous comments Kristen made suggesting that every copy of the book is different . . . I believe it!)

I wanted to mention . . . while some of the storylines are starting to come together for me . . . I still get the feeling that Wallace had so many little stories and anecdotes in his head that he wanted to share them in this environment - whether or not they actually apply to the story as a whole.

Maybe I will be wrong and everything will tie together. But, even if it doesn't, the small side stores can be pretty entertaining.

Tracy wrote: "Stephanie wrote: "2 innocuous comments so far:

1) I really liked the Foreward -- and it makes me anticipate the book in a positive way (love that David Eggers wrote it)

2) I am glad that the spor..."

Tracy . . . I had to go and see your star rating of Infinite Jest to determine if this was a good or bad warning. I still cannot tell, but you did give it 5 stars, so I am not as scared! :)

So, I think I would be getting this book more if I had been or currently was a drug user.

Also, if I had a tattoo maybe this most recent section (p205 to 211 - or so) would have resonated with me more. But, it was interesting (and sometimes amusing) to read about everyone in rehabs' tattoos.

He did mention Kate Gompert again!

Sometimes I think I am starting to understand this book. Then I am like, "Oh wait, nope!"

We may need to make the Watchman Buddy Read happen!

The section on video phones was great! Gotta make sure you don't look bored or "adjust yourself" while on a call anymore because the people on the other end can see you. Then, they come up with all kinds of ways to mask/disguise yourself while on the video calls. All of this sounds a lot like modern times! Whenever I am doing a family Face Time I have to be aware at all times that I am seen - can't really move around, eat, general mult-tasking, etc.

This section made much more sense than some of the others have - I can actually relate to this!

Kirstin wrote: "Or, maybe the book is just so Avant-Garde that each copy is slightly different and everyone thinks they're reading the same book but it isn't until a group gets together that the secret is figured out! :-P "

Ha! You know . . . that actually did cross my mind . . . no kidding!

Ugh . . . I need to pay better attention . . . the two scenes you described above I did not remember . . . In fact, amusingly enough, I started Googling them to see if they were from another book and you maybe posted this on the wrong book discussion (I know, silly right!).

There is just so much and it is so weird it is hard to keep up! But I am enjoying it . . . maybe it will all come back along the way.

I can say for sure that the Kate Gompert part of this group's "Part I" was the most interesting part to me. I am wondering when she will come back into the story.

Yay! Made it to part II and started this morning . . .

Should I be surprised that it starts off weird . . .

Sweat licking guru? Maybe I should not have been eating my breakfast at the same time . . .

Followed by a 7 pages of stream of conscious drug-driven tirade where I believe the narrator and his virus laden druggie friends buy tainted drugs in Chinatown and then watch one of their friends explode from taking the bad stuff . . . at which point the narrator begins to reconsider his life choices . . . and if I am summarizing this section correctly, I am pretty proud of myself!

So, one thing about this book so far is that it definitely messes with my reading goal system . . .

I like to set goals like "Hey, I have an extra 5 minutes and the next section of this book is a short one and a half pages, so I can knock it out right now!". When I do that with this book, and I get to the end of the short section, there is a foot note . . . and that footnote is 10 pages long! :)

So, yeah, can't really count on my goals working here . . .

No problem! Welcome to the group!

Yes! Page 127! I have completed the group's part 1 - and this group is all about competing things.

Lots of random anecdotes. Will they all come together and matter in the end? Or, are all the random little stories what this book is about.

I definitely feel there is more to this that I would understand better if I knew what is going on. I wonder when that will happen?

Hey Tiandra - right now we are reading Infinite Jest - that started in March. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest stared April 1st. April 15th starts I am Legend and Watership Down.

p118 - more Clockwork Orange reference. Lots of "tennis dudes talking" chapters lately . . .

Not sure I am showing of . . . or just revealing that I am a poor planner!

Okay - I just finished one 1000+ page book. Now I should be free to focus more on this one!

Maybe I should be taking notes . . . for all the pretending to pretend to pretend to pretend but not actually pretending . . . or something like that . . .

I mean,who really needs a schedule anyway? :)