Kellan Marvel answers “I'm interested in reading DFW after...”

Matt asked this question about Oblivion:

I'm interested in reading DFW after hearing a lot about Infinite Jest and listening to a lot of interviews with him. However I'm not quite in the mood to tackle a 1000 page goliath of book (that IJ is supposedly meant to be) right now so I was considering buying Oblivion. What do any DFW fans think is the best place to start with his work?

Kellan Marvel This is a tough one. DFW wrote some outstanding magazine articles, which is where I started with his work. His fiction is very, very different (and mu…moreThis is a tough one. DFW wrote some outstanding magazine articles, which is where I started with his work. His fiction is very, very different (and much more difficult to get through) than his nonfiction. I'd recommend starting with some of his shorter stories (here's a link to his publications in Harper's: http://harpers.org/blog/2008/09/david... ) before diving into his novels. DFW is, hands down, my favorite author to date so I highly recommend reading some of his stuff. Personally, one of my favorite articles he wrote is called "A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again" and it follows his trip on a cruise line (sometimes titled as "Shipping Out"). (less)

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