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Infinite Jest,
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Steven Asin
Infinite Jest is the perfect book for the Kindle Paperwhite. Beyond the ease with which one can look-up footnotes, consider the following: (a) It is a weighty text that is difficult to carry around, as well as just hold and read, in its printed forms. (b) Wallace indulges in lacing his text with words that are outside the vocabulary of most educated readers. While I appreciate that devotees of IJ have lugged unabridged dictionaries along with the IJ volume itself, it is not something I could have managed. Moreover, words I never new existed pop up with sufficient frequency that looking them up in a separate volume would be both disruptive to the books narrative flow and significantly increase the amount of time needed to read this book. The Kindle allows you to just press on the unknown word to get a definition. (c) IJ is a long book with multiple plot lines, and if you have a limited time to devote to reading it on a daily basis you can loose track of narrative details and characters. The Kindle "X-ray" feature allows you to click on a character's name and get a brief summary to refresh your recollection of the character or plot development. I would have found it impossible to read IJ, despite how appealing I find it, without the advantages offered by reading it on the Kindle.
Furr25
Great. The vocabulary and extensive footnotes make the Kindle edition a fine way to read this book. No flipping back and forth to read the (necessary) footnote entries or stopping to use the dictionary.
I prefer books, but thought this book was tailor-made for the Kindle....even though there was no Kindle at the time.
I prefer books, but thought this book was tailor-made for the Kindle....even though there was no Kindle at the time.
Elise
I want to add that the flashcard app in the Paperwhite is perfect for those who wish to actually build vocabulary while (and after) reading IJ. If you have not checked out the app, do so! I love it.
shehzad irani
absolutely seamless to read it on kindle paperwhite. it is a weighty text with tremendous references and oblique comments and obtuse vocabulary. Dictionary and wikipedia more than once saved me from totally misinterpreting the text.
The X-ray is the most encouraging feature to use on this kind of books which give you the "oh thaaat" kinda moments. Definitely recommended
The X-ray is the most encouraging feature to use on this kind of books which give you the "oh thaaat" kinda moments. Definitely recommended
Subin
Hi, I just read the book in Kindle. I read part of it in Kindle Paperwhite but mostly in Kindle App of my cell phone (Moto X). Navigation to footnote was easier in kindle as you just have to press the footnote link that with take you to the footnote and then press "back to text" link to go back to main text. Navigating footnote was much better in my cellphone: in Paperwhite the "back to text" link didn't navigate have to exact location in the text where as in cellphone it did.
Jason DesLongchamp
Maybe I'll try it again, but I found the Kindle version always glitching on me when i tried to switch back and forth from reading to the foot notes.
I have the paperback version AND Kindle. Been working on this bad boy for like 12 years. Currently on my 3rd try from the start. I think i'm almost to 300 pages after this last start that I started a few years back...
I have the paperback version AND Kindle. Been working on this bad boy for like 12 years. Currently on my 3rd try from the start. I think i'm almost to 300 pages after this last start that I started a few years back...
Dave Langlois
I found it OK though some of the footnotes didn't work at first touch. In fact, on first reading I missed some of the footnotes to footnotes and also some of the longer, crucial footnotes (the ones with only a number, where you have to actually go to the footnotes). Everything made much better sense on second reading with all footnotes read.
Tom Beck
Yes, the paperwhite worked. I also had a hardcopy by my desk to reference for page #' s and flipping around. I found it's nice have both versions.
Jough
The footnotes add nothing - there's no point in reading them at all aside from the staccato effect they have on interrupting the text, to remind you that you're reading an artifact and not experiencing the novel as you would most novels, which is to say, they make it hard to get lost in the book as you're always returning to its book-ness. Having said that, if you're interested, the Kindle version links the footnotes back to the text, so all you have to do after tapping the footnote is to press Return and you're right back where you left off, only a little worse for wear.
Emily
I read much of this book on Paperwhite, and the only thing I found to not be helpful is that some of the lengthier end notes were not accessible by clicking on the note in the main text. It would show that the note was blank. I recommend having it on Kindle and a hard copy. Some of those larger end notes include pretty crucial information that you'll need as you make your way through the book.
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