Kelsey
Kelsey asked:

I randomly have this book because I got it as a wedding favor (what you get for being friends with librarians). Do I need to read The Infinite Jest before I read this? Or, would it make sense to read this first & then read The Infinite Jest if I like it?

Cole Heideman old question, but for new askers- this book is great for both DFW noobs, and people who have read IJ or anything else by him, particularly Broom of the System and Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. It provides broad overviews of the themes of those books and DFW's work in general.
Joshl924 It wont make much of a difference... But IJ is amazing and this is like a tasty dessert.. like a little more jest when you are sad it's all over
W.E. Patterson No, you don't have to read Infinite Jest. Or at least I have not, although I plan to read it someday. But if you have an interest in DFW, and if you know a bit about him, this is a really interesting look into his world and truly one of the great writers of the 20th century taken far too soon. I enjoy the conversation between Lipsky and Wallace as they make their way across the midwest on a DFW's book tour, the likes of which do not exist today.
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