Infinite Jest – David Foster Wallace discussion
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Infinite Jest
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Reading Schedule
My daughter will be at her dad's for the holiday break, so I'll have plenty of time to read. I'll shoot for the December start, #2.
#3 makes me have the fewest number of panic attacks.
Jason wrote: "#3 makes me have the fewest number of panic attacks."That's a very important criterion to consider.
Aloha wrote: "My daughter will be at her dad's for the holiday break, so I'll have plenty of time to read. I'll shoot for the December start, #2."I'm also in the more-time-to-read-in-December group.
I looked at IJ, it's not as scary as its reputation, with the exception of the length and the huge block of words. It's not like it's full of words that you keep on having to look up in the dictionary. At least, not the beginning part.
i think i'm in the same boat as Jason. from watching friends read IJ, i think it is more demanding than most books, regardless of length. so ~58 pages per week seems more manageable to me (and maybe i'll try to get ahead in december but i don't know if it will be possible.) i don't really have a winter break although i might take the week off between christmas and new year's, which would be super nice. my main concern for myself is balancing this with Proust and the two groups i moderate (and for which i do almost all of the reading). and i like shiny things and am impulsive and will just read something i hadn't planned to because someone said it's yummy, for example.anyway, to answer your question, i'm thinking i would throw my support behind #3.
is the idea that discussion's won't start until January? because if so, i would definitely not ever feel like i was falling behind. ;)
I think I might try to finish this before the Proust in January. These are two sets of heavy reading, so I would like to finish one before I start on the other one. It looks like the Proust will require a few supplementary materials, including the biography. Oh, there's also the David Foster Wallace biography, too.
Aloha wrote: "I think I might try to finish this before the Proust in January. These are two sets of heavy reading, so I would like to finish one before I start on the other one. It looks like the Proust will ..."i've been trying to figure out how best to manage these things, too. i have been reading Proust's Overcoat: The True Story of One Man's Passion for All Things Proust and it made me want to try to read the biography before starting ISOLT. i might save the DFW bio until after i've read IJ, but i would love to have a discussion thread here for it. the IJ read will only take 3-4 months and we have the whole year to keep reading associated things...Proust is trickier, since the books themselves will take up the entire year, pretty much.
in any case, i'm ridiculously excited about 2013.
I'm excited about 2013, too. I've had Proust on my list to read for a year, and it's great to have a group to read the collection with. Knowing myself, I can only focus full mental power on demanding books one at a time. Otherwise, I end up having to reread the book, which ends up costing me double the time, anyway. I think, for me, it's better to finish up IJ, and everything related to IJ before I start Proust. Now, I'll have to add Proust's Overcoat to my reading list. LOL. 2013, the year of Proust!
Aloha wrote: "I'm excited about 2013, too. I've had Proust on my list to read for a year, and it's great to have a group to read the collection with. Knowing myself, I can only focus full mental power on deman..."Proust's Overcoat is short and fun to read. you should read it now! :D
it will get you even more excited for 2013.
Marieke wrote: "i think i'm in the same boat as Jason. from watching friends read IJ, i think it is more demanding than most books, regardless of length. so ~58 pages per week seems more manageable to me (and mayb..."So far, option 3 is in the lead for the people starting IJ in December. Marieke, I think the discussion can start at any time - we have many IJ veterans who can jump in whenever they like when new comments are posted, and since we're looking at two different official starts here, I think you'll find that there always will be people eager to discuss IJ with you, whenever you post.
I'll put up a discussion thread for the new DFW biography, and I also will get the official IJ discussion threads up and ready shortly, once we hear from some more people on reading schedule options.
Kris, have there been those who have voiced their support for a January start specifically? It is my impression that most everyone falls into the earlier start pattern. Maybe you wouldn't have to have two official starts?
Thanks! I will. I'm already excited about Proust. I already have the Proust collection and everything related to Proust ready to go. I only need to buy the Carter tome and get some audios for when I'm on the go. Proust in the eyes, the ears....Marieke wrote: "Proust's Overcoat is short and fun to read. you should read it now! :D
it will get you even more excited for 2013.
"
Thanks for doing all this, Kris.Kris wrote: "Marieke wrote: "i think i'm in the same boat as Jason. from watching friends read IJ, i think it is more demanding than most books, regardless of length. so ~58 pages per week seems more manageable..."
Jason wrote: "Kris, have there been those who have voiced their support for a January start specifically? It is my impression that most everyone falls into the earlier start pattern. Maybe you wouldn't have to h..."I haven't heard anyone do so specifically - we'll see if anyone surfaces on this thread!
I'm leaning toward #3 also, although I know we didn't plan on taking that long. But I think it will give almost everyone a chance to keep up and also allows for outside reading.
Mike, are you doing Proust, too?
Ideally I'd want to do (3) but Dec usually has me chained to work, so will probably end up aiming to do (4)
Likewise, I would be in the January camp - either 4 or 5.
Personally, option #2 works well for me, but I'm game for whatever. I have a tendency of digesting lit pretty quickly for work and school.
My schedule is still uncertain, but best guess is that #3 or #5 would work. I will try to follow any plan that emerges.
#3 for me! I don't want anything to derail me from finishing!
It's great to have you join us, Valerie!There's a lot of variety in the schedules that will work for people, and we're a big enough group that I think everyone should follow whichever of the above schedules seems best. Mary, Madeleine, et. al, does that sound OK? We can put up discussion threads according to sections in IJ, so that you can participate in the appropriate thread whenever you are ready. Does this sound OK, or chaotic?
Kris wrote: "It's great to have you join us, Valerie!There's a lot of variety in the schedules that will work for people, and we're a big enough group that I think everyone should follow whichever of the above schedules seems best. Mary, Madeleine, et. al, does that sound OK? We can put up discussion threads according to sections in IJ, so that you can participate in the appropriate thread whenever you are ready. Does this sound OK, or chaotic? "
Sounds workable. But given the book we're reading, even if it was chaotic it would be fitting ;)
I don't really have a start-month preference so I'll go with December since it seems like that's what the majority is doing. And Jason's point of "#3 makes me have the fewest number of panic attacks" has solidified my decision to do that one. :)
I'll be getting the discussion threads up in the next few days -- early, but in case anyone wants to get a head start on discussion, they can.I'm definitely following one of the December schedules.
Kris wrote: "I'll be getting the discussion threads up in the next few days -- early, but in case anyone wants to get a head start on discussion, they can.I'm definitely following one of the December schedules."
I'll go with 3rd option of starting in December. DFW makes his readers work hard so 58 pages in a week would be fine.
Good Lord! 58 pages per week? Is that, like, just the story part, or does it include, like, the notes.'Cause, like, it took me ten hours to read ten pages this week - which included about fifty pages of end notes.
This book is so good, and YET, it makes me want to cry. Seriously.
Agreed on the Schedule. I've read about two thirds already for the last two months (only discovered the firum recently). But looking forward to start all over with you all, and finally have someone to talk to about my DFW addiction...
Sunny in Wonderland wrote: "Good Lord! 58 pages per week? Is that, like, just the story part, or does it include, like, the notes.'Cause, like, it took me ten hours to read ten pages this week - which included about fifty..."
It really depends on your reading time allotted,... I M 2/3 of my way through the second time... But I have a lot of free reading time at present. My revised lan as of now is to do a cursory finish by the beginning of December, then start reading with you all in December. Regarding endnotes, it's my opinion that they NEED to be read as you read the book., don't save them till the end of a scene, ore even a page, as Wallace sometimes needs you to know the endnote for even the next sentence or even few words.
So I guess here is my question... If I want to start in December, I need to know the official schedule for that.. I am excited to be part of this group, and can't wait to get started again. I love this book, and I'm anticipating a good time doing this. So if there is an agreed upon schedule, let me know? Thanks!
Regina wrote: "Agreed on the Schedule. I've read about two thirds already for the last two months (only discovered the firum recently). But looking forward to start all over with you all, and finally have someone..."It's better the second time, this will be my third! In less than six months.
I'm shooting for the December. Gotta finish my Women and Men review and read the Quincunx first. I'll finish the DFW biography today.
Kris, is there an official reading schedule? If so, maybe you could freeze it with an asterisk so it's at the top of the folder? For other reading groups, we've had a defined # of pages per week. Are we doing that or are people just generally reading at their own pace?
Jason wrote: "Kris, is there an official reading schedule? If so, maybe you could freeze it with an asterisk so it's at the top of the folder? For other reading groups, we've had a defined # of pages per week. A..."There is a lot of variation in the pace at which people are planning to read, so I think one official schedule is going to be difficult -- I'm worried that some people will be scared away if it is too fast for them, and others may be concerned if they are opting for a different start date. I don't want it to get too chaotic, but I know for TM&M we didn't have an official schedule -- we just had discussion threads set up by section and people read at their own pace.
I'm
I'm planning to set up the discussion threads by section this week. The main concern I have with that is that I haven't read IJ before, so I simply flipped through the book to try to find breaks where we could stop according to a certain number of pages per week. This means the breaks I found could make very little sense! If any veterans are willing to consult with me on page breaks that make sense for discussion sections, please let me know -- I could use the help! :)
Jerry wrote: "So I guess here is my question... If I want to start in December, I need to know the official schedule for that.. I am excited to be part of this group, and can't wait to get started again. I love..."Jerry, you may want to follow schedule number 1 above (see post #1 on this thread) -- that's the one I am following, and I think that the sections will make sense for the discussion threads.
I think just having threads set up would be a huge help. I think that was mostly my concern...I want to be ready to talk about it but don't know where.
Jason wrote: "I think just having threads set up would be a huge help. I think that was mostly my concern...I want to be ready to talk about it but don't know where."Yep -- sorry -- I'm a bad moderator and am lagging behind. :(
I'm sitting in a corner now, suitably chastened.....
SOMEONE HELP KRIS MAKE US SOME THREADS! SOME DELICIOUS, DECADENT THREADS!
Jason wrote: "SOMEONE HELP KRIS MAKE US SOME THREADS! SOME DELICIOUS, DECADENT THREADS!"I'll make them when I get home from work -- I promise. :)
No worries, Kris. I'm just being my usual pain-in-the-ass self. =)
I have several ideas for threads!
Jerry wrote: "I have several ideas for threads!"SPEAK.
Jason wrote: "No worries, Kris. I'm just being my usual pain-in-the-ass self. =)"You crack me up, you and your gourd. :)
Jason, it's too bad I finished all my grading, or I could have sent you to some papers to grade to keep you occupied. :)
Ok. Well, so... there are lots of pigdeon holes... I am just about done with second time through, and nowgoing to start again... here are some ideas... there are several ( and I use the term loosely ) main characters who reafers may wish to discuss. I see that there is already a thread for JVD/MP/PGOAT. Similarly there should be threads for the incandenza family as a whole, and each separate member, ie. Himself/JOI, Avril, Hal, Mario, Orin. Other main characters who may or may not deserve one.. Gately, Marathe, Steeply, Marathe/steeply, Pat Montesian. Randy Lenz, Ken Erdedy and c. Then themes like DFWs short term vision of the near future, addiction, entertainment,, suicide, self image/esteem, depression, redemption, and so on. Thirdly, I would suggest threads for organizations like ETA, ONAN, FLR /AFL, Ennet House, USOUS, etc. I could go on and on andsome group members may create some of their own and should be, and feel, free to that. Thats half the fun of this book, there is so much!
So i guess here is my question.... do you want me to set some up? Or mmob (lol) or what? I am afraid once i get started i will not be able to stop!
Keep in mind that I assume people will be reading ahead or behind the schedules. These would just be suggested signposts to stay on track. We will have discussion threads set up by page numbered sections, so that you can easily find the relevant thread and post comments, even if you are off schedule.
We need to come up with two official schedules - one with a December start, and one with a January start, to better accommodate those of us who will be participating the the Proust discussions, which start in January. Other issues to consider here are that the winter holidays could affect people differently (some with a winter break to read more, some with a lot less time to read), and that the earlier part of IJ is by all accounts the most challenging part of the book to read.
According to my paperback edition, here are the page counts:
pgs 3-981 - text
pgs 983-1079 - notes and errata
Bearing all of this in mind, here are some different approaches:
(1) December start: 3 months with equal number of pages each month: 75-76 pages a week, not counting notes and errata - end in late February-early March
(2) December start: 3 months with ½ book in December and ¼ each in January and February: in December, would read 491 pages in December (123 pages a week) and then 246 pages a month in January and February (comes to 55 pages a week) - end in late February/early March. Please note that I'm concerned this could be a challenging pace to keep up.
(3) December start: 4 months, roughly 58 pages per week, not counting notes and errata, end in late March
(4) January start: 2 months -- 109 pages a week over 9 weeks, not counting notes and errata, end in late February
(5) January start - 3 months, roughly 75 pages per week, not counting notes and errata, end in late March