Discussion - Week One - The Broom of the System - Chapter 1 - 7

[Jim]

This discussion covers Chapter 1 – 7, p. 1 – 115

[Hugh]

I do have a copy of this one on my physical to read shelf, but it might take me a while to get round to starting it. I'll certainly keep an eye on the discussions here...

[Jim]

Hugh wrote: "I do have a copy of this one on my physical to read shelf, but it might take me a while to get round to starting it. I'll certainly keep an eye on the discussions here..."

The opening chapter is particularly fun and creepy at the same time. I reread it a few days ago and laughed and cringed in equal measure...

[Casceil]

The first part, the part set in 1981, is fun. I haven't gotten much farther than that. I read to the end of the Kindle sample and had some trouble getting the whole book. I have it now, but yesterday I was sucked into another book that I didn't finish until one o'clock this morning. Maybe today. (The other book was Sphere by Michael Crichton. I don't recommend it, because the end felt like a cheat, but the author really knows how to keep you turning pages.)

[Phil]

I'm on Ch. 4. So far, it's reminding me a lot of The Crying of Lot 49. Apparently, DFW described this as a "precious little bildunsroman," but I don't really see it in that light yet.

Yeah, the dormroom butt writing scene is a crazy balance of creepy and hilarious. I kept waiting for those guys to get pen-stabbed in the bunghole. It seems counterintuitive to piss someone off and then give them a sharp object and your posterior.

I guess if you wanted to be fancy about it, butt-writing combines the concept of writing (therefore analysis) and end-product (therefore analysis), so these guys are metaphorically demanding that women help them make sense of their lives?

[Casceil]

Hey, Phil, are you actually reading this book? I started it, but got a little discouraged when no one else seemed to be reading it. Maybe I will go back to it. I like your idea that these guys are metaphorically demanding that women help them make sense of their lives.

[Phil]

Casceil wrote: "Hey, Phil, are you actually reading this book? I started it, but got a little discouraged when no one else seemed to be reading it. Maybe I will go back to it. I like your idea that these guys are ..."

Yeah, I'm at 10% and my interest is piqued, so I'll be carrying on. I was reluctant because of my frustration with Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, which was difficult and in-jokey for the sake of being difficult. So far, this is more like Infinite Jest, where there are compellingly written chapters, but you're not sure where they're headed or why they're told in the order that they are.

Also, there's a business partnership named "Frequent and Vigorous," and that makes me smile.

[Phil]

Oops! Somehow, I got the impression that this was an October read. I finished Ch. 1-7, so I'm exactly one month behind. I'm enjoying it, and will continue.

The challenge with this is not following what's going on- that's clearly described- but why it's going on and what DFW is trying to say. Convenient angles would be suicide/depression and entertainment/lack of personal connection, but I'm hoping to be more perceptive and less thpughtful than that.

[Phil]

Here's a family tree I found on a blog:

https://sorrytelevision.files.wordpre...

It has some moderate spoilers, but it's helpful in telling apart all the characters named "Stonecipher."