Lucy Reads Infinite Jest

Reading Infinite Jest for the first time starting on the 30th anniversary

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

Little update

I haven’t given up on the book or anything I just started getting treatment for my PTSD/OCD/alcohol use that needed me to put this book on hold. I’m going to be alright and will get back to it when I can.

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

Day 10

Everything for today is going under a read more because of the content.

DFW is very keen to write "faggy"

White guy writing AAVE again

Does this bit about HIV transmission through needles take place in TYDAU? I guess so, original bit was TYOTSDB.

You can really tell he removed an r from the n word to get away with it

This awful description of "almost" raping an old woman on the train feels straight from a right-wing fantasy

I've never heard the word "slope" used as a slur before. I googled this and it isn't something DFW came up with; I don't think it's a common one.

Lots of homophobia/transphobia in this bit. I've noticed that DFW has not portrayed a single character that could be conceived of as queer in a positive light at all. Poor Tony seems to be the first one who is trans, specifically a trans woman, and is depicted as a drug-addicted prostitute. This wasn't an uncommon depiction in the 90s so I guess I just should expect this of a mainstream author, but it still sucks

Letting your friend take laced heroin is fucked

Genuinely I am surprised that I have only really seen criticism of DFW as being obtuse, pretentious, or misogynistic and nothing about the racism/homophobia/transphobia

There's a possibility that this is all serving some greater point later, but it really seems like DFW is being gratuitous and shitty in the way that a lot of male authors of the era were (like Bret Easton Ellis, who is often mentioned in the same breath as DFW)

Ended on page 135 (read 8 pages today)

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

reading Infinite Jest is making me really want to smoke pot which I haven't done in nearly two years

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

Day 9

Hal using dipping tobacco surprised me

Is she called the USS Millicent Kent because she's heavy or is it her missile-like hair

The description of her father's fetishistic crossdressing is disturbing

USSMK was far too aggressive with Mario. Did he understand what was happening?

Boston is the birthplace of the Entertainment

Rumors of an anti-Entertainment?

They're making Steeply do some horseshit. Both blackface and crossdressing. what the hell

Ended on page 127 (18 pages today)

[hakitadev]

My new standalone album: "Tennis, Everyone?" — A Tribute to the Late, Great James O. Incandenza, is out now on both Bandcamp (for free) and Youtube. Breakcore, drill and bass, and a bunch of other subgenres of intense electronic music.

Hope you enjoy.

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

Day 8

Note 34 is so fucking long are you kidding me

Giant babies in the uninhabitable zone: truth or fiction? Probably fiction but who can say

Unclear what the AFR actually accomplishes since this (article in the end notes) was written by a crank

There are multiple Quebecois terrorist groups. AFR seems to be the most dangerous

They lose their legs through an organized game of jumping past trains, or at least a cult does and some of the people who were part of that cult became AFR

Not sure this end note being framed as being about a kid plagiarizing for his school paper is doing anything here

I forgot about the first end note within the end note and then had to flip back to the start of 34 and it was just acne cream. fuck you DFW

"The Entertainment" is a name given by OUS

23 victims from this first attack seems incredible

the Moms implicated in attack (she was previously said to have links to Quebecois separatist groups and is from Quebec

American cities are covered in domes to keep toxic gas out. How does one travel?

Wonder if Hal's darker complexion compared to the rest of his (living) family will come up again

Ended on page 109 (24 pages today).

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

Day 7

The Moms has a link to Quebecois separatists (previously mentioned, would love to know more)

This scene with Kate Gompert is sad but her doctor cares more than any psych ward doctor I ever had cared

Is Kate the person who was supposed to get the pot for Erdedy? Probably not

Her addiction is definitely worse than his though

Note 32 is amusing, Pratchett-like

Ended on page 85 today (21 pages)

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

Day 6

I spent today only reviewing the end note of J O Incandenza's filmography since I didn't finish reading it last time and it is very dense.

I am going to put a read more here since there are "spoilers" for this thirty year old book and I don't want someone getting pissy in my notes

There are at least four, possibly five, attempts at making a film called "Infinite Jest." It's already been spoiled for me by looking up some more info about an end note that this is The Entertainment, but I don't know which version it is.

The fifth version is noted to maybe be a completed version of the fourth version which is regarded as his best work, and is probably The Entertainment.

Militant Grammarians and MIT language riots seems insane

Frequent Collaborators in film are Cosgrove Watt, Pam Heath, Judith Fukuoka-Hearn, 'Madame Psychosis'

Frequent characters are Death and Psychosis

A few of these films are transparently autobiographical, including a scene we previously saw with when Hal went to the conversationalist. Wait, was that real, was that a recreation of Hal's experience, or was it all just a film?

A film about holography "unreleased due to US/Canadian diplomatic tensions"

A few films about or featuring deaf people

There was a lot of interesting stuff just in this end note but I'm sure I'll refer back to it again later as we see more.

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

Day Five

Took a break the last few days because I've had a lot going on at work/was drinking quite a bit. Anyway, here's today's notes:

Why is this sentence so fucking long

End note about Quebec banning robocalls and other annoyances is amusing

Fuck you for making me flip to an end note and it refers to another end note that does not seem important

Was confused if James Orin and Orin are the same person (they are not)

Will the filmography notes matter?

I received news of a colleague's death while reading and have felt sad.

Finished with page 64 (9 pages today)

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

Day Four

Genuinely surprised that Hal is a pothead too

Learned C.T. and the Mom's names

Lot of drugs and end notes

seems like nearly everyone is using drugs in some way (reflects real life)

Ended on page 55, didn't have much time to read today (9 pages today)

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

Day Three

Always feels weird to read a white guy write AAVE esp in first person

Additionally jarring since this is narrating abuse and sexual assault

Shedd's Spread is now what I know as Country Crock

Do you have to describe a middle school girl like this (the misogyny is something I expected but come on)

Poor Hal misses his dad... also recognizes unhealthy coping by the Moms... he's too young for this

Fuck you DFW for making me turn back pages to check a date and time

Ambush is a perfume from 1955, still produced. Why all the anachronism for something set in the future?

Bugs a recurring theme?

Roaches that fly and blind infants is terrifying

Poor Orin's got nightmares like I did

Concentration got broken by husband, ended at page 46 (9 pages today)

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

Day Two

$1250 for a fifth is insane (inflation?)

Almost Home cookies were discontinued by Nabisco in the 90s and I've never seen them

The binge/purge cycle is so lovingly (knowledgeably?) portrayed here

So is the anxiety thought process

Curious to learn more about InterLace

First end note and it's not even helpful or important. We all know what meth is

Hal is like athletic Young Sheldon

Wonder what the family connection to Quebec is about

Why's Hal's dad (the Himself) got his penis removed

What's the deal with Orin

"Saudi Minister of Home Entertainment" has a different feel now re modern Saudi investment into sports, EA acquisition

The importance of "entertainment" (TV) seems to be a major focus just like I'm used to seeing in other 90s media (for example, Futurama has a lot of commentary about being a wastoid watching TV and the culture of TV/stranglehold that it had on American households in the 90s; recall a scene from I think the first episode of Malcolm in the Middle where the mother threatens to destroy the TV to get her way because it's the one thing everyone in the household holds dear)

Mailing someone "The Entertainment" is kind of The Ring, kind of mail bomb (seems comedic)

Read to page 37 (20 pages today)

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

First Thoughts

Interesting that the forward takes on directly the reputation that the book has garnered due to its male fans

Thought “Hal is not unlike a mob boss waiting for his lawyers to get him out of a jam” then two pages later read “I have been coached for this like a Don before a RICO hearing.”

Learned who Dennis Gabor was. Holograms are coming up a lot

Curious if what happened in the interview will be elaborated on later

Have been taking occasional notes while reading so I can blog them here later

Decided just now I will tag posts so I can find connecting ones later as the book reveals itself

I have read to page 17. It is time for me to prepare for bed.

[lucyreadsinfinitejest]

Here's Why I'm Reading Infinite Jest

Background

I woke up this morning and it is my 30th birthday. I learned from reading a daily digest email from Wired that it is the 30th anniversary of the publication of Infinite Jest. I have thought on and off for years about reading it and it felt like it was destined to happen. My husband took me to Barnes & Noble today and purchased the 30th anniversary copy for me.

I have never read any of DFW's work. I have seen him and this particular book memed about constantly on /lit/, 4chan's literature board which I frequented in high school and college. I vaguely know that it is about tennis, a Quebecois separatist movement, addiction, and The Entertainment which is a movie so good that it kills you because you watch it over and over again until you die. Also, there are a lot of footnotes.

Why I Am Blogging This

I feel that reading this book is going to be significant to me and would like to reflect on my thoughts later. I think maybe other people will find my thoughts interesting, but it's primarily for myself.

I imagine that in the past 30 years anything insightful that could be said about this book already has been and it's already a thoroughly picked clean body in terms of analysis. I hope to gain some insight for myself what the vibe was like when I was born through the vibes of one of the most prominent novels of the time.