- Infinite Summer. The challenge: Join endurance bibliophiles from around the world in reading Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace over the summer of 2009, June 21st to September 22nd. A thousand pages ÷ 92 days = 75 pages a week. (Plus end notes. A lot of them.) No sweat, right? Although loving the idea of the project, I find the book infinitely difficult to follow. So bye-bye Infinite Jest, you may be just a little too deep for the summer. And the library wants you back. - The lyrical voices of the nail technicians as they speak to each other in Vietnamese.
- Doing a little shrieking dance at my front door when I think a spider might have fallen in my hair. And then doing a slow turn to see if the elegant couple in building 3 are on their back porch as they often are. They are, but kindly acting as if they didn't notice.
**********************************************************
* This is a re-post from June 26, 2009 - a long time ago, seems like. Between outside plant watering and a 45 minute video work out before work this morning, I completely forgot about my blog! Since I always post on Friday, I looked at past posts dated June 26 and liked this one the most. And ... (1) I still don't want to read Infinite Jest. (2) I'm going to the same nail place this afternoon after work, and (3) I knocked down a spider web in the same spot this morning, using the handy spider web knock down stick I keep on the table by the front door. :)
Happy weekend, y'all!
24 comments:
And you just KNOW the couple went inside later and were killing themselves laughing! :)
I think of some books as "encyclopedias disguised as novels" and a little encyclopedia reading goes a long way - lol!
Like you, I love the sound of people speaking foreign languages. The unfamiliar rhythms are so interesting.
Talon -
I thought the same thing. :) And I think I shook my hair out so violently that hopefully the spider has gone to someone else's door.
The website for Infinite Summer says to give it at least 200 pages, but, mercy - I just can't concentrate on it. Too much else going on.
They are such nice ladies there. And my pedicure with its accompanying foot and calf massage was more relaxing for the soothing conversation around me that I didn't have to think about.
Infinite, indeed! I'm not sure that my short attention span is up to it!
Mama Zen -
I'm with ya!
Ha, the spider dance. We've all been there. And yes, had people witness us too.
Yes, the library called. They desperately need that book back, some poor soul read it once and just HAS to read it again.
xo
Jannie -
Oh - I don't like the spiders...
Believe it or not, there is a long waiting list for IJ. And there is no way you could read that in two weeks unless that's all you did.
I enjoyed seeing you on blogging without a blog today...
Curious, what would a 1,000 page book like that be about?
Besides being 1,000 pages that is.
I have been reading a lot of books lately, and I love getting back into this (too busy the past couple of months to sit down, but now am forcing myself to relax :-)
That spider story is so cute. Your neighbors sound like cool people.
I reread your post and I thought you said it was reading a thousand pages a week. Thus my probably weird comment. I have never heard of that IJ...will have to google it.
G and Jewel -
This from Wikipedia: Infinite Jest is a 1996 novel written by David Foster Wallace. The lengthy and complex work takes place in a semi-parodic future version of North America. The novel touches on the topics of tennis, substance addiction and recovery programs, depression, child abuse, family relationships, advertising and popular entertainment, film theory, and Quebec separatism.
Time magazine included the novel in its TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005 list.
The novel derives its name in part from a line in Hamlet, in which Hamlet refers to the skull of Yorick, the court jester: "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is!"
In addition to being the title given to the fictional film central to the story, reviewers have also considered the title a "sly wink at the book's massive girth."
David Foster Wallace committed suicide last year at the age of 46 - he suffered from severe depression. There was intense grief from the literary community. I think this project is meant to honor his memory and also help people get through the book.
Jewel -
Those neighbors are cool. They sit outside after tennis and have cocktails on the back porch.
I would love to hear what you are reading. Always looking for suggestions. I need a memoir for my book group in August. We are reading the memoir of our choice.
I'm still laughing at the image of you doing the shake-the-spider OFF ME NOW dance!
Hope you're having a fantabulous weekend and when you have time I have an award for you on my blog...a well deserved one!
Talon -
Wow - thank you in advance! I'll be right over.
Oh I don't like bugs touching me - especially spiders!
Weekend is good so far!
Wow.
Sorry I asked. :-]
Definitely sounds like a book I would only read if I needed to get some serious shut eye.
We all know summer is for light reading... that sounds like too much work- back to my junky sci-fi...
I worked in a factory of mostly vietemese speaking folks once. Some were very nice, but others I learned how to say swears from!
Well if you added a few hip hop dance steps after the spider jumping you could've saved face maybe...
G -
Read it sometime and tell me how it is! Oh please.
Snaggle Tooth -
Jannie mentioned a Bailey White book in a comment the other day and it inspired me to get "Mama Makes Up Her Mind (and other dangers of Southern living)" from the library. It's perfect for the summer.
You know - they could be saying swear words at the nail salon for all I know. :)
You may have something there - the Spider Dance with a hip hop twist. :)
Hello,
I'm finally making the rounds from Blogger comments at Lance's site. I'm INFINITELY impressed that you're reading Infinite Jest. Before Generation X lost Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett - two childhood icons, we lost David Foster Wallace. A brilliant writer. I've been working my way through Infinite Jest for a year!
Hi Jen -
Just saw your comment - sorry for the delay in replying. Are you using any sort of reader guide for Infinite Jest?
there's no time like summertime for light reading.
"doing a little shrieking dance at my front door when I think a spider might have fallen in my hair..." i'm literally lol!
happy weekend lynn!
big hugs!
A book that bored
Words that soared
A strange dance galore
Infinitely appreciate the heads-up on the book.
I bet your nails are absolutely GORGEOUS! I wonder what the nail ladies are discussing?
xooxoxoxoox
I did some animated dancing, screeching, and clawing at my head yesterday when a buzzy fly flew directly into my ear. Fortunately I was not around anyone I needed to impress. :-)
I've never read him and am not sure I want to - so sad.
I'm so far behind with my reading matter! I'm reading all the time, but I just don't seem to get around to reading many books lately! A while back I was going through a couple a week, but now...time just seems to slip away without notice!
Post a Comment