/lit/ - Literature

>>12506414
only if there's no discord

>>12506414
I’m in. Currently reading Oblivion and liking it a lot. I hear The Pale King and Oblivion have some similarities in terms of style and themes.

Any anons who have read both that can talk about the two?

>>12506424
I like the idea of discussion being out for everyone to see, not just the small handful of gamer boys that use Discord and /lit/ so I didn't have any plans to make use of it.

>>12506414
how much of this book was cobbled together after the fact by DFW's editor? Was it finished when he died?

OP from the previous thread here, I’m down

>>12506464
>how much of this book was cobbled together after the fact by DFW's editor?
Supposedly it was pared down from over 1000 pages to 500-some though that might be an anecdotal claim.
>Was it finished when he died?
The title page says "An unfinished novel" so take that as you will.

Also just as a note on any questions I answer, I have yet to read TPK
I enjoyed Infinite Jest, and thought organizing a group read of The Pale King would be fun after picking up a used copy.

I think I will participate. I have a copy staring at me, and peer pressure can only help me. Keep these threads alive and I will chime in sometimes.

But why tho, if you couldn’t even finish IJ last time lol

>>12506569
PK is shorter

>>12506569
Why not?
Whether the other goobers on here finish, I know I plan to. And unless discussion completely dies out I'll keep posting threads through to the very end..

>>12506414
I’m totally down. Just need to pick up a copy. Been holding off on this one for a while, but now is as good of time as ever. I encourage everyone to take part in this

can this be my first DFW?

>>12506894
When I was looking at the DFW fansite I got the reading schedule from, a number of posts said it's a perfectly fine place to start with his writing.

So I’ve almost finished Broom of the System but have only read like 60 pages of Infinite Jest a few months ago, will that be alright?

>>12506894
bad idea, as an unfinished work it offers a reader familier with his work an insight to his process whereas the novice will have no sense of how the book was intended to coke out. ive read all his fiction and reccomend starting with oblivion

>>12506931
I'd recommend going back and reading IJ at some point, but it's looking like we're going to have all levels of experience with DFW taking part.
>>12507127
I don't see how it's a bad idea; someone new to his writing might have a different interpretation of what they read, but I can't imagine it would ruin the experience. Worst case scenario is they go back and reread The Pale King later on in life and get more out of it.

Bump for interest

>>12506414
Why do ppl call DFW insincere and pretentious? I'm reading Lobster right now and in voice, vocabulary, and sentence structure he writes very simply, humbly and straightforwardly. Where in his works lie his pretension and otherwise? So far I really love how warm and down to earth he feels. Feels like he's speaking directly to me, and not a sentence so far has felt like he was trying too hard. The opposite rather, many sentences are extremely simplistic.

I'm going to start reading TPK tomorrow and post threads about it every day leading up to this fuck ya'll N WORD GAAAAANNNNGGGG

>>12507909
Insecurity. Its not their fault its modern culture.

>>12507909
I feel like a lot of that comes from people who haven't actually read him, and are simply spouting opinions they heard from others trying to be contentious, or otherwise have only been exposed to cherry-picked portions of his writing and base their conclusions on that.
The same kind of people who think Gravity's Rainbow is about bananas and eating poop.

>>12507918
It's a DFW novel, it's not like there's anything to spoil. If anything you'll hopefully garner more interest in TPK and there'll be more people discussing it during the group read.

>>12507923
>>12507945
This makes me feel even more bad for him, bros. That he is so misunderstood and misrepresented in his legacy. I wish I could have been friends with him, or helped him. To know he took his life, makes me very upset. How do I deal with this feel? I don't want to read his works and feel sad the whole time I do so.

>>12507909
His real life persona/attitude. In IJ, the endless footnotes and digressions into obscurii with no direct purpose, except to beat his intellect over the reader.

In an interview he flatly denies Pynchon’s influence on him, that his work is solely his personal creation, despite the obvious influence. People said he was an asshole, but then again, all his students absolutely loved him, called him the greatest professor etc.

>>12506414
My question for anyone starting the book or who has already read it. I know that Don DeLillio was a big influence on DFW in his early career and into Infinite Jest, and he sort of modeled himself on him. Can anyone speak to that in The Pale King? Oblivion seems to be a departure from his previous work, and I noticed two Joyce references in his work after IJ, "The Soul is Not a Smithy" referencing the last page of A Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man and "coins of light," at the opening of The Pale King, also from Portrait I believe but i don't remember the location. I haven't read Ulysses so I don't know the influence there. Was DFW diving into Joyce in earnest after IJ or did I just not notice that before? Anyone have any thoughts on the DFW-DeLillo and DFW-Joyce connections?

>>12507965
is he really influenced a lot by Pynchon? I see more DeLillo in him and his personal library had lots of heavily marked up DeLillo, but i don't remember much Pynchon.

>>12507961
Sadness and DFW are inseparable, even if he was alive his work would still emit pain.

>>12507992
So I should just read him and swallow my sadness while doing so?

>>12507965
Would you want to live in the shadow of thomas pynchon forever? Cut the guy some slack. I can give gregg allman some shit for saying "we're not a jam band, we're a band thay jams" but I get it. They are very distinct writers. Pynchon is on a different plan of existence compared to what DFW does. His only crime is sitting down and taking an interview. Can you imagine a universe where we're here shitting on pynchon for saying he isn't william gaddis because he made the mistake of talking to the press? And DFW is not pretentious, again. People are insecure
>the endless digressions to make you feel like he's smarter than you
First of all if that's your impression I feel badly for you. Secondly in the modern era nothing he goes into is even obscure. Nobody calls Don Delillo pretentious but in the 1980s before the age of information the know-it-all teenage son in White Noise was actually a novelty. Today he's literally cringe and bluepilled.

>>12507980
There’s a scene in GR where the main character and a girl stand on a certain hill, and the angle of the sun shoots their shadows across the land for miles.
The same thing happens in IJ with the Helen Steeply/Remy discussion on a cliff

>>12507961
It is a shame he's viewed as a pretentious tryhard. As someone with an eccentric family and who has experience with drug treatment programs (not a junkie really, sent to weed for smoming fucking pot as a teenager with inner city underage crack and heroin addicts lmao(though I did go on to become a prolific hippie music psychedelic connosuirre)) the Infinite Jest was extremely accurate. The portrayal of dysfunctional families, drug addiction and treatment was very accurate in every dimension was relatable and spot-on.

>>12508066
The marathe/steeply conversation takes place for some time over the course of the book and the day on that cliff face. In the section in GR iirc its very brief and the shadows are god's hands or something yeah? In IJ don't they represent some kind of arc/wheel of the plot? Or maybe I have them reversed or am completely off but that feels right. Its been a while. I will give you they're similar scenes but it was quite minor in GR (most things are), why would he conciously steal it? Then deny it. Maybe he was a faggot after all. Glad he killed himself.

>>12508083
this is lit in a nutshell lmao

defend the author, then finish by saying "glad he killed himself."

let me in!

>>12508127
Congrats, you made it.

>>12506414
Im considering joining as long as you faggots actually discuss the book. I was in the mason & dixon group this summer and everyone was too scared to share any real analysis so the group fell apart.

>>12508243
KEK I can definitely see this. When I finished JR years ago before it was getting popular I posted my thoughts here but you almost never see that because everyone is afraid of being called a psued anonymously lmao

>>12506414
I might participate depending on how busy I am. Are we just discussing in /lit/ threads or somewhere else?

>>12508485
The plan is to just have the discussion on /lit/
Hopefully we don't fall into >>12508243 but only time will tell on that front.

Does anybody have an epub of it?

I was looking to see if I could find any deals on TPK to post here for interested anons and all I got was this T-Shirt.
I hate it.
But if anyone has Prime and orders it from Amazon, be sure to check for a no-rush shipping option. We're far enough out that you'll get it in time and could probably get an extra discount or some rewards.

>>12506569
IJ is a meme book, while PK is significantly more mature.

>>12508005
Read him and rise above your sadness. Become more.

>>12508066
A lot of other people have used the same mechanic ( https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brocken_spectre ) and in the novel DFW directly alludes to Goethe.

Looks like half-price used copies are up in a few places online if anyone is cool ordering used books without being able to look them over beforehand.

>>12509908
>DUDE, DUDE H-HEHE.... HOLD ON HAHAHAH, DUDE
>MEMES
>LMFAOOOOOOO

>>12507961
>>12507909
5 years ago this board adored DFW, then Twitter adopted him and the contrarians here turn on him

>>12510490
It was always full of people calling IJ shit and a gimmick you whiney faggot. You just didn't pay as much attention then because you were 16 and hadn't read the book yet. Nothing has ever been universally accepted here. Its an impossibility because some autist will pretend not to just because no one can shoot them for being insufferable

>>12510521
There are always detractors, but it definitely seems like there was a swing in overall general opinion of Wallace

>>12510521

>>12506414

Good job OP, I'll be tuning in.

>>12506414
Cunt!

>>12510706
Love you too, man.

Okay, I'll get it tomorrow. Guess I'll make some stupid comments about it.

I'm in lads.

>>12510644
>dude memes
I'm sorry that you're new anon. Its going to be okay.
>>12510602
You guys are honestly underage/retarded if you really believe that 6 years ago DFW was obscure except this board. There have been like 4 DFW threads in the last DAY and they are mostly positive. You're acting like women.

https://www.strawpoll.me/17340889

I figure it'll be interesting to get an idea of the general experience level people reading along have with DFW's writing.

>>12507972
anyone have any thoughts on this? DFW-DeLillo relationship vs DFW-Joyce relationship?

bumping for visibility

>tfw currently reading and almost finished
should have waited a couple weeks, it’s a good one though if you haven’t read it yet

>>12506441
The Pale King is basically a novel written about the themes of the main charater's father in Soul is Not a Smithy, and the nightmare the boy has about adult life

>>12512881
IN ENGLISH, DOC

>>12512851
No reason you can't join in on the discussion, my man. I'm sure there'll have been bits that stuck out to you enough you'll remember them in a few weeks, and a cursory flip-through is usually enough of a refresher for me when I'm trying to remember something about a book I enjoyed.

>/lit/ reads
nah sounds gay

how about
>lit takes a shit!!!!!

>>12513220
I mean if that's something you feel passionate about creating, by all means do. I dunno if it would jive with book discussion though.

>>12513466
Goofing up on my trip is what I get for phoneposting.

i'll participate

Bumping one last time before I sleep.
Here's the strawpoll so we can get an idea of where everyone's DFW experience is: https://www.strawpoll.me/17340889

>>12506414
ahh i've had it on my bed-stand for 2 years, but i've got loads of senior project and other work to do. I'll try to get some of my short term things done and I might do it.

Just ordered. It will arrive on 2/12.

Im in gyiuise

>>12515271
It's honestly a pretty relaxed reading schedule; if you can make the time for 20 pages a day, you can keep up without a problem.
>>12513930
>>12515295
>>12515344
Glad to have y'all on board.

>>12515851
I thought using a trip would make it easier to get the ball rolling on this thing, and I could make excuses about not being awake when I posted this, but really I think I'm just bad at being a tripfriend. May or may not be a bad thing.

Visibility bump.
From the strawpoll so far, it looks like most of the people reading have at least some familiarity with Wallace's writing, but will be going through The Pale King for the first time.
I'm very interested in seeing how interpretations of TPK differ between the three different groups in the poll.

I'm not usually one to care about covers, but this repulsive. It even has a marketing slogan on the spine. Disgusting.

>>12517432
Thanks, I hate it.

>>12511786
Women are the most heavenly of all creatures, so that's a compliment.

https://www.strawpoll.me/17340889
Strawpoll bump. I'm honestly surprised to have more than 10 votes at this point.

We're starting 2 weeks from Sunday, so now is a good time to order a copy if you're worried about shipping time.

>>12517802
Imagine being this retarded

>>12506414
just ordered this book yesterday, let's ride

if its shit can i make fun of dfwfags forever?

>>12520188
I mean, I'm not sure why you would feel like you need permission to do so.

Morning bump. Just two weeks from tomorrow and we begin.

>>12512881
Fuck that was a really good story, I'm excited for this

>>12511807
Wallace stole nearly everything for IJ from McElroy. Read Lookout Cartridge.

>>12522725
>Wallace stole nearly everything for IJ from McElroy. I read the Lookout Cartridge synopsis on wiki

I keep on getting this book confused with that one Marilyn Manson album that came out a few years later.

>>12506414
Read it a month and a half ago, might as well join for discussion though.

>>12506414
I'm in, keep the threads alive.

>>12523174
It's mostly gonna be first time readers, but you won't be the only one who's already read in on the discussion.
>>12523300
Bumps are always appreciated.

how and why would you read a book that was just a bunch of a manuscripts of a dead man stitched together to sell for some shekels?

>>12524314
Brainlet posts like this are why people think everyone on /pol/ is too retarded to live. Never post again, you are just a lemming and don't need to speak.

Bumping to keep the thread alive.

And here's another bump for visibility.

Bump.

Found it cheap at the book store. By the 17th I'll be done with what I'm reading and then I'll get started. I look forward to seeing what you guys are all about with your DFW.

I'll be joining in on this too. I have it on my shitty Kindle to read after I'm done with End Zone but might pick up a physical copy. Are there any aesthetic covers?

>>12506414
humpedy bumpedy

https://www.strawpoll.me/17340889

Sunday, February 17 is two weeks from today. Going by the strawpoll, it's looking like we should have a decent turnout of readers.

Can someone sell me on this book? Why should I read it?

>>12529006
>Why should I read it?
Maybe TPK.

>>12507980
Hes clearly influenced by nabakov. All the endnotes in IJ, hell this book is literally Pale King

Dropping a quick im down and will read through the thread later

>>12529590
Most of it is me bumping, probably won't be a ton of discussion until reading actually starts.
>>12529015
I loved Pale Fire, so I'll be excited if parallels between the two go beyond similar titles.

bumpin

Post superbowl bump. And what a boring game it was.
On the bright side, we keep getting more responses on the strawpoll. Even if only 1/3-1/2 of the responders actively participate, we should have a decent amount of people reading and discussing.

https://www.strawpoll.me/17340889

Bumping with another link to the strawpoll for people who are interested in reading. Reminder that we officially have less than two weeks until Day 1.

Visibility bump. 9 more business days before the 17th if you're trying to get that Amazon no-rush shipping discount.

read it a while ago but forgot details, and but so i will lurk the threads and bump