tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post6616861555518217242..comments2024-03-27T05:13:25.241-05:00Comments on The New Dork Review of Books: A Literary Blog Hop, A Difficult ReadGreg Zimmermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08122230426442946518noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-55909056762444485332015-01-22T11:27:15.938-06:002015-01-22T11:27:15.938-06:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.asafshanihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12255182373695444165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-27791700164626073332010-11-14T20:46:37.194-06:002010-11-14T20:46:37.194-06:00This reminds me of your Pynchon tweets while you w...This reminds me of your Pynchon tweets while you were reading...very funny.<br /><br />These two books do sound pretty hard. I tend to avoid difficult reads (which is why I haven't made it to Bolano's 2666 yet) but i'll have to get on it soon.<br /><br />Great post.Mayowahttp://www.penswithcojones.com/2010/11/the-online-guide-to-the-publishing-industry/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-82736991612811874782010-11-13T17:03:19.161-06:002010-11-13T17:03:19.161-06:00Greg, your DFW-world domination scheme is coming a...Greg, your DFW-world domination scheme is coming along nicely, I see. Pynchon intrigues me partly for the secrecy with which he shrouds himself. Gravity's Rainbow has been having a great time hanging out on my bookshelf for about three years now. Maybe I'll just read your blog instead;)!bibliophiliachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15495943887513443615noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-17658223707537818422010-11-13T12:01:57.747-06:002010-11-13T12:01:57.747-06:00@Amanda - I may give one more of his books a try, ...@Amanda - I may give one more of his books a try, just to confirm that I'll stay away from him from now on.<br /><br />@MJ - I can't even begin to imagine what a "scathing" review of IJ would consist of! ;) Give it a shot - it is incredibly fun and rewarding!<br /><br />@Roof Beam - I know it was a typo, but "Warn and Peace" cracked me up. I'd do Infinite Jest first - it's a much, much more satisfying reading experience than Gravity's Rainbow, in my opinion.<br /><br />@Parrish - Good luck with GR. My own opinion is that Infinite Jest is infinitely more appealing than GR! ;)<br /><br />@Christopher - Thanks for the congrats! Yeah, the writer DFW is awesome - definitely suggest giving him a read!<br /><br />@Christina - I did. Haunting. Here were my thoughts on it after finishing: http://thenewdorkreviewofbooks.blogspot.com/2010/05/becoming-yourself-roadtrip-with-david.html<br /><br />@kinnareads - Woohoo! Glad I could help you move IJ up your priority list. Please let me know when you begin - I'll be interested to hear what you think!<br /><br />@Louise - Thanks for stopping by!Greg Zimmermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08122230426442946518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-40955876948624302742010-11-13T06:01:47.714-06:002010-11-13T06:01:47.714-06:00Just found your blog from the blog hop. I loved yo...Just found your blog from the blog hop. I loved your blog name so much that you were the first one I decided to browse. It sounds like Infinite Jest isn't for me, but I'm glad that it has found an appreciative audience.Louisehttp://astrongbeliefinwicker.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-12607747424947751122010-11-13T02:17:33.317-06:002010-11-13T02:17:33.317-06:00Your appreciation for DFW and Infinite Jest is inf...Your appreciation for DFW and Infinite Jest is infectious! I'm pushing Infinite Jest to the top half of my list of reads for next year. Sad when we lose our favorite authors. Wonderful response.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-1366431213873641562010-11-12T21:20:04.375-06:002010-11-12T21:20:04.375-06:00I LOVE DFW. Have you read Although of Course You ...I LOVE DFW. Have you read Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself?Christinahttp://thebluebookcase.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-68252865826053978482010-11-12T20:02:48.869-06:002010-11-12T20:02:48.869-06:00DFW is still Dallas-Fort Worth Intl. Airport to me...DFW is still Dallas-Fort Worth Intl. Airport to me. LOL! To date, I have never read anything by David Foster Wallace. I think the first I ever heard of him was his suicide. Anyway, thanks for the suggestion, I will have a look-see at his writing. Excellent post, and again congrats on getting through the Pynchon--you have my respect.<br /><br />Cheers! ChrisChristopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00428150254760548485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-20953153777218143942010-11-12T18:54:43.042-06:002010-11-12T18:54:43.042-06:00Gravity's rainbow, is the very next book from ...Gravity's rainbow, is the very next book from my TBR, as I've already read V & the crying of lot 49 this year, not read Infinite Jest, but your's is the 2nd write up I've seen on it, & it sounding more & more appealing<br />Thanks.<br />Parrish@parridhlanternhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12793548943992250238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-86142900544813981572010-11-12T18:17:09.557-06:002010-11-12T18:17:09.557-06:00Oh, boy. I recently purchased both of these books....Oh, boy. I recently purchased both of these books. Haven't attempted either - but the challenge is definitely on. Let's see if I survive Warn and Peace, first.Roof Beam Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06792884580084363046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-88541482971724203982010-11-12T16:18:58.874-06:002010-11-12T16:18:58.874-06:00your post makes me re-evaluate my notions about In...your post makes me re-evaluate my notions about Infinite Jest. I've read some scathing review about it, and have thus become wary. But who knows, maybe I'm missing out on a literary goldmine here.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10159258988339317505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-42492255122208396672010-11-12T13:42:18.443-06:002010-11-12T13:42:18.443-06:00Yeah Pynchon is one of those authors that I sort o...Yeah Pynchon is one of those authors that I sort of stay away from...Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026099426503180472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-41553836403069586762010-11-12T09:19:20.470-06:002010-11-12T09:19:20.470-06:00@Patrick - Yeah, I've heard others say they ga...@Patrick - Yeah, I've heard others say they gave up trying IJ on an e-reader too. You really do need to employ the two-bookmark strategy and flip back and forth. The footnotes add sooo much!<br /><br />@JoAnn - Haven't ever tried Mason & Dixon, but given my experience with GR, I'm not sure I have the heart.<br /><br />@Matt - Empathy, indeed. And that was the first time depression ever made sense to me. I forget who, but someone once described DFW has having the rare gift of allowing his readers to think along with him. And he said, a book has to teach you how to read it. IJ was all of those things. I loved it! I'm about due for a re-read, actually...perhaps before The Pale King next April, which I'm also eagerly anticipating as well.<br /><br />@Hillary - It is definitely not easy, but stick with it. It's pretty good feeling to finish it. ;)<br /><br />@Gautami - Oh yeah? Interesting. Which ones couldn't you get in to?<br /><br />@Trisha - Ulysses was on mine, until I read GR. Now, I'm not too sure I care. Good luck! And good luck with IJ, too! I'm excited for you...Greg Zimmermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08122230426442946518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-57396364310139943812010-11-12T08:04:41.485-06:002010-11-12T08:04:41.485-06:00Both of these books are on my to read before I die...Both of these books are on my to read before I die list along with Ulysses, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and well, others in the same vein. 2011 is the year I read at least two of them; Ulysses is up in January, but I'm thinking Infinite Jest will be my summer book. I'll be emailing questions I have to you. :)Trishahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13917705393662132891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-57551067377161357712010-11-12T07:36:20.942-06:002010-11-12T07:36:20.942-06:00I have read a lot of classics in my school and col...I have read a lot of classics in my school and college years. And some still remain my favorites. However, there are a few I could never get into..<br /><br /><br />Here is my <a href="http://readbookswritepoetry.blogspot.com/2010/11/literary-blog-hop-difficult-read.html" rel="nofollow">Literary Blog Hop</a> post!gautami tripathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04192356825699543613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-76026113777785668642010-11-12T06:13:14.550-06:002010-11-12T06:13:14.550-06:00Gravity Rainbow is up next on my list. We I hope I...Gravity Rainbow is up next on my list. We I hope I can get through it. I have heard how hard it is so am getting a little intimated.Hillaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01944837526757443284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-39855197308727124282010-11-11T22:40:13.623-06:002010-11-11T22:40:13.623-06:00Greg, sounds like we read Infinite Jest right arou...Greg, sounds like we read Infinite Jest right around the same time. I actually started it a couple weeks before DFW's passing, which made his novel's subject matter all the more immediate, especially as goes his very brilliant run down of the finer points of suffering from depression. He certainly possessed a sense of empathy unparalleled by any author I've heretofore read; hard to imagine anyone that possibly could. Which is what made him such a great observer of the human condition, what's more. <br /><br />I eagerly anticipate the forthcoming release of his unfinished novel "The Pale King."Matt Rowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13279336765708594789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-35486302149131854692010-11-11T18:56:41.186-06:002010-11-11T18:56:41.186-06:00I tried Pynchon once - got about 50 pages into Mas...I tried Pynchon once - got about 50 pages into Mason & Dixon before giving up. Still may try DFW one day...JoAnnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13691864361197071517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-47149754910609590132010-11-11T17:27:14.403-06:002010-11-11T17:27:14.403-06:00The IJ footnotes defeated me on my first attempt--...The IJ footnotes defeated me on my first attempt--largely because I was reading it on a Sony eReader that was definitely NOT made for footnoted works. I'll give it a second go in 2011--you've convinced me that it's well worth the effort.Patrick (at The Literate Man)https://www.blogger.com/profile/05126952182728811711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-54417548405430686602010-11-11T16:12:42.194-06:002010-11-11T16:12:42.194-06:00@Sandy - No shame in that - I totally understand t...@Sandy - No shame in that - I totally understand the "too many books to read ones you're not enjoying" argument. But for me, it's sort of an OCD MUST FINISH thing...<br /><br />@Red - Ah, thanks! The thing that helped me most with Infinite Jest was a book called Elegant Complexity, by Greg Carlisle. It really helps orient you in time, and explains how things connect to each other. Try it - I couldn't recommend Infinite Jest more highly. It's fantastic! (And parts take place in Boston...)<br /><br />@IngridLola - Hey, thanks for hosting us.<br /><br />@mel u - I wouldn't say I "loved" GR, but I sure tolerated the heck out of it! ;) For DFW, I'd recommend starting with some of his essays - Consider the Lobster is awesome!<br /><br />@readerbuzz - Good analogy. :)Greg Zimmermanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08122230426442946518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-35521874629423057362010-11-11T15:55:37.597-06:002010-11-11T15:55:37.597-06:00I know my limits. Sadly, I'm a shallow reader....I know my limits. Sadly, I'm a shallow reader. I like to go out far in the ocean, but I don't like the water to go over my head.Deb Nance at Readerbuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12128529491888701996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-89361633236380053642010-11-11T15:30:33.920-06:002010-11-11T15:30:33.920-06:00Great Post-I love GR and have yet to read any Davi...Great Post-I love GR and have yet to read any David Foster Wallace-maybe Infinite Jest is not the first of his works I should read!-I am now a follower of your blog and will come back later and read more if your posts-thanks for visiting my blogMel uhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08714473754458914681noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-25574483053368296632010-11-11T14:22:15.330-06:002010-11-11T14:22:15.330-06:00What the ... I swear I left a comment about an hou...What the ... I swear I left a comment about an hour ago but it's not showing up? Anyway, I think I said that long, difficult books tend to become favorites to me because I have to invest so much in them. <br />Thanks for participating this week Greg!IngridLolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079137600900264656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-32941133234708655062010-11-11T13:38:29.037-06:002010-11-11T13:38:29.037-06:00Your fake conversation with Pynchon is one of my f...Your fake conversation with Pynchon is one of my favorite posts. <br /><br />I think I'd need to mentally prepare myself before getting into Infinite Jest. That and a series of notes to try to keep everything straight.Redhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456600806188531803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5060047013304842896.post-51329240950079622972010-11-11T12:16:36.085-06:002010-11-11T12:16:36.085-06:00I am sort of in awe of your fortitude. If I find ...I am sort of in awe of your fortitude. If I find books that difficult, I usually give up. Bad Sandy.Sandy Nawrothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00564390728106776030noreply@blogger.com