Restarting? Feels like homework.
December 12, 2011 4:26 AM Subscribe
Restarting Infinite Jest? I read (and enjoyed) around 400 pages worth of IJ around a year ago, but for whatever reason, I put it down for a break and never picked it up again. With a summer holiday ahead of me, I'm hoping to restart reading it. My question is: where do I start? Is it worth restarting it from scratch, or do I read some online guides to get me up to speed and read it from where my bookmark has been patiently placed? I turn to the hardiest of DFW fans for the answer!
Start from scratch but read to remember. It will go by much quicker, and you can skip ahead if you feel confident. I seem to remember it takes about 150 pages to really kick in
posted by 0bvious at 4:48 AM on December 12, 2011
posted by 0bvious at 4:48 AM on December 12, 2011
I am doing this with Gödel, Escher, Bach by Hofstadter AND IJ over break (I'm a teacher).
You may find Infinite Summer useful!
posted by vkxmai at 5:40 AM on December 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
You may find Infinite Summer useful!
posted by vkxmai at 5:40 AM on December 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
It took me 11 months to read IJ in fits and starts. I say pick up where you left off, the first time through is likely to be more impressionistic than the detailed readings the super fans produce. (Someday I will have a second time through…)
posted by silby at 5:56 AM on December 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by silby at 5:56 AM on December 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Like you, I read through a good chunk of it, then gave it a rest and never went back. It still sits there on my shelf, but I have absolutely no interest in finishing it. To be honest, I forced myself to get as far as I did the first time because it just never involved me, I just didn't give a damn about anyone or anything in the book.
IF I ever did decide to read it again, I'd probably start at the beginning.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:24 AM on December 12, 2011
IF I ever did decide to read it again, I'd probably start at the beginning.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:24 AM on December 12, 2011
Best answer: I don't think Infinite Jest would really reward a rereading of those first 400 pages. If you are like me (and most of the other people who read the book, it seems) you are going to get confused about the cast of characters and their interrelationships anyway, but you can just consult your various Internet guides and wikis for refreshers as need be.
I agree with silby that it is more of an impressionistic book than a plot-focused pageturner. I suspect you could argue that you could start your initial reading of the book on page 400 and not have a dramatically altered reading experience from someone who reads it from the beginning.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:25 AM on December 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
I agree with silby that it is more of an impressionistic book than a plot-focused pageturner. I suspect you could argue that you could start your initial reading of the book on page 400 and not have a dramatically altered reading experience from someone who reads it from the beginning.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:25 AM on December 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Reread the first chapter, then start up where you left off. If you get confused, maybe just skim the summaries up to page 400 or so over at Infinite Summer, which are excellent.
posted by susanvance at 6:43 AM on December 12, 2011
posted by susanvance at 6:43 AM on December 12, 2011
I vote for picking it up where you left off. A little bit of skimming backwards will remind you of what's going on quite quickly. I would recommend reading it without the online guides the first time through. While the extreme analyses are interesting, they're not "canon", and IMO would be distracting when you're experiencing it the first time.
posted by Magnakai at 7:00 AM on December 12, 2011
posted by Magnakai at 7:00 AM on December 12, 2011
I agree about picking up where you left off supplemented by Infinite Summer and other resources. It's a complicated book and can be hard to follow even when read all at once, and when you finish you probably still won't feel like you have a good handle on it! That's when you can dive into lots of articles about the book and start to put it all together.
posted by davextreme at 7:25 AM on December 12, 2011
posted by davextreme at 7:25 AM on December 12, 2011
The thing about Infinite Jest is that you're never going to catch everything on a first readthrough anyway. So I say just pick up where you left off. You'll get confused at points, but everyone does.
posted by Ragged Richard at 7:49 AM on December 12, 2011
posted by Ragged Richard at 7:49 AM on December 12, 2011
If it were me I would start from the beginning. A year is a long time, and because you've read them before, the first 400 pages will go by pretty easily, and you might also draw deeper connections between the many, many characters.
I've read it twice, and the first time it was over seven months, with books in between, and the second time was around two and half weeks, but I got so much out of that second reading, picking up on details and connections that totally slipped by me the first time.
Infinite Summer is helpful, but I found keeping a notebook to chart connections and keep track of chronology by myself was more rewarding. I'm not sure how you initially approached it, but I used three bookmarks: one for the body text, one for the endnotes, one for page 223, which lists the chronology of subsidized time.
Kottke has a how-to guide for first timers, which is only technically half true in your case, but may help all the same.
Though I personally have some quibbles about bothering with his recommendation of Elegant Complexity in his 7th point.
posted by emilycardigan at 8:44 AM on December 12, 2011
I've read it twice, and the first time it was over seven months, with books in between, and the second time was around two and half weeks, but I got so much out of that second reading, picking up on details and connections that totally slipped by me the first time.
Infinite Summer is helpful, but I found keeping a notebook to chart connections and keep track of chronology by myself was more rewarding. I'm not sure how you initially approached it, but I used three bookmarks: one for the body text, one for the endnotes, one for page 223, which lists the chronology of subsidized time.
Kottke has a how-to guide for first timers, which is only technically half true in your case, but may help all the same.
Though I personally have some quibbles about bothering with his recommendation of Elegant Complexity in his 7th point.
posted by emilycardigan at 8:44 AM on December 12, 2011
Best answer: Another vote for picking up where you left off.
My experience: A couple of years ago I tried Infinite Summer and got to about 400 pages before I petered out, too. The book sort of taunted me as I went on with my life until I decided to try again about five months later -- picking up where I left off. It didn't seem to make much difference because there are so many characters and threads and timelines I was trying to remember, but I will say I was surprised at how quickly I went through the last 600(?) or so pages -- much faster than the initial 400. And the last 300 I read in a couple of days because finally all the pieces and characters and plotlines were beginning to make cohesive sense (so there's some hope!).
But I don't know if I would have gotten through if I started from the beginning, because I think I would have stopped once more. And now that I have a pretty good idea of all the characters and whatnot, the idea of re-reading isn't as intimidating.
posted by paisley sheep at 8:47 AM on December 12, 2011
My experience: A couple of years ago I tried Infinite Summer and got to about 400 pages before I petered out, too. The book sort of taunted me as I went on with my life until I decided to try again about five months later -- picking up where I left off. It didn't seem to make much difference because there are so many characters and threads and timelines I was trying to remember, but I will say I was surprised at how quickly I went through the last 600(?) or so pages -- much faster than the initial 400. And the last 300 I read in a couple of days because finally all the pieces and characters and plotlines were beginning to make cohesive sense (so there's some hope!).
But I don't know if I would have gotten through if I started from the beginning, because I think I would have stopped once more. And now that I have a pretty good idea of all the characters and whatnot, the idea of re-reading isn't as intimidating.
posted by paisley sheep at 8:47 AM on December 12, 2011
A bit more more detail on why i think you should simply jump straight back in after skimming a few summaries:
One of the best descriptions I've come across likened IJ to a glass broken into a million shards. DFW himself doesn't provide all the shards, so missing a few more here and there won't keep you from eventually seeing the larger whole. As others have alluded, you don't get a few key shards until the very end anyway. Due to its non-linear form, you'd naturally find yourself rereading key passages at certain points either way.
Also, I think there is a very natural urge with IJ to attack it full force with long impressive charts and an OED. Do this and you'll eventually feel very silly, as you'll realize that DFW is pointedly making fun of you. It is much more fun if you simply sit back and enjoy the ride.
I really do encourage you to finish it - the ending is transcendent.
posted by susanvance at 11:37 AM on December 12, 2011
One of the best descriptions I've come across likened IJ to a glass broken into a million shards. DFW himself doesn't provide all the shards, so missing a few more here and there won't keep you from eventually seeing the larger whole. As others have alluded, you don't get a few key shards until the very end anyway. Due to its non-linear form, you'd naturally find yourself rereading key passages at certain points either way.
Also, I think there is a very natural urge with IJ to attack it full force with long impressive charts and an OED. Do this and you'll eventually feel very silly, as you'll realize that DFW is pointedly making fun of you. It is much more fun if you simply sit back and enjoy the ride.
I really do encourage you to finish it - the ending is transcendent.
posted by susanvance at 11:37 AM on December 12, 2011
Left off. If you love it, you'll read it cover-to-cover someday. If not, don't make yourself re-read 400 pages. Like others, I mostly enjoyed the the command of English the first time through; hopefully I'll 'get' more of his gist on rereadings.
posted by troywestfield at 11:40 AM on December 12, 2011
posted by troywestfield at 11:40 AM on December 12, 2011
Best answer: Another vote for picking up where you left off. I found myself flipping back a lot to try and figure out what was going on, so if there's something you can't quite remember from earlier on, you can look it up later. I did also like Infinite Summer, though only reading as far as I'd read.
posted by Margalo Epps at 12:27 PM on December 12, 2011
posted by Margalo Epps at 12:27 PM on December 12, 2011
Best answer: The same thing happened to me. I got about halfway through and lost momentum. Then I finally got new glasses and thought I'd take them for a road-test using Infinite Jest.
I started where I'd left off, and I didn't have any problems, after a hiatus of two or three years. The book, fragmented as it is, does a god job of explaining itself as it moves forward. I would recommend going back and reading the first chapter after you've finished the book though.
posted by lekvar at 2:59 PM on December 12, 2011
I started where I'd left off, and I didn't have any problems, after a hiatus of two or three years. The book, fragmented as it is, does a god job of explaining itself as it moves forward. I would recommend going back and reading the first chapter after you've finished the book though.
posted by lekvar at 2:59 PM on December 12, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks so much for your thoughtful responses! I'd already bookmarked Infinite Summer during my initial readings, so I knew I was going to come back to it. (For those still reading: was there a particular part of that website that was most useful? The forums?)
The plan of attack is to read the initial chapter, then start reading from the chapter before where I'd stopped. Heavily supplemented, of course, with quick reference to Infinite Summer and other resources to refresh characters, etc.
Those I marked as best answer seemed to match my style of reading, or were from people who've been in my situation. However, the rest of you have definitely given me the motivation to get started - the sheer act of asking the question I think has been the kick up the bum I needed. Cheers!
posted by chronic sublime at 6:14 PM on December 12, 2011
The plan of attack is to read the initial chapter, then start reading from the chapter before where I'd stopped. Heavily supplemented, of course, with quick reference to Infinite Summer and other resources to refresh characters, etc.
Those I marked as best answer seemed to match my style of reading, or were from people who've been in my situation. However, the rest of you have definitely given me the motivation to get started - the sheer act of asking the question I think has been the kick up the bum I needed. Cheers!
posted by chronic sublime at 6:14 PM on December 12, 2011
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But people vary a lot in their reading habits (I recently met someone who read the first volume of LOTR, quite liked it, but decided not to bother with the rest, which seems a psychological impossibility to me), and if you lost momentum after 400 pages once I suppose there's a risk it could happen again.
posted by Segundus at 4:34 AM on December 12, 2011