Infinite Jest: A Novel
Staff Pick
Inifite Jest
What is it about? It's about tennis. It's also about drugs, sobriety, film history, and a gang of wheelchair-bound assassins (among other things). Somehow, though, David Foster Wallace skillfully ties all of them together. It has footnotes (1). It takes place in a future where years are subsidized (Year of the Trial-Size Dove Bar, Year of the Whopper, etc.) and divides its time between a tennis academy and a halfway house for recovering addicts. It also deals with an ultra-rare movie featuring a woman so beautiful, seeing her face causes insanity (2), the grief process (3), and how global politics and nuclear war can be reenacted in a tennis game. It's dense. You'll be confused at first. Keep reading. Read the footnotes. Keep reading. It's a hard read, but it's incredibly rewarding. You'll want to reread it. You'll keep thinking about it. Keep reading. (1) Lots of footnotes. Seriously (a). (2) "There's noooo business like shoooow business..." (3) And how to cheat it. (a) Like, footnotes within footnotes. Often stretching for pages at a time. Be prepared to use multiple bookmarks.
The story of an intelligent but zany dysfunctional family is set in a drug-and-alcohol addicts' halfway house and a tennis academy and follows such themes as heartbreak, philosophy, and advertising.
- Condition: NewHPB condition ratings
- New: Item is brand new, unused and unmarked, in flawless condition.
- Fine/Like New (F): No defects, little usage. May show remainder marks. Older books may show minor flaws.
- Very Good (VG): Shows some signs of wear and is no longer fresh. Attractive. Used textbooks do not come with supplemental materials.
- Good (G): Average used book with all pages present. Possible loose bindings, highlighting, cocked spine or torn dust jackets. Used textbooks do not come with supplemental materials.
- Fair (FR): Obviously well-worn, but no text pages missing. May be without endpapers or title page. Markings do not interfere with readability. Used textbooks do not come with supplemental materials.
- Poor (P): All text is legible but may be soiled and have binding defects. Reading copies and binding copies fall into this category. Used textbooks do not come with supplemental materials.
- Format: Paperback
- Sold by: HPB.com
- Seller rating:
- Language: English
- Publisher: Little Brown & Co
- ISBN-13: 9780316066525
- ISBN: 0316066524
- Publication Year: 2006
- Edition: 10 ANV
- New: Item is brand new, unused and unmarked, in flawless condition.
- Fine/Like New (F): No defects, little usage. May show remainder marks. Older books may show minor flaws.
- Very Good (VG): Shows some signs of wear and is no longer fresh. Attractive. Used textbooks do not come with supplemental materials.
- Good (G): Average used book with all pages present. Possible loose bindings, highlighting, cocked spine or torn dust jackets. Used textbooks do not come with supplemental materials.
- Fair (FR): Obviously well-worn, but no text pages missing. May be without endpapers or title page. Markings do not interfere with readability. Used textbooks do not come with supplemental materials.
- Poor (P): All text is legible but may be soiled and have binding defects. Reading copies and binding copies fall into this category. Used textbooks do not come with supplemental materials.
- New: Mint condition or still sealed (SS). Absolutely perfect in every way. New.
- Fine/Like New (EX): No defects, little sign of use, well cared for. Plays perfectly. Close to new. Not necessarily sealed or unused, but close. Could be an unopened promotional or cut item. Sometimes called: mint-minus.
- Very Good (VG): Will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it.
- Good (G): Attractive and well cared for, but no longer fresh. Minor signs of wear, scuffing or scratching, but will play almost perfectly. For vinyl: barely detectable crackles or pops.
- Fair (FR): This item is in okay condition. For vinyl: good is not so good and the record may have low level crackles or pops when playing. CD: one or more tracks may skip.
- Poor (P): Obviously well-worn and handled. Most vinyl collectors will not buy good or below, but some tracks on CD or vinyl will play.
- New: This movie is unopened and brand new.
- Fine/Like New (EX): Near new. No defects, little sign of use. Plays perfectly. Not necessarily sealed or unused, but close. No skipping; no fuzzy or snowy frames in VHS.
- Very Good (VG): Attractive and well cared for but no longer fresh. Minor signs of wear, but will play almost perfectly. For VHS: barely detectable distortion or very few fuzzy or snowy frames.
- Good (G): This item is in okay condition and basically works well. There may be some minor distortion on VHS tape; slight scratching or wear on DVD.
- Fair (FR): Basically plays, but may be obviously well-worn with some scratching or tape distortion.
- Poor (P): Disc or tape is intact, but may be scratched or stretched. There may be skips or distortion or product defects.