Quote:
Originally posted by Pretty Little Flower
I think the Wallace essay was about the Indiana State Fair. I enjoyed it, although it was seen as a bit of a shameful act of self-loathing/currying favor with East Coast elite by at least two fellow Midwesterners.
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Reading David Foster Wallace, a supposedly fun thing I'll never do again.
Amusing, but perpetually absent a solid punchline. Intended more to make the reader feel impressed about getting subtle and snarky stuff than actually entertaining. See Chuck Klosterman's recent Esquire piece about Snakes on a Plane. It describes Foster Wallace's prime audience to a T.
To his credit, I've heard (I think from someone here who is an acquanitance of Wallace) that IRL, DFW is very aware he's exploiting a gullible audience with highbrow "product."
My feelings on DFW are strong because people keep giving me his books as presents, expecting me to really dig him. Klosterman does everything DFW does twice as well.
But I did like the fair piece...
