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marzipan951's review
challenging
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
whimsicalmeerkat's review against another edition
3.0
I would like to be able to give this book 4 stars, and I think I would have been able to had it been completed. As it is, it is a posthumously published unfinished novel and that is, at times, a detractor. That being said, I enjoyed reading it and will definitely be reading more works by [a:David Foster Wallace|4339|David Foster Wallace|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1301424629p2/4339.jpg]. He proved to be witty, cutting, insightful, and entertaining. The backdrop of the IRS and its overlapping bureaucratic denizens all vying for power made for a wonderful world rich in a sort of stale despair. I am looking forward to [b:Infinite Jest|6759|Infinite Jest|David Foster Wallace|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1165604485s/6759.jpg|3271542] far more than I was previously.
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
3.0
This was borderline 4 stars. I was actually incredibly impressed with how interesting Wallace was able to make a story about a guy in the IRS. Even the tax code stuff was fairly compelling and humorous. But ultimately since it was published posthumously it seemed to end abruptly and with a lot of open ended questions and parts of the plot remaining. Like a prematurely canceled TV series. I was left wanting it to continue and wrap up; therefore, the star rating dropped a notch. But a really good book.
leftg's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
edick's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I feel that like many, I seek out David Foster Wallace's writings when I feel I need them, to soothe the ache of living in an overstimulating world, to feel less lonely in my own human struggles, or to just laugh at the absurdity of both.
The Pale King was a bittersweet undertaking, as it's unabashedly unfinished, and I felt constantly reminded that I was nearing the end of Wallace's whole creative output the closer I got to the back cover. When I'd step back after reading it for a bit night to night, my thoughts swirled constantly on how I felt about this one. Was he trying too hard to test what a 21st-century audience would put up with in terms of boredom? His other stuff was no stranger to that accusation. Will this give me any resolution, or will its "unfinishedness" be to its detriment?
After a bit I put those questions away, as I knew they didn't really matter for my time spent actually reading. If you're like me, you really appreciate the windows of humanity and sincerity that Wallace was so great at constructing -- the ultra-specificity of many of the vignettes is something I truly appreciate, and I would say The Pale King delivers. The quirky cast and supernatural periphery are still there, and as it churns along you start to see the hints at his ideas for weaving all the seemingly random loose ends together -- the editor's inclusion of some of his notes towards the end was a nice addition to this aspect.
All in all, The Pale King was a fun and somewhat unique meditation on boredom, something that's been on my mind plenty as of late, and as our environment continues to lend itself more to stunted attention spans, as well as the prospect of having banal work automated, I'm excited to see how well this one might age.
The Pale King was a bittersweet undertaking, as it's unabashedly unfinished, and I felt constantly reminded that I was nearing the end of Wallace's whole creative output the closer I got to the back cover. When I'd step back after reading it for a bit night to night, my thoughts swirled constantly on how I felt about this one. Was he trying too hard to test what a 21st-century audience would put up with in terms of boredom? His other stuff was no stranger to that accusation. Will this give me any resolution, or will its "unfinishedness" be to its detriment?
After a bit I put those questions away, as I knew they didn't really matter for my time spent actually reading. If you're like me, you really appreciate the windows of humanity and sincerity that Wallace was so great at constructing -- the ultra-specificity of many of the vignettes is something I truly appreciate, and I would say The Pale King delivers. The quirky cast and supernatural periphery are still there, and as it churns along you start to see the hints at his ideas for weaving all the seemingly random loose ends together -- the editor's inclusion of some of his notes towards the end was a nice addition to this aspect.
All in all, The Pale King was a fun and somewhat unique meditation on boredom, something that's been on my mind plenty as of late, and as our environment continues to lend itself more to stunted attention spans, as well as the prospect of having banal work automated, I'm excited to see how well this one might age.
footnote304's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jbradney's review against another edition
challenging
funny
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
megbroache's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
loujoseph's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly I'm a little shocked how much I liked this. I didn't like Infinite Jest when I tried to read it- didn't even like the idea of it, but thinking back I may have been too young? Whatever- this was great, especially the long parts about boredom, and the idea that if you can tolerate boredom you can do anything... I may have felt differently had I read this as a book, but reading/listening to this at work, while doing basic tasks, added to this in some way.