@Purple610 on Litsy

Getting back to reading after nearly a year after a tragedy happened in the family. Starting to feel myself again (sorta) as my ability to focus is coming back. Hope this is a good one. Looking forward to more litsy in my life ❤️

callielafleur Hope you enjoy your read! ❤️ 7y

RaimeyGallant Loved this book. :) 7y

8 likes2 comments

Purple610

Beartown: A Novel | Fredrik Backman

First 100 pages have me convinced this is going to be amazing all the way through. My kind of book!

14 likes

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

These two arrived on Saturday - causing auntie Renee to get behind on her reading helping thier momma. They are forgiven because they're darn cute!!

britt_brooke So sweet!! ♥️♥️ Congrats, auntie! 8y

LeahBergen Awww!! Congrats! ❤❤ 8y

CouronneDhiver That's awesome!!! Do they have names yet? 8y

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Abailliekaras Stop it! Too divine 😍👏🏼🎉 8y

tpixie So adorable! Congrats! Hope they and mom ( and you!) are doing well!! 8y

LittlePixels Oh my gosh, look at those perfect little faces! 😍😍😍 8y

Purple610 @britt_brooke @Abailliekaras @tpixie @LittlePixels Thank you!!! Two newborns are a lot of work, hehe. My sister also has a 2 year old. So the house is a little upside down now. I am glad I made the trip to help her out. @LeahBergen @CouronneDhiver Their names are Lauren Annabelle (right) and Leah Madelynn (left). Thought you'd love to hear that Leah 😀 8y

CouronneDhiver Gorgeous names @Purple610 ... congrats again! 8y

LeahBergen A little Leah?!? I love it!! 💗💗💗 8y

tpixie @Purple610 such sweet names and babies 👶🏻 👶🏻! 8y

18 likes10 comments

Purple610

Fifteen Dogs | Andre Alexis

so-so

Sadly I can't recommend this book. There was something pretentious about it that I can't exactly pinpoint. There were parts I liked and Alexis is a good storyteller but there was something about it that felt indulgent or smug to me.

7 likes

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Discussion of pages 299-367.

Skeebies05 Besides as a test of will for the reader? An I dare you not to bail at this point? This week was by far the worse section. I tried to do some googling to make sense of the game. 8y

Purple610 @Skeebies05 lol totally! Your searches come up with anything at all? 8y

Skeebies05 @purple610 A diagram! ( I am amazed at the people who have come before us . Maps, diagrams, detailed character lists) 8y

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Purple610 @Skeebies05 Neat! I haven't looked at the sources people have shared or done a search - nervous I will come across major spoilers. But maybe I will get more from the book dipping into the insights of those who came before us. 8y

Skeebies05 @purple610 Maybe is one large overly detailed metaphor on how east it is to devolve in to war. . . Its just a free for all at the end. 8y

JenP Call me crazy but I found that whole game thing pretty funny. 8y

britt_brooke @JenP I did, too. After a bit, even the acronyms made me laugh because it was all so obviously absurd and complicated. And Otis P. Lord's name .... Lord is God, O. Lord, etc 😂 8y

britt_brooke @Skeebies05 @Purple610 Here is the diagram I found earlier. It's amazing. http://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lokehegbGl1qks0zqo1_1280.jpg 8y

LeahBergen @britt_brooke @JenP I found it funny, too! I just let go of trying to think too hard about the math and plowed through. Actually, I'm finding this is working for the whole read - don't think too hard about it and revel in the weirdness! 8y

britt_brooke @LeahBergen @JenP That's perfect. 👏🏻 That should be the new mantra: Don't think too hard, revel in the weirdness. 8y

LittlePixels @LeahBergen I've been doing the same. I'm probably missing a lot, but I figured enjoying it more was an acceptable trade off. 😊 8y

Hooked_on_books @LeahBergen @britt_brooke @JenP I found this funny as well (just finished this part). I wonder if this could be a foreshadowing or warning for what could happen with a rule change, i.e. analogous to the Quebec separatist groups. Maybe this is where ONAN is heading? 8y

LeahBergen @LittlePixels Exactly! 👍🏼 8y

LeahBergen @Hooked_on_books I think you are on to something here. 👏🏻 8y

JenP @Hooked_on_books I think you are right (edited for typo) (edited) 8y

britt_brooke @Hooked_on_books I absolutely think you're right! 8y

Spiderfelt @britt_brooke I was going to post the same poster found on Chris Ayres' Instagram: https://instagram.com/p/i1uzufn5z8/ 8y

Spiderfelt I don't think the diagram would have made sense before reading this section, but now that I've made it through, it's brilliant. Thanks for sharing @britt_brooke. @purple610 As for spoilers, this book is so crazy, that I don't know whether I would understand any of the references should I see/read them. Right now, the pictures on this Instagram are just pictures that don't make sense. 8y

Spiderfelt @LeahBergen I've got Dory/Ellen Degeneres stuck in my head: Just keep swimming, just keep swimming 🏊 8y

britt_brooke @Spiderfelt I feel the same way. I had seen the Eschaton diagram a few weeks ago but had no idea wtf it was about. It makes sense (as much as it can anyway) after reading the section. This Chris Sayers guy has done impressive IJ stuff! 8y

Abailliekaras @Purple610 this was a struggle at first but it got going and DFW as funny and spot-on as ever. Reminded me how obsessive kids get about games. Parallels to real-world & how a big mess can result from human irrationality / acting in self-interest. 8y

Pippitypip As I already mentioned I saw it as a huge parody of the Model UN that many high schools indulge in plus a parody of all the rule making that goes on in children's games. I love the way the kids were landing on random countries which became geopolitically significant as a consequence, and the different colored beanies (with propellor) was really amusing. 8y

11 likes22 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Discussion of pages 299-367.

Purple610 I am loving every single scene with Orin in it thus far. Potentially my favorite character. He is sarcastic, smart, almost sly in his communication approach making him potentially unreliable - he may have something up his sleeve that comes up later on. 8y

Skeebies05 As though he is keeping something from Hal. . . He may an ulterior motive for all the questions to Hal. . . 8y

britt_brooke @Purple610 I don't trust him, yet I like him. He seems so self-centered, but I suppose most professional athletes are. 8y

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Hooked_on_books I have very mixed feelings about Orin. His treatment of women as objects is so deplorable I'm having a hard time getting past that. Though he is charming. A perfect predator. 8y

Abailliekaras Hugely intriguing character! I want to know who threw the acid that he dodged, & why he doesn't speak to the Moms. He's like a parody of the golden child (but riddled w neuroses), & I fear it's all going to come crashing down. Love his scenes @Purple610! 8y

Pippitypip Who are the narrators? Often it is unclear and there has to be more than one. Are any of them reliable? 8y

8 likes6 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Discussion on pages 299-367

britt_brooke Continued speculation that (presumably) Incandenza's final film Infinite Jest V is "entertainment so fine it will kill the viewer" and that given the choice, people will choose "death by pleasure." (p.319) ?? A suicide method? Suicide is certainly a recurring theme, too. 8y

britt_brooke The color green in mentioned several times in the Eschaton and AA sections: mint green Ford sedan, green Gatorade awning, green felt cover, green cafeteria walls, green cigars. 8y

Purple610 @britt_brooke I picked up on the "kill the viewer" line as well. It's rare to find something that sticks out as possible foreshadowing so it stood out to me. 8y

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britt_brooke The literary references continue, some are lost on me, but I noticed a nod to A Clockwork Orange (p.359) "... people in early recovery from Substances often get hit with real horror-show dreams." Horror-show as an adjective being the reference. If I recall, back in week one or two, he used the term "droog" which is "friend" in the NADSAT language, also from that book. 8y

britt_brooke @Purple610 Then it implies that the film victimized the medical attaché. So, I assume he's dead. And I also assume that James Incandeza somehow arranged for the cartridge to be delivered to the attaché because James suspected the attaché was sleeping with Avril. This is all speculation based on bits and pieces from earlier sections. 8y

Purple610 @britt_brooke you're gooood 👏 8y

britt_brooke @Purple610 ☺️☺️☺️ I really don't know where this is all going, but I'm enjoying the ride! 8y

JenP I I initially thought the attaché was catatonic not dead but the section seems to state death. Interesting the ways things are starting to connect. The political situation and theories of why Quebec is against the ONAN staring to become clear. I think Steeply and Marathe's sections are pretty important / the whole part about being Americans being already dead due to relentless pursuit of pleasure was interesting. 8y

JenP We also learn more about Hal's family and Mario. There is an implication that Mario may be CT's but we shall see. Drug addiction is called the Spider and now some of the insect references make sense 8y

britt_brooke @JenP I caught the part about the disease/addiction being referred to as The Spider, but I missed that about Mario and CT. Interesting! 8y

LeahBergen @JenP Yes, I really noticed the spider references this week, too (and ants). 8y

LeahBergen @JenP @britt_brooke And this relentless pursuit of what's pleasurable (the Infinite Jest film, drugs, alcohol, etc) really spells out the whole etymology of the name ONAN (self-pleasuring), doesn't it? 8y

JenP @LeahBergen yes! 8y

britt_brooke @LeahBergen 🎯🎯🎯 8y

Pippitypip The references to waste continue with Poor Tony living in a dumpster, waste being projected during the Eschaton Game, and the green car being parked between two dumpsters. Mario's peculiar birth is described and his "lifelong character-building physical challenges". Like britt_brooke I am still confused but enjoying the ride. I feel DFW is toying with the reader, challenging one to persevere, while willfully leaving so much unclear. (edited) 8y

10 likes15 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Fill in the blank!! Attach your own hastag associated with your answer.

britt_brooke .... I'm glad it's over! 😬 Most of it really dragged especially the Eschaton section with all those effing acronyms! #longwinded 8y

Currey Agreed. Was Eschaton really necessary section? I guess we will find out but it was slow slow going. #stuckinthereadingmud 8y

JenP I'm still slogging through it. The slowest section by far for me. The footnote took me forever 8y

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LittlePixels Oh thank goodness it wasn't just me. I thought the Eschaton section would never end. Although I'll admit to actually laughing out loud at the end. 😄 8y

Spiderfelt See @LeahBergen's flat cat picture. There aren't words to describe it better. 8y

LeahBergen @Spiderfelt 😂😂 8y

Pippitypip I really enjoyed Eschaton. It seemed like a parody of Model United Nations and an exaggerated version of the games kids play when nothing really happens because they spend all their time arguing about the rules. It is farcically convoluted but DFW slyly interjects something ridiculous or clever to keep the reader amused such as Ingersoll strip-mining his right nostril or Permulis inviting Ingersoll to,do,something anatomically impossible. (edited) 8y

9 likes7 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Fill in the blank!!

Spiderfelt This was such a challenging section. I had to really put my head down, ignoring Wallace-Wiki and just concentrating on the story to get through it. The-new-to-me words all had to do with bodily processes or int'l political intrigue, neither topics I find fascinating. For the reason 'howling fantods' is still my favorite, though I don't think it appeared in this section. 8y

britt_brooke @Spiderfelt 'Howling fantods' is amazing. 👏🏻 8y

Currey Pulchritudinous - even though it sounds like a disease it actually describes a person of breathtaking, heartbreaking beauty.....such as P.G.O.A.T. #newwords 8y

Pippitypip My new word is xerophagy, eating only bread and water. How can I have lived as almost 73 years without knowing that! 8y

9 likes4 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Fill in the blank!!

Bloomingjen when Hal corrects a person's choice of words 8y

Purple610 @Bloomingjen me too!! Lol 8y

Spiderfelt I love it when Marathe's is compelled to point out the failings in Hugh/Helen Steeply's disguise. (edited) 8y

Pippitypip I love that Troeltsch pretends to use a microphone by speaking into his fist. When he does get to broadcast the tennis results he goes to extraordinary lengths to describe winning and losing differently for each match. 8y

10 likes4 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Fill in the blank!!

britt_brooke .... my dad. Specifically the section where Poor Tony is having withdrawals. My dad is now nearly 13 years sober (alcohol), but it took several tries and years for that to happen. I think of my dad often while reading the Ennet House sections. Kind of a Debbie Downer, but true. 😔 8y

Purple610 @britt_brooke awww books bring up the bad and the good. Amazing your dad kept going at it and succeeded, many don't. Very inspiring. 8y

britt_brooke @Purple610 Thank you for saying that. 😊 I'm very proud of him. 💚 8y

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Bloomingjen My bro is in recovery. I understand what you mean. I keep picturing him at EH. You should be proud of your dad. I am proud of my brother. 8y

Spiderfelt My grandfather was in charge of making the coffee for his AA chapter. He lived far away and we only saw him for a couple weeks every few years. My grandmother visited often, but it was never explained why he didn't. Now I understand how tenuous his sobriety was, and how much he needed the regular support of this AA routine. 8y

britt_brooke @Bloomingjen Thanks for sharing this about your brother. 💚 8y

britt_brooke @Spiderfelt My dad is very involved in his local AA. 👍🏻 He has even helped organize the state convention. I think having the support of peers, having a sponsor, and being a sponsor himself has really given him a purpose outside of our family. 8y

LittlePixels All the parts about drug use and recovery are very interesting to me. I've had four family members die from drug abuse and several more with alcohol issues (yep, my extended family is an embarrassing mess). Consequently, I don't even drink (ever), but the topic is interesting to me because of the devastating impact it's had. 8y

Pippitypip Nothing reminds me of anything in my experience, except, I suppose the tennis matches. That is why I feel this book is a kind of revelation to me. I've not lived in the U.S. had anything much to do with drugs and only a tangential relationship with film making. The characters are unlike anyone I have ever met! (edited) 8y

8 likes9 comments

Purple610

The Martian | Weir, Andy

pick

Yup, as great as all the other reviews and as entertaining as the movie. Worth reading even if you've already seen the movie. Si-fi is a genre that's been growing on me this last year - which is turning out to be a great thing.

10 likes3 stack adds

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Fill in the blank!!

Currey To combine words. For example: eustacian-crumbling instead of 'so loud it will blow your ear drums' 👂 8y

britt_brooke @Currey Great example! 8y

JenP I've read nothing this week. 😬 hop to answer this soon -once I catch up 8y

8 likes3 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Fill in the blank! Tell us what's boggling you about the book, a character..anything!
If you have insight for a fellow reader who is confused or struggling with something please share it!!

Hooked_on_books …why I'm reading this. Ha! No, I only think that at times. 😬 8y

Currey ...why DFW needed to footnote the footnotes 8y

Spiderfelt What is it with the Canadian conspiracy? And what is it with the footnotes, like 110 that are so full of narrative straightforward plot development? 8y

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britt_brooke ... that sweat-licking weirdo Lyle. #help (edited) 8y

Kristelh What is the link between heroin addicts, 🎾 and 🇨🇦 8y

Spiderfelt Eschaton! Really, who could play a game like that? 8y

LeahBergen @Spiderfelt Exactly! 8y

Bloomingjen yes! @spiderfelt I am struggling through it right now. Believe it or not, this is the most 'wtf is the point of this?' moment of the book for me. I am sort of surfing through it- worried I will miss something but I just can't. 8y

Spiderfelt @Bloomingjen The Eshaton section took me 2 hours to read. It was dense, and now that I'm through it seems the only point was to further illuminate the characters of Pemulis and Hal (who doesn't use Substance in public, and then forgets himself and does take a toke). I can't imagine any of the younger players will figure into the story as it moves forward. 8y

Pippitypip Despite the infamous footnote I am struggling to understand the political story. O.N.A.N and the motivation of the Quebeçois terrorists in particular. Is this a parody because DFW thinks Canada is innocuous? 8y

7 likes10 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Week of March 8-14 Pages 299-367

Throughout the week I will be posting a fill in the blank prompt with an associated #hashtag. Post your filled in answers!!!

Happy Reading this week everyone!!

LeahBergen This sounds fun! 👍🏼 8y

Spiderfelt Great idea. 8y

JenP Love this idea 8y

Kristelh Sounds fun 8y

britt_brooke Sounds good - thanks! 8y

12 likes5 comments

Purple610

The Motel Life: A Novel | Willy Vlautin

so-so

Good for a quick entertaining read. The story held my attention the whole way through but the ending was unsatisfactory. Definitely a good pick for a fun, short read though.

4 likes

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Skeebies05 Joelle has some good info on the history of Jim, Orin, And Avril. I'm wondering if they are in separate sections because she herself is physically veiled and figuratively veiled as well. One is outside the veil and the other is under the veil. Just thinking. . . 8y

Purple610 @Skeebies05 Glad you stuck with the reading. Really great insight. We'll see.. 8y

LeahBergen I think she connects (or will connect) the two main places in the novel - Enfield Tennis Academy and Ennet House. She was involved with the Incandenza family and she is also involved with the addiction aspect of the story. 8y

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JenP Great points @Skeebies05 and @LeahBergen 8y

JenP She also is mentioned in the filmography footnote. 8y

JenP In footnote 24, film low temperature civics "CEO father has an ecstatic encounter with Death (Psychosis) and becomes irreversibly catatonic." 8y

JenP Also on page 992 (same footnote) film "safe boating is no accident" we learn that Madame Psychosis may have become disfigured by an outboard propeller when boating 8y

JenP And finally, she may also be significant in that she is likely the actress in the film Infinite Jest. And Infinite Jest may be the film that is being watched by all the people who become catatonic 8y

Mtroiano It seems to me that Madame Psychosis is like an alter ego of Joelle, therefore kind of two separate characters 8y

Simona I agree @LeahBergen I have the feeling that she is the main character or at least she is the person which will connect all the stories/characters. 8y

Pippitypip Great insights! 8y

britt_brooke @JenP I definitely think she's the actress in Infinite Jest V (p.993). On p.230, it mentions the "allegedly fatally entertaining and scopophiliac (pleasure from looking) thing Jim alleges he made out of her unveiled face ..." 8y

britt_brooke I think she will continue to emerge as the main character of this opus. But why the veil? Is she truly disfigured? Or is she too beautiful (p.239, "Prettiest G.O.A.T.") and views this as a disfigurement? Is her unveiled beauty killing film viewers or rendering them catatonic? It's weird and confusing. I need to know more! (edited) 8y

Currey Also Orin evidently escaped being hit with acid. Could Joelle have not escaped if she was with him? 8y

Kristelh Don't you sometimes get burned doing free basing? 8y

britt_brooke @Currey @Kristelh Good points. I wonder if we'll ever find out for sure. 🤔 8y

JenP @britt_brooke did you see my comment about the footnote above? The filmography one says there is a movie where Madame Psychosis was tragically disfigured in the face by a boating accident. 8y

britt_brooke @JenP Yes, I just wasn't sure if it meant the actress herself or the character she was playing. 8y

JenP @britt_brooke yes, it's not clear but interesting since several other "real" facts seem hidden in the footnotes. 8y

Hooked_on_books All good points! I tend to agree with @Skeebies05 and @LeahBergen . It also seems Madame Psychosis is her stage name, which only adds a layer to this duality. 8y

britt_brooke @JenP Oh yes, I agree! 👍🏻 8y

LeahBergen @britt_brooke I was wondering the very same thing - if she was actual veiling her beauty. And isn't there a childhood scene with her father saying she's something like "the most beautiful girl in the world" or something? Damn. Now I need to look that up. ? 8y

britt_brooke @LeahBergen Yes, I believe you're right. Doesn't it end up feeling like we're reading everything twice? 😵😆 8y

Pippitypip Was it her father she was with? I thought he was a predator! (edited) 8y

Kristelh She is at a move with a "special Daddy", I am not sure this is a father in the biological sense. But yes he tells her she is the most beautiful. And he has his hand in her lap while she has her hand in the box. 8y

LeahBergen @Pippitypip @Kristelh That's right! 😬 I had to look back. 8y

Kristelh Try page 237 and 239. For her own personal Daddy lines. Here it is, page 237, telling Joelle over and over again how she was prettier than this one or that one right there. (edited) 8y

LeahBergen @britt_brooke It does! It's the damned circuitous way everything is related to the reader! 8y

britt_brooke @Kristelh I was not sure how to take this when I read it initially. My mind immediately went to "sugar daddy." ???Or maybe even pimp? @LeahBergen @Pippitypip (edited) 8y

Kristelh @britt_brooke, I think it could be sugar daddy as DFW likes to change it up, like he did with by the 'skin of his teeth' and others I don't recall right now. (edited) 8y

10 likes30 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Hooked_on_books I feel like we're seeing more and more drug use amongst the tennis players. I don't feel we've seen enough of the others to pick up on trends. 8y

LeahBergen I feel like we are finally getting a much closer look at Michael Pemulis in this section. 8y

JenP Little by little we are getting details on timeline which may help us understand why Hal develops the way he does and some clues for what was happening in the first chapter. 8y

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britt_brooke We're getting some more info on the Incandenzas and their peculiar family. The affairs, disfigurements (pituitary gland issues? hydrocephalus?), drug use, alcoholism, the films. 8y

Pippitypip There were more connections: Canadian insurgents sold the DMZ (aka Madame Psychosis) to Pemulis; Joelle was studying the same doctoral program on Film Theory as her friend Molly Notkins, but dropped out to study broadcast sound; there was a publicity object of some sort that involved a guy in a wheelchair; Joelle's name for Jim Incandenza was sometimes Infinite Jester and Orin lived with Helen Steeply, who passed something on to Molly Notkins. 8y

JenP @Pippitypip I missed the last piece you mentioned. Also Helen = Hugh steeply right? 8y

5 likes6 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

JenP Like every week there were parts I loved and other parts I struggled with. I absolutely loved the section on things you can learn when living in a sober house. In contrast, I disliked all the medical terminology in Madame Psychosis' radio show 8y

Mtroiano Agreed @JenP the sober house was by far my favorite and the medical terminology really made it hard to focus on the bigger story. I also liked the new characters introduced, Molly and Joelle 8y

JenP @Mtroiano me too. 8y

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JenP @Mtroiano although since Joelle is Madame Psychosis I have mixed feeling about her 😆 8y

Skeebies05 I liked the section on Joelle. And footnote 80 (I think) had some good info. There are a few times that the books age showed. Referring to Asian women as Oriental and he described black men perched liked crows - that was particularly cringeworthy 8y

Mtroiano @JenP ooohh maybe alter egos is a theme to look for 8y

JenP @Mtroiano hmm, that is an interesting idea. At first I though Joelle was the medical attaché's wife because wasn't she also veiled? I don't think that's possible though -maybe a member of that group (disfigured humans)? 8y

Mtroiano @JenP I believe so. Hmmmm. 🤔 8y

LeahBergen @Skeebies05 I just assumed that the term "orientals" was a conscious word choice to reflect something about this alternate-type world? It was outdated long before DFW wrote this. 8y

LeahBergen @JenP I loved the section about "things learned", too. I didn't mind the long list of medical terminology so much when she would throw in things like "the unbelievably thick-ankled ... the irremediably cellulitic " ? 8y

britt_brooke @JenP @Mtroiano @LeahBergen I agree, the recovery facility section was particularly interesting and eye-opening. 8y

britt_brooke The section about Joelle was good, too. We at least know more about her and her relationship to the Incandenzas. (edited) 8y

Kristelh Overall, this section was a bit easier to read. I enjoyed more than parts that could have been shorter. I highlighted lots of phrases and statements. @Purple610 8y

Hooked_on_books I liked having the same character recur (though as an alter ego) in this section. It helped pull the book in rather than flinging itself widely, and I needed that. 8y

britt_brooke @Hooked_on_books Good point! We had some real focus on a specific character. 8y

Pippitypip The medical terminology section and the things learned were both hilarious. Reading those parts is a bit like listening to a jazz musician in full flight. DFW just loves words and he used them like no one else. These pieces were a joy to read. Apropos of my theme, isolation, "that loneliness not a function of solitude" was my favourite quote. 8y

britt_brooke @Pippitypip Great quote! 8y

7 likes17 comments

Purple610

When Nietzsche Wept | Irvin D Yalom

pick

Unique book that was so poignant for me right now I will remember it always. Highly recommended if you enjoy philosophical discussion or historical-speculative fiction.

Purple610 @Desha I should add I listened to the audio version and it was excellent. 8y

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Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #failure
Week 4 @Mtroiano

Mtroiano Examples: fear of failure in the tennis players (noted in previous post) Joelle, who is planning to commit suicide because of perceived #failure (edited) 8y

Abailliekaras There's lots of failure in the drug and alcohol rehab : failure to kick the habit ... 8y

7 likes2 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #addiction
Week 4 @Kristelh

Purple610 @Kristelh Let me know if you'd like a separate one for Fear. 8y

Kristelh @Purple610 This should be fine. I am focusing more on addiction than fear but will add any specifics if I note them. 8y

Kristelh #week4 #addictions. There is so much in IJ that is about addictions that it is hard to summarize. Pages 176-181, YDAU, November 5. Voices of recovering substance abusers. Pages 181-193 is about radio show but the DJ is called Madame Psychosis and the engineer goes to the roof to drink Millennial Fizzy which is a kind of substance. And Mario seems addicted to listening to this radio program. (edited) 8y

See All 7 Comments

Kristelh #week4, #addictions, pages 211-219 is a rather long section about DMZ. I could not find anything that would indicate that DMZ exists but sounds a lot like LSD. It supposedly is stronger than LSD but no one knows what it does. The connection to the Canadians is mentioned. 8y

Kristelh #week4, #addictions, #infinitejestbuddyread, From section on Joelle (film star) smoking the Chore Boy‘s resins and not stopping after all. (Reference to home made crack pipe. 8y

Kristelh #week4, #infinitejestbuddyread, Joelle (film star of The Cage is also Madame P), she is suicidal, seeking crack, is thinking this "wanting more of it so badly she could feel her brain heaving around in its skull" 8y

Pippitypip I had forgotten that the film was called The Cage. Cages are mentioned several times in reference to addiction. (edited) 8y

9 likes7 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #canada
Week 4 @LeahBergen

LeahBergen Pg 189: The Moms is good with plants "for a Canadian". ? 8y

LeahBergen Pg 191: Cultured Canadians don't approve of "vertical digestion" ? 8y

LeahBergen Pg 192: mentions again that ETA student, John Wayne, is Canadian 8y

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LeahBergen Pg 215: DMZ drug comes from former Canadian insurgents. Pemulis calls the Canadian drug dealer a "Nuck" (ie; "Canuck") and a "lumberjackish Antitoi Nuckwad". ? 8y

LeahBergen Pg 215: "Antitoi". Toi is French for "you". 8y

LeahBergen Pg 216: Pemulis thinks that all Canadians don't know the value of what they possess. 8y

LeahBergen Pg 223: Canadian militants fly an altered Québécois flag (which is anti-ONAN) on the eve of Interdependence 8y

LeahBergen Pg 228: Joelle and Molly favour an "odd kind of British Columbian apple juice". Many of our best apple orchards are in BC (and I like the apple juice, too ?). 8y

LeahBergen Pg 230: Referring to dancer who thinks she has great boobs ... "This absence of shame at the self-obsession. Is she Canadian?" Loved this! ? 8y

LeahBergen And that's it for Canadian references for this section. ✅ 8y

britt_brooke These are great! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 8y

LeahBergen @britt_brooke 😘 8y

britt_brooke I noticed that (presumably) since Interdependence, everyone started using the metric system. I found this pretty funny, since we Americans are the only weirdos that don't use it. 8y

9 likes13 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #communication
Week 4 @Purple610

Purple610 Multiple things regarding communication and problematic communication showed up in the readings this week. Particularly in the Madame Psychosis/Engineer Student scene. Radio static, alone, unknown listeners, alter-person pg 187. Film as only valid/effective form of communication? (You can play film on a loop). Pg 189 Mario and Avril regarding listening and sensitivity to sound. 8y

Purple610 Madame Psychosis and the Student Engineer - DFW plays around with the abstract/shadowed/never seen M. Psychosis and her listeners. This concept of her "veil" reappears later in the final section of the weekly reading where this veil shows up repeatedly. In the radio section as a mystery to communication and in the later section the veil as a mask or personality complex. 8y

Purple610 Dramatic and emphasized body language shows up again - particularly in the section of Hal and tennis mates. 8y

6 likes3 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #loops
Week 4 @britt_brooke

LeahBergen Froot Loops!! 8y

RadicalReader @Purple610 so nice representation of loops like fruit loops 8y

britt_brooke I'm loving the fruit loops, too! 😁👏🏻 8y

See All 15 Comments

britt_brooke GENERAL:

Circular, loop-like descriptions: annular, halo-like, orbits, infundibular (funnel-shaped)

Storylines are starting to really connect/loop. A lot of earlier mentioned characters have resurfaced at Ennet House. 8y

britt_brooke (cont.)
I've been reviewing the circles above the section headings (which I posted about a few days ago) going back to the beginning of the book. Most sections have both a heading and a circle, a few have only a title with no circle, and at least one has only a circle. I don't really have an analysis on all of that yet, though. 8y

britt_brooke SPECIFIC:

Radio signal - pushes out like a "centrifugal theme-park ride" (p.184)

Madame Psychosis caller speaks of the moon revolving around the sun, while it does not itself rotate. (p.192)

Enfield Marine Public Health Hospital complex is described as "seven moons orbiting a dead planet." (p.193)

Addictions can be replaced by other addictions/escapes: gambling, shopping, shop-lifting, sex, work, etc). A cycle, for some addicts. (p.202) 8y

Mtroiano @britt_brooke "the ultimate annular fusion: that of exhibit and its cage" on p. 222 - this whole section is full of loops (or downward spirals) 8y

britt_brooke @Mtroiano I haven't gotten that far yet. Finishing up this week's section today. 8y

Mtroiano @britt_brooke oops 🙊 8y

britt_brooke @Mtroiano No, no, you didn't do anything wrong! 😁 8y

LeahBergen I was so glad to finally read about some of the characters at Ennet House and have a little "aha" moment. 8y

LeahBergen And good job here. There are so many loops and circles and connections in this book ... it's enough to make one feel "loopy". ? 8y

LeahBergen Oops. I need to tag you so you see comments! @britt_brooke 8y

britt_brooke @LeahBergen Thanks .... and yes, I feel loopy! 😆 8y

britt_brooke P. 233 The great concavity/convexity - what goes around, comes back around.

"This ultimate cartridge-as-ecstatic-death rumor's been going around like a lazy toilet ..."

"... it's doubtless just a high-concept erotica or an hour of rotating whorls." (whorls - a coil or ring) 8y

9 likes15 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #obsession
Week 4 @Abailliekaras

Abailliekaras General: 1. is he saying that people (Americans) are obsessed with themselves? Eg Maranthe & Steeply talking about the Entertainment & need to 'choose what to die for' (p107 & their ongoing scene together), & later footnotes about obsession w entertainment, foreshadowing reality TV (footnote 145). 8y

Abailliekaras General : 2. Other example of obsession with them(our)selves is the fact there is a union or 12-step program for everything, eg the Union of the Hideously & Improbably Deformed (p187). I took that as just being satirical so not sure if we should read too much into it ... 8y

Abailliekaras Specific : "little spasms of obsession" to replace other substance addictions... Eg Tiny Ewell becoming obsessed with tattooes (pp205-211). 8y

See All 6 Comments

Kristelh I think Tiny Ewell is a great example of obsessions. Here's a quote about Tiny E. "temporary obsession of a still-quivering Substanceless psyche" 8y

LeahBergen And the self-obsession of the high dancer at the party who thought she had "beautiful tits"! @Abailliekaras @Kristelh (edited) 8y

Abailliekaras Oh yes @LeahBergen who could forget, "they're absolutely fetching tits, Melinda" in amongst all the pretentious arty film talk. ? 8y

7 likes6 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #light
Week 4 @Simona

RadicalReader @Purple610 how awesome to have such awesome incredible topics on books 8y

Kristelh Here's a quote on light, "Apocalyptic rouge and a nose-ring that‘s either electrified or is catching bits of light from the window." 8y

Simona The light is mentioned several times - when engineer (graduate student) listens to M.Psychosis and he gaze at the sky (p. 187), UV lamps in Avril's dining room (p. 189), autumn sunlight in the Pemulis's room (p. 213 and p. 214 "and the flawed bubble of light on the bed is getting to be the slightly sad color of early winters"), p. 218 "Hal said the dawn seemed to confer on his psyche a kind of pale sweet aura, a luminescence" ... ? 8y

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Simona I think that all these descriptions of light serve to display the moods and to build gloomy atmosphere, in the same way as light (and colors) is used in the movies. 8y

Simona @Purple610 Sorry for my late response, but my working life is at the moment quite crazy. 8y

Purple610 @simona It isn't late at all. Right on time 😀. Hope things slow down for you soon. Thanks for making the time to add your notes and do the reading. (edited) 8y

Simona @Purple610 THANK YOU and @JenP for effort, don't thanks me... 8y

7 likes7 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #color
Week 4 General Color @Hooked_on_books Blue @JenP

JenP I noticed blue was mentioned 27 times in this week's section. Mostly in the second half of the section. Some examples include "nests of blue and red serpents," "blue and green tattoo," "orange and blue tiger," "blueyed boy," "blue-collar men" "blue ink" "night sky blue," "blue square." I am not sure about the significance yet. Blue seems to come up a lot around depression &a suicide, images of water or nature. 8y

Hooked_on_books He seems to reference color in spurts. The Madame Psychosis section has many color references, but almost entirely referring to buildings, not people. Then in the description of the hospital units, there is very little color and again only on the buildings, never the people, until the tattoos come up. There is very little reference to color during the DMZ section. 👇🏻 8y

Hooked_on_books With Joelle, the color references bounce from fast and furious to almost none, perhaps a reflection of the sensation of being on crack and after it wears off. He also brings up black and white repeatedly in several different places. Not sure what that's about. 8y

LeahBergen @JenP 27 times?! And I didn't even notice 😂 8y

9 likes4 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #waste
Week 4 @Currey

CouronneDhiver What are all these posts about? 8y

Purple610 @CouronneDhiver We are exploring different themes that seem to play a role in the larger understanding of the novel Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. You can join in any time. We have broken reading into weekly chunks - currently pages 161-240. 8y

Currey Waste: SPECIFIC - there was little reference to physical waste in this week's reading but it was not completely neglected. There was trash outside Ennet House. There was a reference to the largest excretory organ on page 200. There was a whole page focused on dumpsters on p. 221. Joelle throws things away in dumpsters which mirrors here throwing away herself. 8y

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Currey Waste: GENERAL - Waste continues to be a strong theme when it applies to the characters and what they are wasting. Joelle has a cleanliness obsession but mentions she is a mess (under her veil). Most of the characters appear to be damaged or struggling with addictions or obsessions but one of the most wonderful things about the long Ennet House section was that in most books additive characters are judged to be "wasting their lives". 8y

Currey GENERAL continued: However, DFW does not apply that judgement. He calls out what can be learned and if their lives are struggles, he does not appear to think they are wasted. By the way, who do you think was the narrator of the Ennet House section, was it a character or just the author? I really struggled with that question. 8y

LeahBergen @Currey And the trebuchets that fling garbage into the Great Concavity?! 🤔 8y

Currey Yes! ?"you cannot give away your filth and prevent all creepage. Filth by its very nature it is a Ying that is creeping always back" 8y

Currey Oops thing that is creeping always back. 8y

7 likes8 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #isolation
Week 4 @Pippitypip

Pippitypip The first obvious incident of isolation is the line of sad methadone users lining up on page 94. I will post a blurb of that section. 8y

Kristelh I think Joelle is quite isolated as she contemplates suicide. "she is an Aural Personality, feared for quitting instead of failing, and because of the connection of the memory of Jim, and she is given a certain wide social berth, allowed to delay and orbit and stand unengaged at the fringes of shifting groups," (edited) 8y

LeahBergen And the very persona of Joelle as the veiled and solitary Madame Psychosis speaks so much of isolation, doesn't it? @Pippitypip @Kristelh (edited) 8y

Pippitypip Yes, I agree with Joelle/Madame Psychosis' isolation. Also the isolation of the engineers who tune in to late night radio and tell their stories in baby voices. Isolated and weird! (edited) 8y

7 likes4 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Today I will be posting individual posts about each topic that has a member associated with it. I will use the #infinitejestbuddyread tag as well as the topic tag (eg #color). Then in the comments I will tag the member who took that topic for this week so they can begin sharing thier insights.
Using this format we can continue to easily reference and build on the item as we continue reading.

Hooked_on_books I like the idea, but I'll warn you I haven't read the section yet. Hopefully I'll do so today/tomorrow. 8y

Purple610 @Hooked_on_books No problem. Add when you can. 8y

8 likes2 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread #quoteoftheweek

Brilliant!!

monkeygirlsmama Am I the only one that thinks Madam Psychosis' show teeters on incredibly lame and boring? LoL I say teeters because there's this very small part of me that finds some aspect of it oddly intriguing. 😝 8y

12 likes1 comment

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

I can hear this voice soooo clearly.
Reminds me of when my step-son was 4 and I was called Wenee lol

britt_brooke 😂 When I was reading this section, it was with Barry Kripke's voice. 8y

monkeygirlsmama @britt_brooke I haven't started this week's reading yet, but now I know I'm gonna read this part in Kripke's voice too. 🤠 8y

britt_brooke @monkeygirlsmama 😁👏🏻 8y

LittlePixels @britt_brooke Me too!! 😂😂 8y

britt_brooke @LittlePixels 😂👏🏻 8y

8 likes5 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Here's a tally of the topics selected and their observers.

Isolation @Pippitypip
Waste @Currey
Color @HookedonBooks
Color Blue @JenP
Light/Color @Simona
Obsession @Abailliekaras
Loops @britt_brooke
Problems Surrounding Communication @Purple610
Canada @LeahBergen
Addiction and Fear @Kristelh
Fear of Failure @Mtroiano

Anyone can join in! Tag me and I will add you.
Happy Reading ❤📚📎🔖🖌🔎

JenP I deleted my first comment because I thought you had missed someone but you hadn't 😊 8y

Purple610 @jenp No problem. Please do let me know if anyone is missing #goteam #workinteams #deeperinsight 8y

JenP @Purple610 I don't think so. You are much better organized then me 😂 8y

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Purple610 @jenp I doubt that! 8y

JenP Actually I think @Kristelh is missing 8y

Purple610 @JenP Bingo! Thanks. Lol - must have been knawing at you for the last hour. Did you question your eyes a hundred times? Amazing intuition you have 😉 @Kristelh Please forgive me, hehe. 8y

JenP @Purple610 😂😂 8y

Mtroiano Fear of failure 8y

Purple610 @Mtroiano Glad you're joining in! I will add yours to the list. I just don't have enough characters allowed in the post so I will wait until most people have viewed and see if we have other new ones to add before I condense the post. Thanks! 8y

RadicalReader @Purple610 what is your favorite part of book buddy reads? 8y

Purple610 @RadicalReader The community! Together we are many eyes and minds working through the deeper stuff - so as a community we all get more out of it. 8y

RadicalReader @Purple610 there's no I in community but works well either way always able to help one another out 8y

12 likes12 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread
Happy to be your host for this week, pages 181-240. Choose and share which theme/motif from this list you'll follow closely this week to share your insights and discoveries with the group throughout the week and during our group discussion on Tuesday.

Isolation
Waste
Color
Light
Obsession
Loops
Fear
Number (3, 8)
Addiction
Problems Surrounding Communication
Canada
Portrayal of Women
Your Own Idea

Simona In first chapter (p.181) is often (again) mentioned number three and colors/light ... I'm curious about this. 8y

JenP I will take on the color blue. I will take notes on when it appears, how often, and theories about what it might mean. 8y

JenP I like this way of splitting it up so we each tackle a topic and then collectively analyze different elements. Thanks for doing this! 8y

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Currey I will try taking notes on waste. I always keep an eye on portrayal of women but I suspect that is true for many of us 8y

LeahBergen I'll be the Canada spotter. Being Canadian has made all the little references pop out at me. 😀 8y

Pippitypip I will concentrate on isolation, but I will note references to colour, too, as I had not noticed that colors were mentioned so much! 8y

britt_brooke I'll take loops. ⭕️ 8y

Kristelh I will take addictions and fear 8y

Hooked_on_books I haven't noticed color thus far, so I'll watch for that. It intrigues me. Great idea! 8y

JenP @Hooked_on_books I picked the color blue to keep an eye on. Did you want to pick a different color or we can both do the same one? I think White recurs frequently too but not sure. (edited) 8y

Hooked_on_books @JenP I just figured I would watch for color in general, not any specific color. 8y

JenP @Hooked_on_books sounds good 8y

Purple610 I will take issues surrounding communication. 8y

Abailliekaras I'm so intrigued by all of these (note the gynaecological pink walls on p183), will take a look at obsession. 8y

monkeygirlsmama I'm not sure how much thought I'm going to feel like investing. 😱 So, I'm gonna play my approach by ear. Sorry to be the dull party pooper. (edited) 8y

9 likes15 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread
Page 155. What a fantastic word and meaning!!

britt_brooke I flagged this word, too. 👏🏻 8y

Purple610 @britt_brooke love it! Flagg sistas 👍 8y

britt_brooke @Purple610 🙌🏻🙌🏻😁 8y

See All 8 Comments

LeahBergen Me, too! 8y

Purple610 @LeahBergen Whoop! Whoop! 🙌🏻 8y

monkeygirlsmama This was my word for week 3! LoL Then I changed last second cause I wasn't sure I was using it very well in my example sentence. 😅 8y

Purple610 @monkeygirlsmama It's such a fantastic word! Best not to take chances with definitions and sentences on Litsy lol too many smarties to risk making a mistake lol 8y

RadicalReader @Purple610 sounds like it should be a combine of words of elephant and trumpet 8y

11 likes8 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread

Am I right that the first mention of Purpleboy occurs on page 130? I remember in last weeks reading asking my husband if blue mixed with orange makes purple. I feel like this is something and want to track it. Does each color represent something that equals some sort of logic equation? Or philosophy?

Re all the misspellings: miscommunication showing up again.

Currey Yes, the misspelling and miscommunication is interesting. It took me a long time to figure out 'foran' meant foreign. I think you may be onto something regarding colors 8y

JenP Blue and orange make a kind of brown. Blue and red = purple. Blue and white also seem to be mentioned. Interesting theory about color 8y

RadicalReader @Purple610 so incredible are sticky notes always been extremely helpful and wonderful when it comes to books 8y

9 likes3 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread
There is something about reading Inifinite Jest that keeps making me think about Tom Yates, the writer character on House of Cards. This is very ok with me 😍

Desha 😂😂 8y

14 likes1 comment

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread Continuing because of the lack of space per post, grr lol
DFW is toying with how people are fearful/programmed to hide in silence, suppress themselves and struggle with communicatation. Facial expressions and body language are speaking more than the voices and I think this is very much on purpose and eventually to be tied into the larger theme/story.

JenP You pointed out some critical themes. Make sure to visit the discussion questions today and list them there too! (edited) 8y

Purple610 Oh! Yes! I forgot we have weekly discussions. I could have saved it for then, hehe. There were quite a few things that I started seeing make more sense but hesitant to draw conclusions so early in the book. 8y

11 likes2 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread My book is filling up with tags and notes!
Insights added to last weeks: the repetition of "filter", screen, video, image of the outer individual as a mask/barrier to showing the true inner self. Drugs are also a representation of this inner suppression/fear from showing true self to others. The silence, bodily experiences (digestive problems, gas, sensation of temperature, persperation) take them out if their inner world.

monkeygirlsmama You have such deep insight. 👏 8y

Purple610 @monkeygirlsmama Thanks! I am cashing in on all the days I put into my English lit degree 😉 8y

11 likes2 comments

Purple610

The Day the Falls Stood Still | Cathy Marie Buchanan

pan

Not worth the effort. The pov and tense didn't help much. Skip if you can.

2 likes1 stack add

Purple610

The Day the Falls Stood Still | Cathy Marie Buchanan

Ugh. Do. Not. Like. It.

2 likes

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

I was in San Francisco this week - couldn't leave without a souvenir ☺️

RadicalReader @Purple610 love the wonderful arrow sticky notes the best thing a reader can have with them 8y

9 likes1 comment

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#mylocallibrary

drokka When visiting Vancouver in 2001, I purposely walked that library at least twice everyday. I was in such awe that it wasn't until I got home that it occurred to me I never actually entered it. 8y

Purple610 @drokka that's a shame that you never went in! Tourists often stand outside and take pictures. It is quite a beautiful building. I am lucky to work close enough that I am able to visit during my lunch 😀❤️ 8y

RadicalReader @Purple610 looks like the Parthenon from Greek jousting times 8y

9 likes3 comments

Purple610

Infinite Jest (-20th Anniversary) | David Foster Wallace

#infinitejestbuddyread. Ok, this may be the most perfect paragraph I have ever read. #nicesurprize #imightlovethisbook. Is it too soon to say I am loving it?

drokka I'm enjoying the book too. I do like his long-winded, yet perfectly eloquent paragraphs. 8y

JenP I'm loving it too. His sentences are perfection 8y

sisilia I like "my chest bumps like a dryer with shoes in it" ? 8y

See All 6 Comments

Purple610 @sisilia It's brilliant!! That entire paragraph, but that phrase was exceptional. 8y

britt_brooke @sisilia I jotted that one down. 8y

shawnmooney @sisilia I loved that sentence in particular too! 8y

12 likes6 comments

Purple610

Peony: A Novel of China | Pearl S. B�ck

pick

My second Pearl S. Buck novel, another strong 5 stars. Her prose is so lovely the story rich with culture and humanity it is so refreshing. The layers of emotion and internal struggle for the charactes make you feel like they are speaking directly to you. Plus, I love stories about these lost details in history - very engaging and highly recommended book.

2 likes

Purple610

Peony: A Novel of China | Pearl S. B�ck

Purple610

Peony: A Novel of China | Pearl S. B�ck

I love bits of poetry thrown into novels...how lovely it is when you learn your protagonist is a closet-poet ❤

1 like

Purple610

The Break | Katherena Vermette

pick

This book is important and a good read. I found that there were too many characters and a bit difficult to follow at times. A great debut novel but could have been tighter.

2 likes

Purple610

The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey | Che Guevara

so-so

I really enjoy travel memoir/journal books. This aspect was the only part of the book that was able to hold my interest. Something about it kept me distant and unable to connect. Good. Not great.

JenP It's one of the few books where I thought the movie was better. I liked the book but didn't love it. 8y

3 likes1 comment

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