DFW - The Broom of the System (group read) discussion

This is the general discussion thread for Week 4's readings.

Here's the reading schedule:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/c...

Spoiler line for this forum is page 256 (end of Chapter 11)

Chapter 11 with LaVache is absolutely amazing. I feel like his conjectures while high, combined with Rick's run in with Wang Dang is the center piece to this entire book.

Obviously, I have just finished Part One, so I have no idea how that themes explored here will come back in Part Two. However, I'd say that the trip to Amherst has made reading this book worth it.

What a general discussionlessness! I have trouble commenting because I have read the whole book before. But I'm puzzled at the lack of conversation. Did people drop out, since Broom is obviously not an Infinite Jest with nothing like "Good Old Neon" or "Oblivion" (maybe closest to this of his other fiction?)? Is everyone afraid to express disappointment? Or venture something about Wittgenstein? Or comment on DFW's innovative use of women (Lenore Beadsman 1 and 2) as central protagonist & mystery *agonist? Of course, Rick Vigorous is not exactly a minor character like a female "love interest" might be. Am I being deliberately provocative here? Maybe.

"Hello Out There!" (short play by Saroyan).

Anyway, dialogs Suzan-Lori-Parks-like are lively. I mean, DFW's dialogs in the book.

Brady wrote: "Chapter 11 with LaVache is absolutely amazing. I feel like his conjectures while high, combined with Rick's run in with Wang Dang is the center piece to this entire book.

Obviously, I have just f..."

Oddly, I felt totally at home in that chapter because it reminds me of a certain arm of my family.

As for a lack of discussion, on my part it's due to trying to keep to the schedule. I have a hard time reading books in strict segments except DFW's but this time I am having an especially hard time keeping the threads together for some reason. I don't think it's any fault of DFW's. I may just need to read it through once to get the plot and then again to suss out the details.

The same thing happened to me. I started reading broom and ended up way far ahead of the group. So i tried to stop and then lost some of it. So i just burned through to he end. With infinite jest it was easier to stick to the schedule because of the length and general complexity of the story. I am waiting until the group finishes.

Yes, it is very fast reading, not nearly as dense and complex as other things he wrote, even many of the essays.