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Amanda

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The Shining (The Shining, #1)

by Stephen King (Goodreads Author)

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Mar 23, 2026 11:36AM

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Intermezzo

by Sally Rooney (Goodreads Author)

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Mar 01, 2026 02:10PM

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Infinite Jest

by David Foster Wallace

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Reading for the 3rd time

read in July 2020

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Amanda said: " how do i even review something i spent three months reading exclusively? to begin, i absolutely loved it. the writing, while often problematic (see below), is nonetheless so lush and diverse. there's wit, there's pathos, there are quirky word choices how do i even review something i spent three months reading exclusively? to begin, i absolutely loved it. the writing, while often problematic (see below), is nonetheless so lush and diverse. there's wit, there's pathos, there are quirky word choices (though not necessary in order to understand the book, i did consult a dictionary quite frequently) and amusing eggcorns interspersed to give me a little chuckle. the three 'main' stories are so seamlessly interwoven, with revealing plot points reappearing so effortlessly among the dense, information jam-packed prose. wallace clearly has a virtuosic command of the english language and of exposition vs. concealment.

the whole book feels like an uncanny valley. it's all very realistic, except that it's not. there is plenty of absurdity (like a man whose unspoken job is to lick sweat off student athletes, or a morose tennis player who would hold a gun to his head during matches and threaten to shoot himself if he loses) and details are so painstakingly included, yet you also come away from the book not having a real sense of what most of the characters even look like. i always pictured the characters as having a 2-d gleam to themselves, like a david hockney painting or a mannequin.

there are many people who think it could have been shortened, which i don't agree with. there are some quite lengthy passages that, at least on a first read, i don't think really contributed that much narratively. however, i think the gargantuan size of the novel contributes to its central theme of entertainment and humans' destructive desire for pleasure. why are we so eager to minimize 'pain' (boring sections) in order to maximize 'pleasure' (exciting plot and character development)? it's a long read, so just buckle in and enjoy the ride, even when you think you want off at certain parts. and given the hyperrealism and surrealism, its bloated size feels warranted for world building and in order to gain insight into this highly surreal, semi-futuristic world.

the only big strike against the novel is its problematic language and extremely white-male-centred story. there are lots of racial slurs (including an unfortunate section entirely in aave), homophobic slurs, misogyny, transmisogyny, ableism and anti-fatness. there are certainly large sections of the book without these aforementioned transgressions, and i still think there is a lot you can gain from this book, if you're willing to overlook these major fallbacks. but i was not expecting so many slurs to be casually tossed around, so here's a warning. additionally, all of the central characters are white men, with the exception of two white women whose descriptions hinge on their sexual promiscuity and desirability. one of the two main women is given greater backstory and insight into her life, whereas the other is more of a metaphor than a truly fleshed out character.

all in all, if you like challenging (but not impossible, especially if you follow along with a spoiler-free guide like i did) reads in terms of vocabulary, structure (both chronologically and in terms of the sentence) and are interested a vaguely futuristic, surreal tale with themes of familial disfunction, singular obsessions, addiction, ominous media, domestic terrorism, and fictional canada-usa disputes, i can't recommend this book enough.

i'm also amazed that dfw predicted facetime and donald trump, but still thought our media would be consumed via physical cartridges. ...more "

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(75%)
"according to my hard copy of the book, I'm on page 883, i.e. 98 pages left omg" — Jul 23, 2020 11:39AM

Feb 25, 2026 05:40PM · see review