Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Infinite Jest update

I'm on page 221 of Infinite Jest. And if David Foster Wallace had not already committed suicide, I would now be fearful that David Foster Wallace was going to commit suicide.

Infinite Jest is not entirely a cry for help, but with so many characters intent on suicide, and with such deeply knowledgeable explorations of chronic depression, and with such detailed coverage of drugs, anti-depressive and otherwise, it most certainly is partly that.

It has recently come to light that Wallace was clinically depressed and on anti-depression meds for a good two decades. Reading this book, I am not at all surprised to hear that. It is still deeply sad and disappointing, but seriously, to anyone who has read this book, it can not be at all surprising.

That aside: awesome book so far!

Labels: ,

Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com