pynchon-l-digest V2 #4786

[Ghetta Life]

I haven't read IJ, but I did give DFW a try with _The Broom of the System_.  
It was at times funny, but it never really "went anywhere."  It had 
characters and threads that were introduced and then never showed any 
relevance to the rest of the novel.  And then it just fizzled out at the 
end.  If this is what reading DFW is like, I'll steer clear of IJ.  And as 
for "dazzling use of the english language," I didn't see any of that in 
TBOTS.

I found this fan site that sealed it for me:

-----------------
http://www.kottke.org/06/05/the-broom-of-the-system

"As for Broom itself, I haven't read enough philosophy for a proper review. 
The best I can do is compare it to Infinite Jest. If you want to read IJ but 
just can't handle its 1000+ pages and 300+ footnotes, read Broom first. If 
you hate it, no big deal...it's only 480 pages. But if you like it, you can 
safely devour IJ."
------------------

"Read enough philosophy?"  No.  And Broom does have some pointless 
philosophical round about discussions between some characters, which was a 
real bore.  If Broom was supposed to be some philosophical allegory, it was 
a dud.

Ghetta

>From: "dchristensen" <dchristensen at kooee.com.au
>>
>On the great novel: Infinite Jest.
>
>Too clever of course is Wallace. The footnoting, the extensive film lists 
>etc, etc, brushing up on the effects of opiates and alcohol withdrawal.  Of 
>course at times it gets out of control and ends rather limply. But it is 
>the best book I have read to just get my late 20th century/early 21st 
>condition. Its also incredibly funny. [snip]
>For me its briiliant sections outweigh its ridiculous length and 
>pretensions. Its never going to be in a college course. But it is the most 
>dazzling use of the english language I have encountered. Always remarkable.
>

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