Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a funny bone? What is John Updike's deal, anyway? And what happens when adult video starlets meet their fans in person? David Foster Wallace answers these questions and more in essays that are also enthralling narrative adventures. Whether covering the three-ring circus of a vicious presidential race, plunging into the wars between dictionary writers, or confronting the World's Largest Lobster Cooker at the annual Maine Lobster Festival, Wallace projects a quality of thought that is uniquely his and a voice as powerful and distinct as any in American letters.
eMusic Review 0
05.13.08
David Foster Wallace, Consider the Lobster
2008 | Label: Little, Brown
One of the greatest writers in recent history surveys everything from lobsters to porn in this hilarious collection.
Editor’s note: David Foster Wallace passed away on September 12th, 2008. His unique point of view, his prescient observations, his humanity, his wit, are and will be greatly missed.
David Foster Wallace does his homework. In “Big Red Son,” the first of 10 essays collected in 2005′s Consider the Lobster, Wallace examines the adult film industry with the shrewd deadpan of a respected scholar. Here’s how many porn starlets have killed themselves. Here’s how often the title of a celebrated 1983 porno gets mistyped in Adult Video News. Here’s an excerpt from 1997′s AVN Awards Best Supporting Actress’ acceptance speech. Now, either we can believe that the author is secretly the Samuel Pepys of adult movies or at least its Ken Jennings), or we can simply accept the truth of it: David Foster Wallace is just that good. These essays, originally printed in Harper’s, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic and such, are simply opportunities for the author to throw himself completely into his subjects. Yep, some of these pieces are long (an hour or more), but it’s no sweat for a guy this skilled in wit and pacing. And besides, it wouldn’t kill you to do some homework, too.
Write a Review 8 Member Reviews
Brilliant essayist
Whether you agree with him or not, you have to give props to the excellent and insightful writing in this book. I will run out and get print copies for gifts for my friends.
More than Essays
Beautifully written, extremely thoughtful and humorous, make no mistake that this collection of essays delivers first to the sources that contracted the work. Underneath it all is a sense of the writer's insight and deeply moving ability to assess beyond the surface the larger social implications of everything from the Sports Biography to Adult Movie awards.
Unsatisfying
I'm generally not one to leave negative reviews, but I feel like this audiobook is overrated. The reviews shown led me to believe I couldn't go wrong with this selection. If you feel like you can make your own moral judgments about things like cooking lobster without listening to some pointless and ultimately inconclusive rant, I would suggest you skip this one.
this hurts like hell
dude. we're so sad. :(
Dave,
we miss you. :(
What a piece of work is man...
A great intro to the man and his work - there are more polished DFW books but it knocks most other stuff in this books section into a cocked hat. More ideas, more creativity, more truth indeed. He will be sorely missed and I will be getting my copy of Infinite Jest off the shelf in tribute to his genius.
Brilliant, Moral, Funny
Simply, this is the best you can do with your audio book credit. It's a foundation shaker. Wallace, like all the greats, gently compels you to re-evaluate how you live your life. But he does it in such a way that you end up feeling like the smart one. And he's funny.
What is this?
It doesn't appear to be humour. At times, so far interesting, but not fantastically so. Certainly not as billed in the eMusic review
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