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Infinite Jest was largely a collection of various scenes, some of them recurring and some not. Probably the main recurring scene involves an extended conversat

Infinite Jest was largely a collection of various scenes, some of them recurring and some not. Probably the main recurring scene involves an extended conversation between Remy Marathe and Hugh Steeply on a hilltop overlooking Tuscon. Marathe is a legless French Canadian agent of uncertain allegiance and Steeply is a US agent posing as a female reporter called Helen. Closely following the back-and-forth between the two allows the reader to put together major aspects of the grand narrative of the novel. My favorite scene was a one-off involving the younger kids (pre-teens) at a tennis academy playing an extraordinarily convoluted and physically intense game called Eschaton (think Risk played with tennis gear). If any particular thing made the 1,000 page slog worthwhile, I would say it had to be that. The footnotes alone could have made up an entire book.

rockostrich 4y ago
> Probably the main recurring scene involves an extended conversation between Remy Marathe and Hugh Steeply on a hilltop overlooking Tuscon. The Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, if you will.
iggldiggl 4y ago
> My favorite scene […] Eschaton […] And a band that apparently has some David Foster Wallace fans amongst its members did a music video based on that chapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni7T18UUBUI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni7T18UUBUI (The Decemberists - "Calamity Song")
- dailyrorschach 4y ago
  And directed by Office, Parks Rec, Good Place Mike Schur - who once definitely owned the film rights to Infinite Jest, not sure he still does or not.
  - MissionInfl 4y ago
    An additional Mike Schur Infinite Jest connection: https://www.vulture.com/2013/04/last-nights-parks-and-rec-was-full-of-references-to-infinite-jest.html https://www.vulture.com/2013/04/last-nights-parks-and-rec-wa...
- UncleOxidant 4y ago
  Oh, that's what that was about (haven't gotten around to reading Infinite Jest). Love that song (Love most Decemberists songs), but couldn't quite figure out that video. Thank you.
havblue 4y ago
The state farm insurance claim passage about the brick layer is great and doesn't depend on the rest of the book. http://infinitesummer.org/archives/608 http://infinitesummer.org/archives/608

rockostrich 4y ago

> Probably the main recurring scene involves an extended conversation between Remy Marathe and Hugh Steeply on a hilltop overlooking Tuscon. The Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, if you will.

iggldiggl 4y ago

> My favorite scene […] Eschaton […] And a band that apparently has some David Foster Wallace fans amongst its members did a music video based on that chapter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni7T18UUBUI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni7T18UUBUI (The Decemberists - "Calamity Song")

dailyrorschach 4y ago
And directed by Office, Parks Rec, Good Place Mike Schur - who once definitely owned the film rights to Infinite Jest, not sure he still does or not.
- MissionInfl 4y ago
  An additional Mike Schur Infinite Jest connection: https://www.vulture.com/2013/04/last-nights-parks-and-rec-was-full-of-references-to-infinite-jest.html https://www.vulture.com/2013/04/last-nights-parks-and-rec-wa...
UncleOxidant 4y ago
Oh, that's what that was about (haven't gotten around to reading Infinite Jest). Love that song (Love most Decemberists songs), but couldn't quite figure out that video. Thank you.

havblue 4y ago

The state farm insurance claim passage about the brick layer is great and doesn't depend on the rest of the book. http://infinitesummer.org/archives/608 http://infinitesummer.org/archives/608