Infinite Jest - David Foster Wallace

I've seen this somewhat cerebral novel described as 'difficult' by a number of reviewers. Other than the length (which I rather enjoyed), I didn't find Infinite Jest difficult or even challenging in the 'challenging to follow' sense (although DFW's vocabulary puts mine to shame). Rather, the central themes (addiction/competition/family/commerialization/etc/etc) and characters (both ETA and Ennett House) were well-developed, perhaps due to the obvious time and care devoted to each separately as well as the connections between them. The writing was both deep and amusing, and I found Inifinite Jest to be a page-turner, especially near the end when I became inpatient for the answers to my questions. (What caused Hal's illness? What happened with Pemulis/the Entertainment/Orin? Was Joelle actually disfigured with acid? Why exactly did James Incandenza stick his head in a microwave and demap himself? Will Gately survive/stay clean?) The ending was incredibly unsatisfying at first - abrupt and jarring not because it left all these questions unanswered (but with equally weighty support for multiple explanations) but because of the unexpectedness of the timing of the ending. This feeling was perhaps heightened for me because I read IJ on the Kindle and didn't have that physical feel of being near the end of a long book to warn me of its imminent termination. Upon reflection, I actually quite like the ending - much like the novel often describes how The Mad Stork's films constantly made viewers cognizant of the film itself rather than the plot or characters, IJ's ending (and frequent footnotes) makes you aware of of DFW's opus as a novel. What exactly was he trying to say with his abrupt finale?

I'm not going to go into each character or theme here - although I'm certain I can write nearly an essay on each. Instead, I'm going to tell you what I think happened, which is of course the beauty of the amibiguity. Like the 'Choose Your Own Adventure' books I read as a kid, this IJ lets you decide not only how you would like things to turn out, but also gives the reader insight into how he/she thinks about the world and characters - a window into your own psyche. In my IJ Universe 1) Orin is not killed by the AFR, but is permanently injured from kicking the glass (ending his pro-football career) and tormented by the roaches, preventing him from further taking advantage of Subjects. 2) Joelle is actually disfigured by acid (otherwise why would Orin have left her and the Mad Stork have become interested in her), giving her a kind of hideous beauty. 3) Gately survives and is not prosecuted. He stays off drugs and hooks up with JvD. 4) Orin tries to go back to JvD in his new damaged state, and grows as a person (and maybe makes up with Avril) when she won't have him. 4) Pemulis, in his fear and anger at getting kicked out of school, wants revenge on Avril and Hal. It makes sense that he's dose Hal's toothbrush with the DMZ, causing Hal's illness. The timing works out. I don't think Hal saw the Entertainment (although it was made for him). I don't think he took the DMZ himself. Pemulis-mediated revenge would be such a nice cohesive ending. But I don't think Pemulis did it. He's too overcome by the missing stock - trying to talk to Hal, digging in the dumpsters. I think either someone else dosed Hal's toothbrush (although I have no idea who it would be) or that the mold from his childhood was actually the culprit (maybe he actually WAS silent when he thought he was talking to the Mad Stork and it was Hal, not the Mad Stork, that was losing it). How ironic if Avril's fear of dirt/basement ended up destroying her son. I'd like to think that Hal at somepoint will come out of his breakdown, but I doubt it. Instead, his problem may make him into the perfect tennis player (not thinking too much) and he can be a huge success in the show (even better than John Wayne). 5) CT was definitely Mario's father (and Avril's blood relative). This is actually pretty clear in the text, and so isn't much a stretch. 6)Finally, I think the AFR find The Master in Incandenza's coffin, but Remy's betrayal leads to ONAN success and AFR failure. Remy's wife is 'saved' by the very people that poisoned her, and as she no longer needs Remy, he loses his sense of self and ends it.

One person that I just don't 'get', even in my own personal IJ Universe, is Avril. She seems to be this driving cohesive force behind the story - her obsessions, her liasons, her Canadianness. But she doesn't seem to overtly cause any of the problems. Why does Orin break with her? It seems inconsistent for such a functional but OCD woman to be so sexually driven. What role exactly does 'the Moms' play in the events that transpire?

So that's what I think will happen, what will follow next from the given storyline. What does this say about me? I'll leave that to you to interpret.

As with any good piece of literature, Infinite Jest leaves you with more questions than answers, causes you to question your own world view and behaviors, search for your own addictions, address the incongruity of your actions with your belief system (like AA, we all do things that just don't make sense, but 'work'). I leave IJ questioning the value of certain things in my life (and deathly afraid of addictive substances). I highly recommend this novel to anyone who needs some perspective in their lives.

Bones to Ashes: A Novel - Kathy Reichs

Out of curiousity, I decided to read this novel by the forensic anthropologist Kathy Reichs, who is the scientist that the TV show Bones is loosely based on. I like Bones - I guess I relate to Brennan, or at least would like to. She's a tough, intelligent woman who does important work (with an attractive partner). She's uncompromising about her work and well-rounded in her outside interests (speaks multiple languages, loves jazz). So I wanted to see the type of the novel the real life version (although I'm sure less sensational) would write.

Bones to Ashes was OK, although I can't figure out why it was a best seller. The plot is a bit thin - there's not a lot for the reader to really dig into or try to figure out on their own (always key to mystery novels from my perspective). The science was nearly non-existant - very disappointing. Also, I didn't like Tempe Brennan (the book character). While she's definitely more multidimensional than the TV character (and I realize that the TV character only shares a name with the novel character), she doesn't seem to have a lot of depth. Perhaps if I read all of Reichs's novels, I'd get a sense for her as a person. Maybe jumping in in the middle of a 'series' wasn't the best approach, but I certainly 'get' Sherlock Holmes in every novel.

Overall, Bones to Ashes is mediocre to poor as a stand alone novel, primarily because I really don't care about any of the characters. I don't care that Tempe's husband's getting remarried or that Ryan's daughter is addicted to drugs. I don't care about the cat or the bawdy bird, or even that Evangeline had unnecessarily untreated leprosy (seems a major stretch). Hippo was my favorite, with his doughnuts and anger.

I won't be reading any more of Dr. Reich's works, but it's encouraging to me (as a budding trash-novelist/scientist) that this stuff can get published.

Twelfth Night - Chesapeake Shakespeare Theatre

This production, shown outdoors and set in the ruins of the Patapsco Female Institute ruins, was actually quite nice. The setting was relaxing and beautiful, and there wasn't a bad seat in the 'house' (lawn). The performance I attended was on family night, and the show had a laid back atmosphere compatible with the presence of children. Unlike some of the "family" productions that I've seen, the script wasn't altered or shortened in any way (good for the adults, not so good for the families), and unfortunately we had to leave after two hours because my son's (and my husband's) attention were wavering in a patron-disturbing way. The cast was fun, if not convincing, delivering the lines with humor and style. The acting wasn't the best I've seen (felt a bit amateurish), but it was inviting and I enjoyed myself. The novelty of the setting more than makes up for the quality of the performance, and I'll gladly go back (perhaps with different companions).

Isaac Newton by James Gleick

This short biography lacks everything a biography needs - depth, focus, even interesting personal details. It is dry and chronological, and uses objectivity as a way of avoiding taking a stand on either Newton's genius or his obvious eccentricities. This is a man that changed the world, but Gleick merely paints him as a secluded scientist. He glosses over Newton's theology and interest in alchemy, sounding embarrassed that he has to mention them at all. In his attempt to show Newton's complexity, he leaves you with no feeling for the real man.

Precaution - James Fenimore Cooper

It's often hard as a modern-day reader to evaluate past work in the context of the author's time and not ours. That being said, the best novels are timeless. Precaution isn't one of those works. Cooper's first novel, said to be written after an off-hand comment that "he could write a better novel than the one he was reading", is a mark of the times. Written about nobility and propriety, it focuses a bit too much on Christianity and the idealized "innocence" of women for me to have enjoyed it. The twist was obvious entirely too early in the progress of the story, which made the rest of the novel plod as he slowly revealed the surprise. I don't blame Cooper - an off-the-cuff novel can't be expected to be quality, but I don't recommend this novel unless you are born again.

NOLA

Despite my travel delinquencies, I have indeed traveled to New Orleans (for work). Unfortunately, all I saw was the French Quarter (open containers of alcohol on the streets and people covered in beads despite it not being Mardi Gras). I think I would have loved it in college. I regret not having seen any of the cultural bases for the city, but what I did see hasn't inspire me to go back.

Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson

It's hard to believe that I've made it this long without reading this classic adventure rag. It delivered everything it promised - danger, excitement, treasure, adventure... Sure, the characters are caricatures, but at the end of the day this novel was written to inspire kids to be pirates, and it certainly inspired me. The basis of a lot of pirate-lore (the pirate, shiver me timbers, yo ho ho and a bottle of rum...), who hasn't wanted to go on a quest to find buried treasure? Sure, Long John Silver is a scoundrel, but would we have him any other way?