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Both Flesh and Not
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace
12 posts | 12 read | 9 to read
Brilliant, dazzling, never-before-collected nonfiction writings by "one of America's most daring and talented writers." (Los Angeles Times Book Review). Both Flesh and Not gathers fifteen of Wallace's seminal essays, all published in book form for the first time. Never has Wallace's seemingly endless curiosity been more evident than in this compilation of work spanning nearly 20 years of writing. Here, Wallace turns his critical eye with equal enthusiasm toward Roger Federer and Jorge Luis Borges; Terminator 2 and The Best of the Prose Poem; the nature of being a fiction writer and the quandary of defining the essay; the best underappreciated novels and the English language's most irksome misused words; and much more. Both Flesh and Not restores Wallace's essays as originally written, and it includes a selection from his personal vocabulary list, an assembly of unusual words and definitions.
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britt_brooke
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace
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I was on a quest to find Christmas Vacation wrapping paper at Dollar Tree, thanks to a heads up from @TricksyTails - no luck, but I did snag these for a buck a piece! I never find any good books at my local Dollar Tree, but I‘m in my hometown right now, so I thought I‘d check. Bonus, I ran into a friend from high school there who I hadn‘t seen in over 15 years! 💚 #bookhaul

TricksyTails Score! At least the trip wasn't a complete bust! 😆 7y
britt_brooke @TricksyTails 😁🙌🏻 7y
LeahBergen A DFW?? Nice! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y
See All 13 Comments
britt_brooke @LeahBergen Yes, and there were several of them. I almost bought them all to give away on here. Maybe I‘ll go back tomorrow! 7y
minkyb Nice! 7y
AmyG Nice! I have to go there tomorrow. You got some great books. DFW and Rob Sheffield. (edited) 7y
britt_brooke @AmyG Looking most forward to those two! Hope you score some good ones. 🤞🏻 7y
Bookzombie I was looking for Peanuts wrapping paper and found it at the second Dollar Tree I visited so you might hit another location if you have it. 🙂 7y
britt_brooke @Bookzombie I visited two today, but I plan to check the two where I live later this week, once I‘m back home. I almost bought the Peanuts paper today - it‘s cute! 7y
DrSabrinaMoldenReads That is so awesome! Love it! #DollarTreeExplorer @cinfhen You have led the way for us 😍 7y
Cinfhen Wish I could take credit for that discovery @Joyfulmimi but it was some other brilliant Litten, wish I could remember who gets my eternal gratitude 😉 7y
Reviewsbylola At least the trip wasn‘t a waste! 🙌🏻🙌🏻 7y
126 likes13 comments
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Vikz
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace
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#library part 2

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katrrosee
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace
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Give me a DFW and a glass of wine (and a notepad to write down all the words I don't know) and I am GOOD for the night. ☃️

Tcip Great book. 8y
brendanmleonard Love DFW! 8y
katrrosee @tcip @brendanmleonard i've read IJ multiple times but unbelievably never read this one yet. Do y'all like his essays or novels/fiction more? 8y
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Tcip There are some seriously hits or misses but the hits are killers man. 8y
brendanmleonard @KatrinaRose I have actually only read his nonfiction! 8y
LectricSheep You've read Infinite Jest multiple times? 😳 Teach me your ways!!! 8y
katrrosee @LectricSheep It's more a factor that you can't understand everything the first time until you know where things are going and what things you can skim over plotwise. But when you fall in love with the writing.... 8y
99 likes2 stack adds7 comments
review
Tcip
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace
Pickpick

This is a collection of essays from DFW that I think I needed to quell my hunger for his work. He writes like a man who know what the fuck is is talking about and I love it so much. Wallace talks about tennis like it is the most interesting thing on the planet and he dissects Terminator 2 like a man splitting atoms. He his not for everyone but damn it, he is for me.

15 likes1 stack add
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Tcip
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace

Fuck. I wish I could write about anything the way DFW writes about tennis. Jesus it's like listening to a English major talk about the way they love commas.

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Tcip
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace
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Starting this new DFW on audio

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smccallum
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace
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Pickpick

An interesting collection. I think something that was very enjoyable about this collection is it doesn't stand up to the 'St. Dave' ideal; he is a bit of dick in places viz. human. I really loved some pieces and thought others were fine. I wouldn't recommend this as a starting place with DFW as I think it is probably the weakest collection of his essays but it is still definitely worth a read!

Tcip This next on my DFW list. After that is Broom. 8y
smccallum @Tcip I hope you enjoy it! Broom is hopefully next on mine! However it might get swapped out with Signifying Rappers until I get more time to read consistently 8y
Tcip I think I will. 8y
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Tcip Thank you!! 8y
Tcip Have you read this yet?? 8y
smccallum @Tcip I have not! Is it a similar style? 8y
Tcip Yes and no. I can see DFW reading it and liking it. I highly recommend it. I think you would enjoy the style and truthfully it's just a great book. 8y
23 likes7 comments
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smccallum
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace
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Making decent progress tonight and may even finish!

18 likes1 stack add
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smccallum
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace
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Actually have some reading time 🙌

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smccallum
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace
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October TBR take one!

Tcip Both flesh and not is also on my list for this month! 8y
24 likes1 comment
review
Abailliekaras
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace
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Pickpick

Blew my mind. Wonder, awe and laughing out loud. Also terribly sad that David Foster Wallace is no longer with us. The Federer piece is sublime. In fact, watching him wield words into an essay is like watching Federer play: beautiful mastery, impossible moments.

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Abailliekaras
Both Flesh and Not: Essays | David Foster Wallace
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"... and the truth is that TV tennis is to live tennis pretty much as video porn is to the felt reality of human love."