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Pale King: An Unfinished Novel
Pale King: An Unfinished Novel | David Foster Wallace
The agents at the IRS Regional Examination Center in Peoria, Illinois, appear ordinary enough to newly arrived trainee David Foster Wallace. But as he immerses himself in a routine so tedious and repetitive that new employees receive boredom-survival training, he learns of the extraordinary variety of personalities drawn to this strange calling. And he has arrived at a moment when forces within the IRS are plotting to eliminate even what little humanity and dignity the work still has. "The Pale King" remained unfinished at the time of David Foster Wallace's death, but it is a deeply compelling and satisfying novel, hilarious and fearless and as original as anything Wallace ever undertook. It grapples directly with ultimate questions--questions of life's meaning and of the value of work and society--through characters imagined with the interior force and generosity that were Wallace's unique gifts. Along the way it suggests a new idea of heroism and commands infinite respect for one of the most daring writers of our time.
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Mitch
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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MrBook
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Today‘s author spotlight: David Foster Wallace! Born in Ithaca, NY, he died in 2008 at 46 in Claremont, CA, from suicide after struggling with depression 😔. He was the first Roy E. Disney English and creative writing professor at Pomona College. He received numerous awards, including the Pulitzer, and TIME ranked “Infinite Jest” as one of the
English language‘s 100 best novels between 1923 and 2005. #AuthorPotpourri #TheMoreYouKnow

Leftcoastzen 👍🙌😢 5y
wordslinger42 I've read Infinite Jest! It was really hard to get through! So heartbreaking that he took his life 💔 5y
ljuliel Doggone , I totally missed this post. I like seeing what the authors look like. Putting a name to a book , so to speak. Very sad 😢 (edited) 5y
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TheSpineView
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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gradcat David Foster Wallace ♥️♥️♥️ 5y
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karajay
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐ I liked it alot! I wonder what it would have become if he hadn't died prior to finishing.

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karajay
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Current read! A day late. I suck. #30junebooks @howjessreads

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karajay
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Starting this book today!

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TheWildCard
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Pickpick

If you‘re not already a fan of DFW, this book is probably not for you. But if you ARE a fan, read it. I miss his mind so much, and I‘m still very, very sad about his suicide. This novel would have been fantastic had he finished it.

britt_brooke This is in my TBR. I‘ve still only read Infinite Jest, but I loved it. 6y
the_real_archimboldi The book is hard to read without almost constantly considering his suicide, especially when you get towards the end and know it will be left unfinished. The last scene doesn‘t require much background info and sort of stands alone as a short little story, and it is emotional reading it knowing it is the last thing we‘ll ever get from him. 5y
11 likes2 comments
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ladyonequestion
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Pickpick

This is obviously unfinished as the editor assembled it from about a ton of handwritten notes after DFW passed away. Typically not an easy read, especially as the author captures the boredom of working in the IRS with reams of tax info, but the characters and situations are beautifully drawn. I particularly liked Leonard Stynck, the boy who tortures everyone by being obnoxiously gratuitously nice to everyone!

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ladyonequestion
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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I've got a cardigan, a peony candle and a glass of wine. Time to put the conservatory to good use (conservatory does make it sound posher than it is though).

Maria514626 I‘m listening to this. So very weird. And funny. And sometimes boring. I don‘t know what to think. 🤷‍♀️ 7y
ladyonequestion @Maria514626 I know what you mean. The disjoined narrative is crazy and there are parts of the novel that are so dense with footnotes that it becomes difficult to follow what's going on. Have you read any other stuff by the author? I've read Infinite Jest and Consider the Lobster. 7y
Maria514626 @ladyonequestion I haven‘t. Would you recommend the other two? A Supposedly Fun Thing I‘ll Never Do looks intriguing! 7y
ladyonequestion @Maria514626 I read Consider the Lobster first, as essays it was much more accessible than his fiction! Some pretty funny stuff in there. I enjoyed Infinite Jest, but it did require commitment as it's dense - a real chunckster and just as disjointed as The Pale King. However, I did feel that the characters in IJ are more memorable and relatable, particularly the parts sent in a Tennis Academy and the rehab centre. 7y
Maria514626 @ladyonequestion Thanks for the advice! I‘ll add Lobster to my TBR! 7y
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ladyonequestion
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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True.

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ladyonequestion
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Up early with a spot of DFW.

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Maria514626
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Sylvanshine‘s a real mess. 😧

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mrozzz
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Was staying with my parents again this weekend and uncovered an old Barnes and Noble back FULL of unread books. 😍 (like my #TBR needed any more books!!!)
Such luck! Was actually thinking about the Salt, Sugar, Fat book the other day and how I never read it.
#BookHaul (sort of)

AmyG I love Armistead Maupin. 7y
mrozzz @AmyG I bought the first of the series (shown here) at least 3 years ago. Looking forward to reading it sometime soon. Have you read any/many from the city series? 7y
AmyG I have the whole series but have only read the first 2. @mrozzz (edited) 7y
mrozzz @AmyG cool ☺️ 7y
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mauveandrosysky
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Pickpick

David Foster Wallace‘s final, incomplete novel is literally a book about boredom, dullness and the IRS. Why would anyone ever bother reading about that? Well, partly because Wallace had an knack for making anything transcendent. But the main reason, perhaps, is one that Wallace presents as one of the books main theses: there‘s virtue in enduring dullness.

Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1357442581

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mauveandrosysky
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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mauveandrosysky
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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39 likes1 comment
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mauveandrosysky
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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This chapter just fucked me up so bad. The New Yorker released it as a short story a few years ago, so if your interest has been picqued, have at it: https://www.google.com/amp/www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/03/07/backbone/amp

Tcip I just ordered a copy of the pale king and I am awaiting its arrival! I'm glad I have you to bounce so much DFW off of @mauveandrosysky! 7y
mauveandrosysky @Tcip awesome! I'm deeply enjoying it, but sad that once I finish I will have read all of his novels. It's interesting comparing it to IJ. 7y
Tcip Did you read broom yet? I think it will be my next one of his. 7y
mauveandrosysky @Tcip yeah, Broom was a trip. Definitely recommend. 7y
Tcip Hell yes. 7y
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mauveandrosysky
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Came across this beast of a quote randomly nestled in a tedious chapter about IRS agents turning pages (ha). Stood out to me because a) quintessential DFW to make you work for your reward and b) I recognized it as the title of the biography written about him. Then I found this interesting article about the origin of the quote: https://www.google.com/amp/www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/d-f-w-tracing-the...

LeahBergen Thanks for that article. 👍🏼 7y
BooksForEmpathy Well this one just packs a punch. 7y
Ericmanciniwriter Do you think that chapter (and the other DFW chapter) were written specifically to make you feel the boredom his characters feel? Because it was BORING, and nothing DFW does is by accident 7y
mauveandrosysky @Eamann definitely. I mean, that most recent DFW chapter was painful, right? Haha. I think he's challenging us to endure the dullness. (edited) 7y
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mauveandrosysky
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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I'm doing a slow read of The Pale King currently (over the course of the month so I can really pace myself and absorb it) which means I'm reading other less challenging books simultaneously. This is literally a book about dullness and the IRS and yet when I'm not reading it I wish I was. Testament to DFW's brilliance/how deeply satiated I am by his writing.

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Ericmanciniwriter
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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New England decided to give us one nice day and boy was it a doozy. Here's my daughter at Brown U campus facing off against a creepy bear

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Wow! He's huge! (edited) 7y
Zelma That is terrifying. 😱 7y
Ericmanciniwriter @Zelma @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I know! I was proud of my daughter for getting so close because even I was a little scared... 7y
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ValerieAndBooks We saw this bear a few weeks ago while touring Brown ! Guide said it's pretty controversial. 7y
Ericmanciniwriter @ValerieAndBooks someone in your family going or just checking it out? 7y
ValerieAndBooks @Eamann checking it out. My youngest is a HS sophomore (almost done with the school year), so it's early yet for which ones he'll want to apply to 😊. 7y
Ericmanciniwriter @ValerieAndBooks nice! It's a beautiful place. Just to be clear I just live nearby - I could have never gotten into Brown😛 7y
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mauveandrosysky
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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mauveandrosysky
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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mauveandrosysky
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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DFW makes shit up that at first sounds so convincing until it hits you that he made it up and then you're laughing at yourself and shaking your head at him for being so damn good. RFI = ESP for mundane bullshit. Come on, that's hilarious.

mauveandrosysky @Eamann please tell me you found this as amusing as I did 8y
Ericmanciniwriter What page is this? I'm on 115 - email coming tonight 8y
mauveandrosysky @Eamann this was page 120 - almost there! 8y
Ericmanciniwriter So GD close! 8y
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mauveandrosysky
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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IJ was about the Entertainment. The Pale King is about the opposite: dullness.

Hobbinol 😬 8y
Lindy Great passage. Thanks for sharing this. 👍 8y
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Ericmanciniwriter
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Doing my buddy read of Pale King with @mauveandrosysky and on page 68 we get our first 4th-wall break as well as our first footnote. We're officially in David Foster Wallace territory!!

mauveandrosysky 🚨 peak DFW achievement unlocked 🚨 8y
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mauveandrosysky
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Sorry in advance for quoting the shit out of this book 🙊

BooksForEmpathy Ooooh. Love this. 8y
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mauveandrosysky
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Today begins my buddy read of DFW's final book with @Eamann ! I'm feeling Claude, so far.

Ericmanciniwriter Coming off Hemingway and his simple sentences it's been a huge shift to read DFW's dense multi page paragraphs of nested observations, but I'm liking it so far. Like brain exercise 8y
mauveandrosysky @Eamann ha! I can't think of two more different writers. 8y
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smccallum
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Pickpick

This may well change over the coming days but here are some initial thoughts! Probably the hardest David Foster Wallace book in my opinion. Sections that are staggeringly brilliant but almost all of it is buried deep (this must be the biggest culprit for having to start a sentence/paragraph/page again because I'd drifted off) but I'm so glad I persevered, I think I prefer Infinite Jest the notes at the end make you so wish he'd finished this.

LittlePixels Harder than Infinite Jest? 😳 Just the thought gives me the howling fantods. 8y
smccallum @LittlePixels a lot of Infinite Jest is fun or the topic is interesting, a lot of this is deliberately very dry 8y
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smccallum
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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Back to this interesting thing of a novel, starting to form some ideas about what's going on but still have a long way to go

AshleyHoss820 I'm over halfway with Infinite Jest and I am really interested to read more of Wallace's work! I'd love to know what you think! 😊 8y
smccallum @AshleyHoss820 I read Infinite Jest last year and this is the only book of his left that I've not read, if you want some suggestions 'Oblivion' and 'Brief Interviews With Hideous Men' are both brilliant short story collections and his essay collections are some of my favourite. Bits of this feel very similar to IJ which is cool but so far it's yet to grab me as much, that said IJ got better with reflection so maybe this is the same 😊 8y
AshleyHoss820 Awesome!! Thank you!! 8y
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smccallum @AshleyHoss820 after that chunk of reading if you want more of the same sort of thing carry onto this but if you want something by him and different look at Broom Of The System, it's quite similar to some Pynchon stuff and a lot of fun 😛 8y
ReadingEnvy This one is like a dissertation on boredom! It somehow works. 8y
smccallum @ReadingEnvy I agree with both points, I think I was just surprised at how familiar bits feel. Like, if the long chapter included tennis, it would be basically be Hal 8y
ReadingEnvy Just make sure you read the notes at the end, because it gives more info on where DFW was likely headed with it. I found that the most interesting part, sure wish he'd stayed around to finish it. 8y
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smccallum
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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The re-read of Infinite Jest is not working for me, I haven't got the time I'd like to do all the reading I'd like to so I'm postponing it until Summer or Christmas but in the mean time I'm going to tackle this with some sadness as once this is done that's it for DFW fiction but fortunately there are still a couple of his longer essays left afterwards

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GoneFishing
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace

The next suitable person you‘re in light conversation with, you stop suddenly in the middle of the conversation and look at the person closely and say, “What‘s wrong?” You say it in a concerned way. He‘ll say, “What do you mean?” You say, “Something‘s wrong. I can tell. What is it?” And he‘ll look stunned and say, “How did you know?” He doesn‘t realize something‘s always wrong, with everybody. Often more than one thing...

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Rachael_reads
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace
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#deckleedge
Has anyone read this? I've had it for years and I haven't read it yet.
Also in this post, All Things Cease to Appear... One of my favorites from last year.

Moray_Reads I haven't, but if like to after reading Infinite Jest last year 8y
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GoneFishing
Pale King: An Unfinished Novel | David Foster Wallace

The next suitable person you‘re in light conversation with, you stop suddenly in the middle of the conversation and look at the person closely and say, “What‘s wrong?” You say it in a concerned way. He‘ll say, “What do you mean?” You say, “Something‘s wrong. I can tell. What is it?” And he‘ll look stunned and say, “How did you know?” He doesn‘t realize something‘s always wrong, with everybody. Often more than one thing...

Spiderfelt Isn't that the truth. All we need is an opening, a willing ear, and it all comes spilling out. 8y
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GoneFishing
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace

“True heroism is minutes, hours, weeks, year upon year of the quiet, precise, judicious exercise of probity and care—with no one there to see or cheer. This is the world"

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GoneFishing
The Pale King | David Foster Wallace

To be, in a word, unborable.... It is the key to modern life. If you are immune to boredom, there is literally nothing you cannot accomplish.