Has anyone ever actually finished this tome cover to cover? It reads like a fever dream.
I read the first chapter only. Everybody says that’s the only part worth reading though…
probably someone buried somewhere with three lone copies of infinite jest, satanic verses and gödel escher bach
Me! It's so good. You gotta muscle few a few chapters but that's part of the experience.
It helps if you tell convince yourself you’re actually reading the written version of the samizdat
yes. the first 200 pages or so will try to buck you, but you need to hang on. the flow of new characters will stop and you’ll be able to settle in. took me four attempts but that was the resistance point.
Yeah, I read it. In my early 20s. The perfect time I think :)
Haha, still sitting in my shelf not read past page 6
For sure. It was a slog initially, but eventually I got into a rhythm with it and loved it. Not sure I’d be up for a re-read though. Maybe start with some of his essays/articles to warm up? A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again is lovely.
I had that but it was impossible to wield and carry. Only started making serious progress when I started reading it digitally. Then it was a bunch of mornings in the subway and cafe for a month and done. Totally worth it.
Yeah, it really predicted the future unlike anything I’ve ever read. My wife and I each have a copy on the bookshelf and it’s one of the first things anyone notices when they come to our apartment.
It’s easier to read on the Kindle where you can tap into the footnotes. Also it gets easier about 250 pages in when it settles into a more traditional narrative structure at the halfway house.
Promised a friend I would do it this year and will likely look for it as an audiobook
Twice! It’s a trip. So many layers. So powerful. If you’re having trouble getting into it, I’d recommend buying the audiobook and listening while you read. You can also just listen obviously, but can be kinda confusing until you get used to the footnotes
On a quasi-serious note, it also really helps if you know or want to understand someone with addiction issues better
If you end up reading it and want to chat about anything feel free to DM. Would love to discuss!
Yes, it’s amazing. Happy to discuss, feel free to dm
Current 150 pages in. Cannot justify this level of cognitive energy expenditure that could be spent learning something useful Gonna keep going
I read it as an ebook on the toilet in 2016-2017. Not as bad reading Dune as a pdf
The responses to this thread tell me that either: 1) I need to read this book or 2) I need to tell people I read this book
At this point I guess I’m saving it for retirement.