Elegant Complexity: A Study of David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest

by Greg Carlisle

Elegant Complexity is the first critical work to provide detailed and thorough commentary on each of the 192 sections of David Foster Wallace's masterful Infinite Jest. No other commentary on Infinite Jest recognizes that Wallace clearly divided the book into 28 chapters that are thematically unified. A chronology at the end of the study reorders each section of the novel into a sequential timeline that orients the reader and that could be used to support a chronological reading of the novel. Other helpful reference materials include a thematic outline, more chronologies, a map of one the novel's settings, lists of characters grouped by association, and an indexed list of references. Elegant Complexity orients the reader at the beginning of each section and keeps commentary separate for those readers who only want orientation. The researcher looking for specific characters or themes is provided a key at the beginning of each commentary. Carlisle explains the novel's complex plot threads (and discrepancies) with expert insight and clear commentary. The book is 99% spoiler-free for first-time readers of Infinite Jest.

Genres: Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, Criticism, 21st Century, Reference, Literature, Books About Books

512 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2007

Reviews

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

infinite jest is like the best lover i have ever had. and i knew we were not exclusive; i knew it had been around and MFSO had had an equally intense relationship with it, but i can honestly say i have never felt this way about a book before, and i never expect to again, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event.(i know one time i compared graceling to a romantic relationship, but that was an analogy - this is true true love)

reading this companion book is like revisiting old love letters. i would frequently get a warm rush of emotion when a particular scene was deconstructed, or when links and connections were made that despite my seven readings of the source material, and the two previous companion books, i had never seen.

because this book is exhaustive. but never exhausting. not for a fan. reading this book is like finding out that the whole time you were together, your partner secretly played the accordion. and played it well. there are obviously allusions i caught: extensive hamlet connections, clockwork orange, various david lynch moments. but there are others with which i was less familiar: the beatles, tolstoy, tennyson. and i am sure there are some "connections" that are just serendipitous to the researcher; DFW was good, but one or two of these just have to be happy accidents, don't they??

and i just can't help but yearn. the same way the films of JOI were never made, or never found (orrrr weeerrreee thhheeeyyy?) and his suicide prevented so many more opportunities and advances in his medium, so the fucking suicide of DFW has destroyed so much potential. and i get angry, i do, but to me this book - this perfect dream, this religion - it does more for me than any real-world encounter ever could. and that's the irony, right?? me, slackjawed, engaged in my entertainment, losing my ability to connect to anything except this illusion. shattering.

and some lit crit sucks all the juice from a text and leaves it a husk of critical jargon and historical precedence. greg carlisle makes it sing. you can feel his excitement as he makes connection after connection, even with seemingly-minor repetitions of words like "blue" or "circular", or images of "spiders" or "waste." it is all cataloged and he makes meaning out of it that is astonishing.

infinite jest is a novel that is, of course, "constructed as much out of what is missing as what's there". but g.c. sure makes a lot of what is there. this is balls to the wall, minute vivisection.

here is an example of a particularly awesome passage: Gately remembers the ex-Navy "M.P." and dreams of Joelle (M.P., Madame Psychosis), who in one dream had the face of a "jowly British P.M.." (cf Pat Montesian as P.M. on p 178). Matthew Pemulis (M.P.) awaits an opportunity to consume DMZ (madame psychosis). in this section, Mrs. Waite dies and Death says "wait".

that sound is my head exploding. i wish i had a dick, so i could watch it become tumescent.

and this - oh my god:

"just before racial slurs and references to white supremacy occur in the narrative, Gately thinks of his first joint as his first "duBois". is this intended to resonate with the name of W.E.B. Du Bois, balancing the racial slurs in Gately's memory with reference to an African American hero? does the white supremacist's being an Orkin man (an exterminator, but not from Terminex and not Public Enemy's Terminator x) resonate with the idea of roaches, both in terms of marijuana and of the extermination of roaches by Or[k]in?"

and this - pretty much the last line in the book, before the "more questions" section and many diagrams and chronologies: "The end of Infinite Jest brings us back to the beginning. At the end of the novel, Gately is unable to communicate; at the beginning of the novel, Hal is unable to communicate. We can begin the cycle again and follow Gately's narrative thread through the DuPlessis incident and recovery and gunshot wound and memories of substance abuse. We can try to better understand Hal and to discern the reasons for his behavior in the Year of Glad. But there will always be a gap of one year (between November Y.D.A.U. and November Y.G., cf this study's "more questions") in these elegant, complex narrative cycles that we must navigate by leaps of imagination. With each cycle of our reading, the gap will seem less daunting; but it will always remain open. As we read, we must continue to join the narrative threads - we must connect everything - in the nebulous underworld of our minds."


oh my god, it is so true. you will get closer and closer, but you will never ever fill in all the gaps, and that is what makes this the most wonderful, frustrating, rewarding book ever. and what makes a study like this one so dick-hardeningly good.

buy this book. read this book. and then read infinite jest again.

i recommend this book to anyone passionate enough about IJ. it is not for people who read the book just as a landmark kind of thing - you won't appreciate it. it is only for the truly nutso. this man's passion for IJ makes me so happy. i picture him sitting on the floor with multiple copies of infinite jest splayed open all around him, going through with different colored highlighters: greg carlisle, i fucking applaud you and what you have done here. i guarantee i will be reading this one again.

update: or i WOULD, but i don't think i'm ever getting my copy back. not awesome. ):

come to my blog!

[Chris Via]

This is a great undertaking on the part of Greg Carlisle. I see folks rating it low because it is "nothing more than a recapitulation of plot." Though it is understandable that readers who take pride in their incredible abilities to parse a text like Infinite Jest would be inclined to disregard a book whose aim is to help others (we feeble readers), Carlisle, in my opinion, does much more than simply restate in fewer words each episode--he follows the text very closely and includes much thematic and character cross-referencing, and includes his own insights on the inexhaustible topics of the missing year and the circulation of the fateful film cartridge. In contrast to another companion text by two professors that has a précis chapter that really does simply regurgitate what's clearly on the page for the attentive reader--though they make no qualms about their aims--Carlisle wrings out as much as he can from the text. It is in fashion to demand dense and/or mind-blowing material around IJ, as if anything about the text should reach to the heights of the text, but what Carlisle has given us is what could be called "An Anatomy of Infinite Jest" for the common reader who wants to gain an appreciation for the complexity of DFW's most demanding and satisfying efforts. My only caveat to this book would be that you don't use it until after you've read IJ first on your own efforts, despite its marketing as a guide for first-time readers. Or use it as a way to gain propulsion and then set it aside, sort of like what folks do with the online annotations for J R. Bravo for the time and effort put into this book, Mr. Carlisle.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I wish I had this when I read Infinite Jest back in 1998!! Elegant Complexity is so terrific, I want to buy it again! I pick it up on average about once every couple weeks, and each time I do I'm just grateful for its existence, grateful that Carlisle busted his butt—for years, clearly—to sort though a cast of (practically) thousands, Wallace's esoteric (and sometimes invented) vocabulary, to say nothing of IJ's scrambled chronology.

If you've read and enjoyed Infinte Jest, I enthusiastically recommend Elegant Complexity on general principle. If you haven't read Infinite Jest and have been telling yourself you'd like to or you should, then by all means pick the sucker up and JUST START READING (the best way to start an imposing book, I've found). Hey, like many of us, you might have to set it aside and come back to it a few months (or as in my case, years) later. Either way, make sure you have Carlisle's guide at your side.

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kind of like Cliff's Notes for Infinite Jest (at an unsurprising 500+ pages)--highly recommended if you read Infinite Jest. It discusses themes, outlines plots, and makes sense of passages that (to me) seemed out-of-place and unnecessary. This book will sit you down and patiently explain to you that what seemed like 1,100 pages of plot fragments and bizarre characters actually has an intricate structure, well-considered theme, and meaning. And that some of those holes in the narrative, some of those questions you thought were left unanswered, were addressed or answered subtly before you knew they were there.

[Aleksandra Bekreneva · Rating 5 out of 5]

FAILED ENTERTAINMENT
⠀
«Elegant Complexity» by Greg Carlisle — исследование о «Бесконечной шутке» Дэвида Фостера Уоллеса, которое я прочла для успокоения совести. Что выяснила: читала БШ я внимательно, многие цитаты, которые выделила и заметила, выделил и Грэг. Основную суть и идеи я тоже не упустила.
⠀
Если вы читали БШ медленно и вдумчиво, то в этом исследовании для вас не будет ничего принципиально нового.
⠀
Разве что:
⠀
— здесь максимально подробно и со схемами рассказано про треугольники Серпинского и про тройственность всего в БШ: тем, героев, структуры романа и т. д.
— вы узнаете всё о голубом цвете в БШ и о его значении
— под увеличительным стеклом рассмотрены связи, взаимосвязи, двойники и повторы в семье Инкаденца
— Хэл и Гамлет: всё об этом; Джоэль и Офелия: об этом тоже
— вспомните мелочи и детали, на которые могли не обратить внимание при первом прочтении, но которые, оказывается, важны
— кроме своей перспективы восприятия увидите ещё несколько; БШ — как большая головоломка или слон, которого щупают с закрытыми глазами
— узнаете нечто интересное о Мадам Психоз
— в «Бесконечной шутке» есть ряд математических неточностей/ошибок, в том числе и во всеми любимом Эсхатоне; в этом исследовании Грэг говорит о них сжато и кратко, но если вы фанат ДФУ и математик или около того, то вам, определённо, стоит прочитать другое исследование о БШ — «Dubious Math In Infinite Jest» by Mike Strong, где о математике в БШ написано очень подробно
— параллели между Аврил Инкаденца и отцом Лоры Палмер, Лиландом Палмером из «Твин Пикса»
— и конечно же, подробно о том, почему шутка «бесконечная», почему пазл до конца собрать нельзя; почему все ответы мы не найдём
⠀
Когда я дочитала «Бесконечную шутку», у меня было удивление, как в момент, когда я перевернула последнюю страницу «Улисса»: «Как, это всё?» И возникло непреодолимое желание прочитать что-то ещё о БШ. Ощущение, что история продолжается, хочется копаться дальше, анализировать. Масштаб книги мне открывается постепенно. Думаю, лет через 5-10 я обязательно её перечитаю.
⠀
И напоследок: в этом исследовании нет спойлеров. Его можно смело читать параллельно с «Бесконечной шуткой», если вы дотошны и хотите заметить каждую мельчайшую деталь.

[Eduardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immediately after finishing a section of IJ I'd come up to this to try and figure out just what I had just read and/or how those events connected with the rest of the book. It was an invaluable tool, though I wish we had gotten a little more analysis and theorizing.

[Schuyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the moment, the most exhaustive reader's guide to Infinite Jest. Well worth your time and money, especially for first time readers of IJ. Whenever I get around to re-reading IJ, it will be nice having Carlisle's insights in my mind. Also, it pretty much proves all critics who think IJ is a sloppy mess of disconnection wrong. In fact, it's the exact opposite, where everything in the novel ends up being connected in some way, usually in multiple ways. Carlisle helps the reader realize IJ is an extremely well thought, insanely structured, cyclical novel. DFW truly was a literary genius. I'll fight anyone who says otherwise. I will punch you in the mouth.

[Alex Orr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it to be helpful while reading IJ, especially if I'd gone a few days between reading the novel. It helped to draw my eye towards key themes and motifs from the start and also helped to keep track of certain characters and events. It's not perfect or indispensable, but if you're serious about reading IJ, I will highly recommend you read it alongside the novel.

[Comrade Doge · Rating 1 out of 5]

so it turns out this book isn't a thesis, it's mainly just a bunch of chapter summaries. If you've finished Infinite Jest, this won't teach you anything. If you're reading Infinite Jest for the first time and having a bit of trouble, just keep at it and join an online reading group. Don't bother with Elegant Complexity.

[Nick Black · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book provides absolutely nothing to a careful reader of the text. total letdown.
---
I don't often tread the waters of literary criticism, but in the immortal words of Trick Daddy, "let's go!"...

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent guide to Infinite Jest. I wouldn't read the book without this, too. Especially helpful explaining the structure of the novel.

[Tom Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was not nearly as helpful as I anticipated. But to say it was not helpful at all would be wrong. Carlisle did remind me of more than a few "Hamlet" allusions that I otherwise would have missed, and also helped to bring my attention to at least a couple of repeated motifs (heads and spiders, more than any others). 

The thing is, this book is really just an extended summary of Infinite Jest with subsequent "section" summaries as well. It's less a guide to read in tandem with IJ and more a summary to read in place of IJ. It is very light on analysis, which is what I had been hoping for. Nowadays, I think readers will get more out of the "back-and-forth" discussions found  online at helpful sites like The Howling Fantods and Infinite Summer.

Overall, 2 stars out of 5 -- Infinite Jest is complicated and any published reader's guide is of some benefit, but this one falls short. For an example of the type of analysis I was interested in seeing, visit Words, Words, Words: The Infinite Jest Liveblog which debuted in 2011.

[Aaronb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gave quite a few insights into Infinite Jest, especially the lengthy comparison to Hamlet, puns on M.P. and connections with Ulysses. Detailed to a fault, it reviews each section and has helpful connections to previous chapters. The book is useful for resolving the sinking feeling that you need to read IJ again!

One real chestnut is in the endnotes of this book (itself weighing in at over 500 pages) there is a link to the rare original first draft of IJ. This has an additional 250 pages of additional material which was cut by Michael Pietsch, DFW's publisher (now EVP at Little, Brown).

[Ryan Ard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm glad I read it. It was basically a summary and it helped tie some things together. I would recommend reading it while reading Infinite Jest to help comprehension if the book gets too hard and confusing.

[Mirror · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mean, I guess it's sort of useful if you want to take some structural influence from the thing without re-reading it in its entirety...(?)

[George Dundalli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Held my hand when I was afraid, helped me see things I did not.

[Allie Jo Arendell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely helpful and thought-provoking companion guide to Infinite Jest as recommended to me by my book-loving friend, Sam. It made all the difference in my ability to keep "Hanging In, Hanging On". I found that this book was most important for the first 400 pages of Infinite Jest. In the past 3 years I have attempted to read I.J. four different times getting to around page 150-300 or so every single time before abandoning again and again and again. This book helped give me a better foundation for some of the early themes of the book and truly guided me through that next threshold- through the next cycle- that was needed in order to continue on (quite a bit of irony here with this....but we will save that for later....).

This book is absolutely spoiler-free and has two different sections for each section and subchapter (Carlisle divides the book into 28 different "chapters" though DFW mentions that there are definite breaks in the books where you want to take a coffee break to stretch your legs, but does not actually label the sections as chapters). It also contains extensive character lists, maps, themes, spatial orientation, chronologies...all of which I actually did not reference very much at all- so much of mind was invested in the experience of this book that I actually chose to let a lot of the details go...or rather, I had to let a lot of these details go, but these charts are interesting to look back on after finishing reading both books. They may be most helpful for a second read-through of the book (if that were ever to be a thing....?).

Anyway, the first section of Elegant Complexity contains a helpful summary guide to each of I.J.ʻs sections and the second portion is more of a commentative guide to the same sections (which I loved!). For the first 700 pages of Infinite Jest I read both the summary and the commentative guides and then only the commentative guide the last 300 pages as the book opens up with a smoother narrative at this point and the summary becomes a little more redundant at this point.

I would HIGHLY recommend reading this book in conjunction with your journey into Infinite Jest even just through the first half of the book. It does make your reading sessions longer, but it is highly worth wrapping your head around some of the concepts that Greg Carlisle points out (again...spoiler-free) because there is a lot of connection and repetition being woven in throughout the entire novel so it helps to know what to look for between characters/settings/time frames if you are trying to make more sense of the narrative as you are reading it (which...may or may not be totally important....??).

At the end of this book Greg Carlisle writes a single page "Interpretation" (p. 486-487) of Infinite Jest that is one of the most concise and thought-provoking summaries I have ever read based on the enormity of itsʻ concept. I tore it out and put it in my journal to read in the mornings surrounding meditation as a powerful reminder that "everything [really] is connected"...that we are connected.

[Matt Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great companion to "Infinite Jest" -- really helps one get a handle on the scope, themes and layout of the book. Of course, given that DFW hanged himself almost exactly a week ago today, I'm feeling a little subdued/depressed on all matters DFW.

Infinite Jest, which I read last year, is for me one of those "life-changing" books. Elegant Complexity helps elucidate the book's goings-on, most of which registered for me on an emotional level as opposed to intellectual-. IJ is about a tennis academy, drug-rehab house, multi-international terrorist cabal known as the "A.F.R." (an acronym of the French words for "Wheelchair Assassins"), the mass corporate subsidization of western-calender time (following the collapse of network television), avant-garde film theory, societal waste disposal, and hyper-sized, feral babies who roam certain parts of this land, to name its (i.e., IJ's) central themes.

More importantly, IJ is hauntingly human. That's really the service Elegant Complexity performs best, in giving the reader a guide to the utterly astounding interdependencies in the story.

"Infinite Jest" is divided into "chapters marked by 28 centered, shadowed circles [they appear to be phases of the moon] that appear in the main text of the novel (pp. 3-981). Another centered, shadowed circle is placed before the notes and errata (pp. 983-1079).....Within each chapter of the novel, a triple line-space designates division of the text into "subchapters" or "sections," of which there are 192, frequently introduced by a heading." ("Elegant Complexity," pg 17)

To make matters more confusing, "Infinite Jest," which was published in 1996, purports to take place in a future where time isn't kept numerically but is instead "sponsored" by a corporation that pays to have its name serve as the marker for that year. Thus, Chapter One opens in "Year of Glad" (yes, that "Glad" corp, the "flaccid receptacle" company whose shill, Tom Bosley, was the same actor who Dad on "Happy Days" [Get it? Glad = Happy Days? Who said corporate ad people don't have a sense of humor?]), but most of the novel's action takes place in November of "Year of the Depends Adult Undergarment."

There is also Year of the Whopper (2002), Year of the Trial-Size Dove Bar (2004), Year of the Perdue Wonderchicken (2005), and I could go on but I won't.

Let me just say that "Elegant Complexity" did a fine job of helping this reader organize the hilarious and hilariously sad scenes of "Infinite Jest," and now that of its author, too (I'm very sad to report), into something like a story, with a beginning, a middle and (now) an end.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

As you'd expect, Carlisle's study brings out a multitude of facts and connections within the text that a more casual reader (e.g. me) misses. It would have been a good companion for the Infinite Summer mass-read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who is considering tackling Wallace's opus. Be forewarned, though, Elegant Complexity is basically a scholarly work, so the tone is quite dry.

One thing that makes Infinite Jest a difficult and sometimes frustrating work is that 'it's as much about what's missing as what's there' (paraphrasing). Wallace said the original structure of the novel was built on a Sierpinski gasket (see here). Essentially there's a big gap in the novel, and every sub-component likewise has a gap. Carlisle does write a good bit at the end about the biggest gap, some sound speculation and inference that will be familiar to anyone who's read similar material around the web. It would have been more satisfying if Elegant Complexity had done a little more exploration of the smaller gaps.

[twrctdrv · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, I feel like this book misses the point. It serves basically an extended summary that makes explicit the more implicit connections to be found in the story, not as any sort of "answer" to the questions of plot raised by Infinite Jest (like I had kinda foolishly expected it to be). Also, it tends to ignore the wonderfully human aspect of the novel, which is both absolutely horrible and entirely necessary for the study to work. It's cause of the lack of the human thing that I say this book misses the point, but it's also something required for this study to work. With that in mind, Elegant Complexity is almost perfect at what it does, making numerous implications stated. The only real issue I had with the book was that occasionally the author would make a connection between IJ and another work of art without describing the connection enough, leading to either a connection that seems thin or a bit of me wanting to delve deeper into the connection out of my own interest. So yeah, basically the study works well at both extending your understanding of the complex plot and as an argument that DFW knew damn well what he was doing with Infinite Jest, but it still just feels like an inessential extra to the novel and should only be seeked out if it's something you really want to read as opposed to something any bit necessary of excessively helpful.

[Catriel Fierro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estaba entre 4.5 y 5 estrellas pero me decanté por lo segundo. El nivel de análisis, la documentación profusa que usa, y las relaciones microscópicas que establece el libro lo ameritan.

Ke desir... Una guía muy necesaria para una obra fundamental y que viene a rompernos aún más la cabeza en la época del interfaceo-mediado-por-tecnologias-intensificado-por-la-cuarentena. Carlisle organiza, clasifica y despunta cada una de las cientoipico de secciones de la novela. Inventaría personajes, ata cabos sueltos y mantiene los spoilers al mínimo, revelando puntos nodales de la trama solo a medida que avanza el libro.

No es una guía definitiva, y varias de las conclusiones más generales que extrae son dudosas (¿Lo que se implantó Jim en la cabeza es realmente La Broma Infinita, o es una forma linda que tiene el personaje de hablar sobre su cerebro? ¿Por qué pensar que Jim se instaló el antídoto en su cabeza? ¿Orin no es el que más chances tiene de ser quien está diseminando la obra?). Pero en líneas generales se apega muchísimo al texto original, y los dos apartados interpretativos (El análisis de los vacíos narrativos y la interpretación sobre el objeto/argumento del libro) son muy buenos.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elegant Complexity by Greg Carlisle is a companion book or guide to David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest. It is fascinating reading, although I found it difficult and not particularly helpful as far as IJ goes. However, it's identification of themes and motifs is very interesting and it's outline of the plot helps the other reading (to a small degree). Ultimately, I put aside this book and read it after I finished IJ. It is well, albeit densely (like IJ) written and thought-provoking. Like all good literary criticism, reading it made me want to go back to its source and re-read Infinite Jest (a book that clearly demands several readings anyway).

[Christian Lipski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book summarizes each "chapter" and provides an overview of the themes, along with the time and page numbers. Loved it. He caught a lot of connections that I had missed, and his coverage of the various themes was really insightful. Also helpful are a map of the E.T.A. grounds (finally!) and a chronological ordering of the chapters. It was like reading the book again, only more quickly and with greater comprehension. An excellent reading companion for the first-timer who *really* wants to get it, the veteran who wants deeper interpretation, and the scholar who wants easy reference.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read Infinite Jest three times now, and the last time I read it I used this guide (to call it a "study" is generous). After each section I would read the corresponding section in Elegant Complexity. It definitely assisted me in picking up on some small things, connecting themes, repeated metaphors, and more.

I would suggest it to anyone reading Infinite Jest for a 2nd or 3rd time, but not for the first-time reader. It's best to just read and enjoy it as-is.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the one hand Carlisle carefully dissects every chapter and nearly every paragraph of Infinite Jest, doing well to demystify the epic, often confounding, tome. On the other hand, Carlisle either isn't a very good writer, or he treated this as a work that didn't require anything more than published note-taking. His writing is mechanical, stilted, but perhaps that's the intention as to not further obfuscate an already bewildering text.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nutso, deep, deep dive. Summarizes each section and then summarizes the summary! The perfect companion for spelunking into a rereading of Infinite Jest. Carlisle unravels the riddle of the structure and makes so many amazing connections that I felt compelled to return dive into IJ, and then, in a delicious immersive cycle, back into Elegant Complexity to lose myself once again. Carlisle's book is required reading (and rewardingly so) for any study of Infinite Jest.

[Paola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I say that I read it even if I dipped in and out of it...?
Oh hell, I will anyway.
Great book for DFW/Infinite Jest fans, but I would recommend using it as a companion after you've read IJ at least once, or it will make your reading a bit too clinical. First time round, I'd just enjoy the (long) ride.

[Brett Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent companion to Infinite Jest. It really added to my enjoyment and appreciation of the novel.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Greg Carlisle’s book alongside Infinite Jest and it was a very helpful guide to David Foster Wallace’s complex novel. Elegant Complexity provides chapter-by-chapter summaries, along with Carlisle’s larger analysis of Wallace’s themes and ideas. Among the explanations is what the years are after “subsidized time” is instituted in the novel:

2002 Year of the Whopper (Y.W.)
2003 Year of the Tucks Medicated Pad (Y.T.M.P.)
2004 Year of the Trial-Size Dove Bar (Y.T.-S.D.B.)
2005 Year of the Purdue Wonderchicken (Y.P.W.)
2006 (Y.W.-Q.M.D.)
2007 Year of the Yushityu 2007 … (YUSHITYU)
2008 Year of Dairy Products from the American Heartland (Y.D.P.A.H.)
2009 Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment (Y.D.A.U.)
2010 Year of Glad (Y.G.)

Towards the end, Carlisle gives timelines for characters and even a guide to reading Infinite Jest in chronological order. Strongly recommended for an understanding of Wallace’s novel.

ADDITIONAL QUOTES (the ebook does not provide page numbers):

“...he has created a book that also engages its readers by challenging them to connect the disparate plot threads that run through the novel’s fragmentary episodes as they navigate shifts in chronology, location, and narrative perspective.”
*
“...the memory lapses and errors of the characters or the narrator(s) create intentional mysteries and ambiguities to challenge the reader…”
*
“Communication issues (the inability to communicate, missed-or non-connections) and infantile regression or self-absorption are recurring themes of the novel.”
*
“Most of the characters in Infinite Jest are addicted to some substance or activity that drives them to some level of obsession or desperation or ‘paralyzed stasis’” (p. 72).
*
“Limbaugh becomes president (cf. ‘the Kemp and Limbaugh administrations’ (p. 177) and ‘the pre-millennial Limbaugh Era’ (p. 411)). In 2000, Gentle’s C.U.S.P. party defeated incumbent Republican Rush Limbaugh and Democrat Hillary Clinton, due to ‘a surreal union of both Rush L.-and Hillary R.C.-disillusioned fringes.’”
*
“Although here at the end of the novel the reader is likely paying more attention to the stories of Hal and Gately, it is important to note that the cycle of addiction and recovery continues everywhere and for people to whom we are not paying attention.”

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[Book Cover]

Citation:
Carlisle, G. (2007). Elegant complexity: A study of David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest. Sideshow Media Group; 1st edition. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...

Title: Elegant Complexity: A Study of David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest
Author(s): Greg Carlisle
Year: 2007
Genre: Nonfiction - Literary criticism
Page count: 512 pages
Date(s) read: 6/25/24 - 7/14/24
Book # 140 in 2024
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[Hamish · Rating 1 out of 5]

I got about 2/3 of the way through. I was hoping for some nifty analysis and commentary on IJ, but this turned out to (more or less) just be summaries of each section. Right at the end there's a one and a half page discussion of interpretation which is pretty unenlightening. One thing it did do reasonably well was elucidate the structure of IJ, by pointing out the thematic threads of each chapter. I didn't find this interesting though.

EC points out every time the colour blue is mentioned. The colour blue seems to have been singled out as significant among some IJ fans, but I don't see any compelling reason for this.

I think the only reason I didn't stop reading this sooner is that I enjoyed reliving IJ through the summaries. Which is to say that the only value I got from EC was value it leeched from its host.