Paul

“Education is a social process; education is growth; education is not preparation for life but is life itself.” - J. Dewey

Deeply haunting. A read that is both profoundly unique and universal. Slight supernatural elements that weren't the focal point of the story or obnoxious. Imagery for engraining.

Ah! A circus book. These are always nice, aren't they? There's some romance, some kind tender moments, some razzle dazzle! No, not in this one. This one just made me sad. All worth it to read that final couple of lines.

Some people straight up REFUSE to give this one a chance because of its intimidating yet lauded history. You cannot just choose on a whim to start reading IJ, you must dedicate yourself to it. It is funny, personal, tragic, odd, satirical but not in a way that makes you roll your eyes, and intensely genuine. I think people misread the silliness and think it's pretentious. DFW knew exactly what he was doing.

Do I understand the timeline? No. Did I need to to enjoy it? No. Do I want to play Eschaton? Yes.

A sad declaration. I am confused as to what it means (I'd love to discuss it with my brother), but I enjoyed reading it. Went through the thing quickly. Easy to read, funny and charming. I'm reminded of a Tobias Fünke quote, but that's a spoiler.