So how many of you have read this beast before? Just curious if I am the only virgin Infinite Jester here.
For those more experienced...is there significance / order to the chapters (is that what they are called)? I noticed that we go from "9 May -Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment" to "Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment" to "Year of the Trial-Size Dove Bar" and then back to YDAU. Just not sure if there is a time/ space thing happening here. Maybe this all comes to light later.
Without giving too much away...
ReplyDeleteThe book is not in chronological order. Notice that in the opening scene Hal is in a college admissions interview, then later when meeting with the "conversationalist", he is identified at various times as ten, eleven and fourteen years old. That's not a random flashback, the book jumps around. You'll get used to it.
there are a couple of first-timers involved, and it seems several of them are lurking about and have not started posting/responding yet.
ReplyDeletestep it up, monkeys.
and if i remember correctly, there is a definite timeline of all the years at some point later on. i think it was kevin who recommended people check out a site called the "howling fantods" online, they have a wealth of DFW and IJ material.
You will meet an end note that will make this "Year of _________" business make complete sense, but for now, as a first timer, you are where you should be with regards to this temporal unsettledness.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Jest noob. For the record.
ReplyDelete