New reviews of David Lipsky's book:
Ned Resnikoff's review for Wunderkammer Magazine, Consider the Author:
Before I go any further, I should probably let you know whom this book is for: primarily, hardcore Jest-heads (as if there is any other kind). If you don’t like or haven’t read any Wallace, than obviously this book has very little to offer you. Fans of his non-fiction might be able to glean something of value from it, but they won’t get the full experience. To the extent that a conversation as fragmented and wide-ranging as the one recorded in this book can be said to be about anything specific, it is about the place from which Infinite Jest came.
Lee Ellis' review for The New Yorker, On the Road:
Lipsky’s book is an insightful and sometimes frustrating five-day conversation with Foster Wallace. A conversation that likely wouldn’t be in print were it not for Foster Wallace’s death, by suicide, in 2008. It’s hard not to read the book as a series of clues or portents of that event. Discussing his reasons for turning from philosophy (Foster Wallace once applied for graduate studies in the field) and toward writing, he says, ” ‘Cause see, by this time, my ego’s all invested in the writing, right? It’s the only thing that I’ve gotten, you know, food pellets from the universe for, to the extent that I wanted.
Seth Colter Walls' review for Newsweek, My Dinners With David:
Wallace's fans will have to be judicious in coming years about the volumes that will promise one more encounter with that indelible voice, although Lipsky's book more than passes the test of being in good taste. Conversely, for readers unfamiliar with the sometimes intimidating Wallace oeuvre, Lipsky has provided a conversational entry point into the writer's thought process. It's odd to think that a book about Wallace could serve both the newbies and the hard-cores, but here it is.| < Prev | Next > |
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