Tried reading Infinite Jest after a trip to Boston and gave up by page 50

I was visiting a cousin in Boston last month and she handed me her copy of Infinite Jest, saying it would change my life. By page 50 I was so bored and confused I put it down and grabbed a thriller from the airport instead. Does anyone else think some books just pretend to be smart so you feel dumb for quitting?

2 comments

2 Comments

thea_carter9d agoTop Commenter

Oh wow, a cousin just handing you Infinite Jest like it's no big deal? That's hilarious but also kind of mean honestly. I mean, that book is basically a prank on anyone who isn't already a literary masochist (or a PhD student with nothing else to do). Page 50 is actually pretty far for that novel, I know people who bailed on page 10. You picked a thriller instead and that's totally fine, some books are just gatekept by people who want to feel special about reading them.

thea_carter9d agoTop Commenter

My cousin did the same thing to me with Gravity's Rainbow back in college. I got maybe 30 pages in before I realized I had no idea what was happening and just gave up. Switched to a Stephen King book I found in the dorm lounge and it was way more satisfying. Some books just aren't worth the fight, you know? Life's too short to force yourself through something that feels like homework.