The Pale King
Often compared to the likes of Thomas Pynchon, Hunter Thompson and Don DeLillo, the late David Foster Wallace was a literary virtuoso, and his endlessly funny, prodigiously observant and exuberantly plotted Infinite Jest is considered by many to be a true modern classic.
The Pale King is the unfinished novel Wallace had been working on up until his death. Set in an IRS Regional Examination Center—and focusing on a crew of IRS agents working on a job so tedious, they have to receive boredom-survival training—this is Wallace’s final gift to us.
Readers, of course, won’t need any such training to read this wholly inventive story that showcases Wallace’s extraordinary ability to mix comedy, pathos and absurdity into scenes from daily life. Part Kafkaesque nightmare, part Sunday-morning cartoon, this is a deliriously paced, labyrinthine puzzle that is impossibly funny, and sure to resonate with anyone stumbling through our increasingly complicated times.
Though it remained unfinished at the time of David Foster Wallace’s death, the end product feels startlingly complete. It’s a wholly satisfying achievement that openly grapples with life’s meaning, and the ultimate value of society.
Softcover : 496 pages
Publisher: Hachette Book Group USA ( April 15, 2011 )
Item #: 13-484473
ISBN: 9781617933035
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.25 x 1.4inches
Product Weight: 18.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
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