I'm currently reading a pretty badass action novel called "Hot Springs", the main character of which is the dad of Bob Lee Swagger of the movie/book "Shooter"/"Point of Impact". I was debating between a couple of books to do next including "Take Me to The River" (the Al Green autobiography), "Road Dogs" (the Elmore Leonard sequel to "Out of Sight"), or... "Infinite Jest".
Blogger Mimi Smartypants has started a movement called Infinite Summer which through Twitter ( #infsum ), Facebook, and other internet mediums, will get people through the 1000 page tome by the end of the summer. It's like an online book club. Apparently, if 75 pages a week starting the end of June will get one done by September.
According to the blogger:
"All in all, I find Infinite Jest enjoyable in a way that Barth and Pynchon are not. (Here come the Pynchon fans to kick my ass.) There’s so much fun and humanity in it. There are so many great overlapping stories, and so many laugh-out-loud moments. If characters like Hal and Gately and Joelle don’t stay with you long after the book is over I will eat my hat, and it is not a particularly tasty hat. Also, don’t be surprised if you read the last word and want to start over again at the beginning—that’s what I did, and that’s why I would want this book in prison, and weirdly now I am starting to fantasize (again) about going to prison just so I would have lots of uninterrupted time with Infinite Jest."
I've read the Eggers intro essay... time to jump in?
I'll sign up if you do.