A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again

Essays and Arguments

By: David Foster Wallace

Narrated by: Paul Garcia

In this exuberantly praised book - a collection of seven pieces on subjects ranging from television to tennis, from the Illinois State Fair to the films of David Lynch, from postmodern literary theory to the supposed fun of traveling aboard a Caribbean luxury cruiseliner - David Foster Wallace brings to nonfiction the same curiosity, hilarity, and exhilarating verbal facility that has delighted readers of his fiction, including the bestselling Infinite Jest.

The title reflects expectations

Wallace's prose toes the line between measured and verbose. Garcia makes the humor absolutely pop.

Brilliant writer/pitch perfect narration

This is a excellent book of essays, narrated beautifully, bringing out all of David Foster Wallace's remarkable humor and irony. I am looking forward to more books narrated by Paul Garcia.

Terrible Reader

The guy reading this doesn’t understand what he’s reading and so can’t modulate his voice in a way that makes sense. Totally off-putting. Basically unlistenable.

Yes. Good listen.

Good audiobook. Reader was expressive and seemed to get DFW's sense of humor.

Good essays.

Life Through David Foster Wallace's Eyes

I waited a little too long to write this review, but here we go: I'm from Indiana and grew up playing basketball, and I enjoyed Wallace describing his years travelling the Midwest and the dodgy style of gritty tennis he played. He relished the heat, the bugs, and the surprise gusts of wind while others complained of their foul luck. Memorable pieces on the IL state fair and a trip on a luxury cruise liner. Listened to this as I read Michael Martone's The Flatness and Other Landscapes. A good pair.