-
Consider the Lobster
- And Other Essays
- Narrated by: David Foster Wallace, Robert Petkoff
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Essays
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David Foster Wallace was the leading literary light of his generation, a man who not only captivated readers with his prose but also mesmerized them with his brilliant mind. In this, the first biography of the writer, D. T. Max sets out to chart Wallace’s tormented, anguished, and often triumphant battle to succeed as a novelist as he fights off depression and addiction to emerge with his masterpiece, Infinite Jest.
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Publisher's Summary
Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a funny bone? What is John Updike's deal, anyway? And what happens when adult video starlets meet their fans in person? David Foster Wallace answers these questions and more in essays that are also enthralling narrative adventures. Whether covering the three-ring circus of a vicious presidential race, plunging into the wars between dictionary writers, or confronting the World's Largest Lobster Cooker at the annual Maine Lobster Festival, Wallace projects a quality of thought that is uniquely his and a voice as powerful and distinct as any in American letters.
More from the same
What listeners say about Consider the Lobster
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jonathan Penley
- 12-26-17
How this differs from the other version
This version includes the entire 343 page book, with many of the essays being narrated after the authors death. The other version only includes Wallace’s own narration of a few of the essays. Those narrations are included in this one as well so it is best to get this version.
A list of the essays included can be seen on the Wikipedia page of this book.
41 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cameron Noble
- 08-19-19
Two extremes of writing
Petkoff gives a poor performance compared to Wallace. Wallace reads they way he writes, petkoff reads some areas so fast that you lose so much information that you can’t keep up and end up having to rewind.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 07-21-18
The audio quality is absolutely grating and I couldn’t even listen to it.
The whole thing sounds like it’s being played through slightly blown it speakers. I couldn’t listen.
14 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael Conrad
- 04-20-19
Perfect.
This is a great pick if you like to pop in and out on an audiobook. Entertaining essays on everything from the adult film industry to grammar.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- KNOT
- 10-05-18
An odd beginning but an enjoyable ride.
Excellent narration! and overall enjoy experience with each essay. Do I found myself hooked to the inner workings of the authors mind.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Daniel
- 04-26-18
So well written, but easy to get lost
The author’s style is to meander to a mind blowing point. In which case it’s often tough to hang in there for the payoff. I only got through this because it was an audio book.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 10-03-17
Consider The Wallace
Narrator mislabeled: DFW with Robert Petkoff. Still a great collection. Rest In Peace Dave Wallace
7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Emily Beauvais
- 02-16-21
Love DFW
I just wonder how he’d feel about society today if he hadn’t left us when he did. RIP.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ben
- 11-06-19
Intriguing and thought-provoking
DFW is a much-missed treasure, a true genius whose compelling language and unmatched humor will never be replicated, never be forgotten. These thought-provoking essays range in topic and scope, useful reading and musing for all.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- A. Bowler
- 08-21-19
A great way to experience the genius of DFW!
As much as I admired and enjoyed Infinite Jest, I could not make it through. It was just too dense and hard to follow. Especially in audio form where you cannot just flip back pages to remind yourself of characters and things.
But I feel like this book has lots of the wisdom and humor that you get in Infite Jest while being much more accessible.
Ill admit setting this aside for a bit during the very long MCCain piece but I am so glad I went back to it.
The Consider the Lobster piece alone is worth the time investment. Wow, what a great essay, or whatever it is.