-
Consider the Lobster (A Story from Consider the Lobster)
- And Other Essays
- Narrated by: David Foster Wallace, Robert Petkoff
- Length: 15 hrs and 8 mins
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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.
What listeners say about Consider the Lobster (A Story from Consider the Lobster)
Average Customer RatingsReviews - 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.
46 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.
6 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.
18 people found this helpful
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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.
4 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.
4 people 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.
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
- Anonymous User
- 10-03-17
Consider The Wallace
Narrator mislabeled: DFW with Robert Petkoff. Still a great collection. Rest In Peace Dave Wallace
8 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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amanda J. Barnard
- 06-16-22
Consider the Lobster: 9/10
Essays Ranked Best to Worst:
How Tracy Austin Broke My Heart
The View From Mrs. Thompson's
Big Red Son
Cobsoder the Lobster
Up, Simba
Host
The Kafka Essay
The Updike Essay
Joseph Frank's Dostoyevsky
Authority & American Usage
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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
- Smart, AZ
- 11-16-21
Genius with a broken heart
A friend back at uni once told me: "You think too much." What he meant (I realized, after giving his statement a *lot* of thought) was: "You analyze everything far too much." This is both gift and curse, depending upon where and how one's powers of analysis are directed. In DFW's case, it's sadly evident he spent way too much time in his own head. It's quite painful to hear some of these essays. The McCain essay is over the top. I can't and won't dispute his heroism in Vietnam. But I'm a woman. I live in Arizona. Keating Five. Iraq. Libya. Sarah Palin. That is ALL I'm going to say regards the late Senator McCain. "Consider the Lobster" mirrors my own emotions about these creatures, as does DFW's reaction to the Porn Industry. Brilliance is often isolating in an illogical world. The mind sees problems the heart feels powerless to solve, and this is why these essays sadden me.
