The Gospel according to David Foster Wallace : boredom and addiction in an age of distraction / Adam S. Miller.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Miller, Adam S., author.

Series:

New directions in religion and literature

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wallace, David Foster--Criticism and interpretation.

Wallace, David Foster.

Wallace, David Foster--Religion.

Religion in literature.

Religion.

Criticism and interpretation.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xiii; 114 pages ; 22 cm.

Place of Publication:

London : Bloomsbury, 2016.

Summary:

In a series of short, topic-focused chapters, this book joins a selection of key scenes from Wallace's novels "Infinite Jest" and "The Pale King" with clear explanations of how they contribute to his overall account of what it means to be a human being in the 21st century. Adam S. miller explores how Wallace's work masterfully investigates the nature of first-world boredom and shows, in the process, how easy it is to get addicted to distraction (chemical, electronic, or otherwise). Implicitly critiquing, excising, and repurposing elements of AA's Twelve Step program, Wallace suggests that the practice of prayer (regardless of belief in God), the patient application of attention to things that seem ordinary and boring, and the internalization of clichés may be the antidote to much of what ails us in the 21st century.

Contents:

Abbreviations

Preface

Acknowledgments. Books

Heads

Maps

Taxes

Contortions

Addiction

Desire

Despair

Distraction

Watching

Assassins

Irony

Masks

Beauty

Time

Deskwork

Sewage

Size

Silence

Immersion

Indifference

Boredom

Awareness

Heroes

Revelations

Abiding

Bodies

Prayer

Clichés

Epiphany. Afterword

Permissions

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1474236979

9781474236973

OCLC:

908262458