I just finished this...

Different user. I think it's the least fun to read, but certainly not worse than IJ. IJ is incredibly lame conceptually and exegesistically(;)).

This it got popular and than too popular, especially when it was realized that normies also loved the book.

So now it is meme trash.

remove COC and add The Recognitions and Brothers Karamazov to make it perfect

TBK isn't a meme.

Yup

Other than being the poster meme for a board on a shitty anime website they have nothing in common.

Been thinking about reading this and gravity's rainbow, and only have spoiler-free reviews to go off of on what I would be getting into if I read it.

Are these of the "complicated and messy just for the sake of being confusing" kind, or is there some point to it?

OP here. I was basically in the same boat.

The story itself is interesting and engaging, but not particularly earth-shattering. That said, if you read solely for the story, you're missing the entire point of the book. While most of it comes off as quasi-needless meandering, DFW pretty much nails addictive/obsessive psyche/personality, as well as the problems with consumerist culture.

TBK is the prequel to the meme trilogy

You don't understand the connection is all. Don't post arrogantly like this.