>Broom of the System, David Foster Wallace
6/10. Clever writing, but perhaps a bit too clever with DFW taking every opportunity to show off his talent. Plot didn't really go anywhere, but I suppose that was the point. His approach to basic post-modernist themes didn't really hold my interest.
>The Stand, Stephen King
8/10. Ending was a letdown, but I've heard King is known for weak endings. I was also disappointed that he introduced a supernatural element to the story early on and would've preferred a more realistic, post-apocalyptic tale. Despite this it was a fun, shlocky read and couldn't wait to get home from work every day to read more.
>And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie
3/10. I was hoping this would be the book that would make me like whodunits and detective novels, but sadly that was not the case. If this is the book that originated the 'someone in the house has been murdered and any one of us could be the killer' plot, it deserves some respect for that, but otherwise it's garbage. Contrived with paper-thin characters.
>A Supposedly Fantastic Thing I'll Never Do Again, David Foster Wallace
10/10. Fantastic collection of essays. DFW's non-fiction voice seems so different from the one in his fiction. Funny, insightful and clever in a natural, elegant way. His writing is like watching a star athlete or master craftsman at work. It was a very humbling read. I can see why so many insufferable English majors end up being DFW wannabes and rightfully so.
>Consider the Lobster, David Foster Wallace
8/10. I was hoping for more of a good thing, but this seemed like a cobbled together bunch of leftover essays. The writing was still good, but the essays seemed less insightful and profound. They basically read like ordinary magazine articles. Maybe my expectations were too high after reading A Supposedly Fantastic Thing.
Currently reading:
>White Noise, Don DeLillo (and really enjoying it so far)
Likely to be followed by:
>Concrete Island, J.G. Ballard
>Winesburg, Ohio, Sherwood Anderson
>Freedom, David Franzen