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Infinite Jest [First State]

Infinite Jest [First State]

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Infinite Jest [First State]

by WALLACE, David Foster (1962-2008)

  • Used
  • Fine
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
Fine/Fine
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States
Item Price
£468.61
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About This Item

New York: Little, Brown, 1996. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. First Printing (full number line), in First State dust jacket (incorrectly spelling William Vollmann as "Vollman" on back panel) of the author's magnum opus. Thick 8vo: [4],1079,[1]. Publisher's quarter-bound French blue cloth spine over periwinkle paper-covered boards, spine stamped in silver. Superb, a virtually pristine copy, square, clean, and tight. Time 100. "The plot of Infinite Jest—which revolves around, among other things, a lost, unwatchably beautiful art film and a conspiracy among wheelchair-bound Quebecois secessionists—is decidedly secondary to the painfully funny dialogue and Wallace's endlessly rich ruminations and speculations on addiction, entertainment, art, life and, of course, tennis." (Time 100) To help readers slice through the novel's dense thickets of prose, Wallace included 98 pages of "Notes & Errata." The title is from Hamlet, Act V, Scene 1, in which Hamlet holds the skull of the court jester, Yorick: "Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is!" N. B. With few exceptions (always identified), we only stock books in exceptional condition, with dust jackets carefully preserved in archival, removable polypropylene sleeves. All orders are packaged with care and posted promptly. Satisfaction guaranteed.

Synopsis

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace is a complex and sprawling novel that explores a dystopian future where entertainment has reached extreme levels of addiction and obsession. Set in a near-future North America that is comprised of Mexico, the US and Canada, the story revolves around the Enfield Tennis Academy and a halfway house located in a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, and divided by a hillside. A mysterious film titled Infinite Jest  is rumored to be so entertaining that it drives viewers insane. The narrative weaves together various storylines, delving into themes of addiction, depression, loneliness, and the search for meaning in a fragmented and chaotic world. Wallace's intricate prose, extensive footnotes, and dark humor challenge readers while offering a profound exploration of contemporary society's struggles and desires. Infinite Jest was considered by Time Magazine as one of the TIME 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005.

Read More: Identifying first editions of Infinite Jest [First State]

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Details

Bookseller
Fine Editions Ltd US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
BB1834
Title
Infinite Jest [First State]
Author
WALLACE, David Foster (1962-2008)
Format/Binding
Hardcover
Book Condition
Used - Fine
Jacket Condition
Fine
Quantity Available
1
Edition
First Edition
Publisher
Little, Brown
Place of Publication
New York
Date Published
1996
Bookseller catalogs
MODERN FIRSTS;

Terms of Sale

Fine Editions Ltd

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About the Seller

Fine Editions Ltd

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2005
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

About Fine Editions Ltd

Fine Editions specializes in First Editions of English and American Literature, Landmarks In Science and the History Of Ideas, Natural History and Color-Plate books, Travel and Voyages, and books on Gardening and Landscape Design. Our hallmark is condition: with few exceptions (mostly relating to our antiquarian stock), all books sold are in Near Fine or better conditions and all are highly collectible.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Spine
The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
First State
used in book collecting to refer to a book from the earliest run of a first edition, generally distinguished by a change in some...
Tight
Used to mean that the binding of a book has not been overly loosened by frequent use.
Jacket
Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
First Edition
In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Errata
Errata: aka Errata Slip A piece of paper either laid in to the book correcting errors found in the printed text after being...
Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Poor
A book with significant wear and faults. A poor condition book is still a reading copy with the full text still readable. Any...

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