Elegant Complexity: A Study of David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest (Paperback)

~ Greg Carlisle (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Elegant Complexity is the first critical work to provide detailed and thorough commentary on each of the 192 sections of David Foster Wallace's masterful Infinite Jest. No other commentary on Infinite Jest recognizes that Wallace clearly divided the book into 28 chapters that are thematically unified. A chronology at the end of the study reorders each section of the novel into a sequential timeline that orients the reader and that could be used to support a chronological reading of the novel. Other helpful reference materials include a thematic outline, more chronologies, a map of one the novel's settings, lists of characters grouped by association, and an indexed list of references. Elegant Complexity orients the reader at the beginning of each section and keeps commentary separate for those readers who only want orientation. The researcher looking for specific characters or themes is provided a key at the beginning of each commentary. Carlisle explains the novel's complex plot threads (and discrepancies) with expert insight and clear commentary. The book is 99% spoiler-free for first-time readers of Infinite Jest.

Product Details

• Paperback: 524 pages
• Publisher: SSMG Press (November 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976146533
• ISBN-13: 978-0976146537
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #111,403 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Deconstructing The Jest., December 28, 2007

By	T. Callahan "Msk. 5th." (St. Louis) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The surest way to ruin a joke is to explain it. It seems that elegance functions similarly. This book - exhaustive on its chosen subject - lacks any praiseworthy style in writing.

To call it a study is misleading. It is only a guide, though it _is_ a commendable guide.

What it comes down to is a very explicit and formulaic cliffsnotes: summarize a passage, extract the themes, explain them ad. naus. While I don't think most of the people who read "Jest" in its entirety in the first place will need guidance with everything "complexity" offers, I think it does offer points "Jest" scholars will enjoy exploring further.

"Elegant Complexity" is neither, but this only serves to provide a little insight in less than a few thousand pages. It's good for what it is - an explicit guide. Make sure that it's what you want.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helpful, thoughtful, bland, November 19, 2008

By	Zach Forn "Zach Forn" (St Petersburg, Florida) - See all my reviews

Mr. Carlisle's Elegant Complexity is a helpful scaffolding system for an understanding of the late David Foster Wallace's Magnum opus. Elegant Complexity structures the chapters, sections, and subsections of Wallace's Infinite Jest into an organized whole. However, it is bland. But this is a good thing. It does not force an interpretation down your throat, it merely states what is what, and offers the minimalist of hints as to further exploration of meaning and interpretation. In this regard Elegant Complexity is a success.

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THANK YOU, GREG CARLISLE!, December 4, 2007

By	Colleen MacTavish "Kali" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

I just recieved, "Elegant Complexity: A Study Of David Foster Wallace's Infinite Jest" and I salute you, Mr. Carlisle! I have read, "Infinite Jest" TWICE - and David Foster Wallace is a genius! You left NO stone unturned. You answered one of the most perplexing chapters of, "Infinite Jest" (listed on chapter 22 of your book) "Triggering Situation". I am not a mathematic person, and I could NOT understand what the game, "Eschaton" was ABOUT. I am an intelligent woman, and I thought maybe I could figure it out, but it has always remained a mystery. THANK YOU SO MUCH. A MUST for any David Foster Wallace fan. FANTASTIC!