Infinite Quote by Gabrielle Zevin
““Infinite Jest is a masterpiece,” Harvey had said. “Infinite Jest is an endurance contest. You manage to get through it and you have no choice but to say you like it. Otherwise, you have to deal with the fact that you just wasted weeks of your life,” A.J. had countered.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace, 1996
The quote critiques the novel’s demanding length, suggesting readers must endure it and then claim appreciation despite feeling time wasted.
In simple terms: Reading a long, challenging book forces you to justify the effort.
Key Takeaway
Embrace difficulty, but recognize personal limits.
Themes
literature
endurance
subjectivity
Mood
reflective
critical
thoughtful
Type
analysis
opinion
debate
When to use this quote
- academic study
- book clubs
- personal reading choices
- literary criticism
Key Concepts
reader response
novel length
value judgement
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you value effort over enjoyment?
- How do you decide a work is worth the time?
A Different Perspective
Not all readers will find value in endurance; some may prefer concise works.
![“[The entire text of Infinite Jest.]” quote by David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1f5/david-foster-wallace-161_infinite_the-entire-text-of-infinite-jest-2415929_2415929.jpg)
![“You know, I don't want to be offensive. But 'Infinite Jest' [regarded by many as Wallace's masterpiece] is just awful. It seems ridiculous to have to say it. He can't think, he can't write. There's no discernible talent.” quote by Harold Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/129/harold-bloom-3350_awful_you-know-i-don-t-want-to-be-offensive-bu_754760.jpg)
![“…there is an ending [to Infinite Jest] as far as I'm concerned. Certain kind of parallel lines are supposed to start converging in such a way that an "end" can be projected by the reader somewhere beyond the right frame. If no such convergence or projection occured to you, then the book's failed…” quote by David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ec1/david-foster-wallace-161_book_there-is-an-ending-to-infinite-jest-as-f_3084860.jpg)
