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BOOK REVIEW- The Pale King by David Foster Wallace

The Pale King is David Foster Wallace’s posthumous unfinished book, first published in 2011, still hard to find a paperback copy. It is set in an IRS (Internal Revenue Service) office in Illinois, America. The book is about boredom or how the meaningless rules and regulations in an organisation, added up with monotonous and dullness, fills a person’s life with boredom.

After reading Infinite Jest, I was impressed by the writing nonetheless it was a bit disappointing as the whole book. The Pale King on the other hand is altogether a different book. Not only the versatile writing, the in-depth knowledge on the topics such as IRS, the description and build of various characters and their personalities, the tedious routine of the IRS employees is defined exquisitely by Mr. Wallace.

The book will take some commitment from the reader to continue reading it and I think reading books like this, one should prosper in providing such commitment. Many people say, they left Infinite Jest after picking it more than twice, but I would say to them only one thing which though I had not realised at the time of reading Infinite Jest: commitment. Commitment towards the extraordinary mind of Foster Wallace. His writing indeed is rich with ideas.

Boredom is the part and parcel of our lives and there is not a single cure of it. Reading about it is extraordinary yet peculiar yet hilarious at times. One will be reminded of a lot instances they come through in their tedious, sometimes exciting, working life. Paradoxically, the boredom itself becomes immersive.

It does remain unfinished but after reading I have realised that there would be no proper ending of the book. It is an important work and the story will go on if there would have been a hundred or two hundred pages more. Though I cannot be affirmative who this book might have ended if the circumstances would have been different. It took me some days to read this book but I was never once disappointed. In between it does drag a little, one might feel, but overall it’s a great experience and one must dwell if one seeking David Foster Wallace’s writing. It is worth reading.

4 out of 5

“What if reality felt like was a taste of the reality of what might be meant by hell.”

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leeduigon says: September 16, 2015 at 2:33 AM It'd be interesting to compare this with R.W. Chambers' horror/fantasy classic, "The King in Yellow." Somehow I suspect the boredom would be worse.
thatssojacob says: September 16, 2015 at 10:15 AM Good to know! Infinite Jest is on my bookshelf, it might be worth skipping, now I know that The Pale King might be the way to go. By the way, you’ve been chosen as one of today’s nine blogs in That’s So Jacob’s Ninth Month Blog Challenge (http://www.thatssojacob.wordpress.com)! I challenge you to find nine blogs you find interesting and give them a comment to brighten their day…well, eight other blogs and mine :) Copy this message in your comment and enjoy your new blog friends!
Meredith says: September 17, 2015 at 7:00 PM "It does remain unfinished but after reading I have realised that there would be no proper ending of the book." I haven't read Pale King yet, but having read IJ recently, I wonder if it would have the same kind of "ending after the book literally finishes" that IJ seems to have had Wallace finished it.
artrosch says: February 10, 2017 at 7:12 AM This is my review of the D.T. Max biography of Foster Wallace. Your readers might enjoy it, Aman. http://www.artrosch.com/2013/02/david-foster-wallace-review-of-dtmaxs.html
artrosch says: February 13, 2017 at 2:03 AM Wallace's books are among the few I keep. I live in a small space and don't have room for stacks of books. The other writer whose booksI tend to keep is Jack Vance, fantasist/scifi master. Thank you for reading my essay, Aman-ji.

It'd be interesting to compare this with R.W. Chambers' horror/fantasy classic, "The King in Yellow." Somehow I suspect the boredom would be worse.

Aman(@amanhimself) says: September 16, 2015 at 10:25 AM Haha Well I have read Chambers book and they both are altogether different in every aspect.

Haha Well I have read Chambers book and they both are altogether different in every aspect.

Good to know! Infinite Jest is on my bookshelf, it might be worth skipping, now I know that The Pale King might be the way to go.

By the way, you’ve been chosen as one of today’s nine blogs in That’s So Jacob’s Ninth Month Blog Challenge (http://www.thatssojacob.wordpress.com)! I challenge you to find nine blogs you find interesting and give them a comment to brighten their day…well, eight other blogs and mine :) Copy this message in your comment and enjoy your new blog friends!

Aman(@amanhimself) says: September 16, 2015 at 10:26 AM Thanks for the nomination Jacob. Don't skip Infinite Jest, it is one hell of a read.

Thanks for the nomination Jacob. Don't skip Infinite Jest, it is one hell of a read.

"It does remain unfinished but after reading I have realised that there would be no proper ending of the book." I haven't read Pale King yet, but having read IJ recently, I wonder if it would have the same kind of "ending after the book literally finishes" that IJ seems to have had Wallace finished it.

Aman(@amanhimself) says: September 17, 2015 at 10:16 PM There is no ending of The Pale King, yet there could have been. No, the ending is part is different from Infinite Jest.

There is no ending of The Pale King, yet there could have been. No, the ending is part is different from Infinite Jest.

This is my review of the D.T. Max biography of Foster Wallace. Your readers might enjoy it, Aman. http://www.artrosch.com/2013/02/david-foster-wallace-review-of-dtmaxs.html

Aman(@amanhimself) says: February 12, 2017 at 9:33 PM Thank you so much for sharing it. I enjoyed very much. :)

Thank you so much for sharing it. I enjoyed very much. :)

Wallace's books are among the few I keep. I live in a small space and don't have room for stacks of books. The other writer whose booksI tend to keep is Jack Vance, fantasist/scifi master. Thank you for reading my essay, Aman-ji.

Aman(@amanhimself) says: February 16, 2017 at 8:27 PM You're welcome Sir. I haven't read Jack Vance. Let me take a look at his works. I have read selected works by Wallace, The Pale King is written beautifully even though the ending is not definite, but I like it that way.

You're welcome Sir. I haven't read Jack Vance. Let me take a look at his works. I have read selected works by Wallace, The Pale King is written beautifully even though the ending is not definite, but I like it that way.

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