David Foster Wallace Criticism
David Foster Wallace occupies a central place in contemporary American literature, known for his innovative narrative techniques and incisive critiques of culture. His debut novel, The Broom of the System (1986), introduced readers to his complex narrative style, described by Kirkus Reviews as bearing an immature and derivative style reminiscent of earlier metafictionists. Despite this, Wallace quickly distinguished himself from the minimalist fiction trend of the 1980s, establishing his reputation with the short story collection Girl with Curious Hair (1989). This collection, as explored in At Play in the Funhouse of Fiction, marked his departure from writers like John Barth and Thomas Pynchon.
Wallace’s magnum opus, Infinite Jest (1996), cemented his status as a "Generation-X" metafictionist. The novel's dystopian exploration of entertainment and obsession invites comparisons to Thomas Pynchon, as noted by Terminal Entertainment. However, its length and complexity have also drawn criticism, with The Year of the Whopper highlighting Wallace's perceived self-indulgence.
Exploring themes of language, identity, and the effects of popular culture, Wallace's work is characterized by a unique blend of irony and humor. This is exemplified in Mad Maximalism. Wallace's essays, notably in A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, reflect his literary prowess and are likened to Montaigne's essays by Verbal Pyrotechnics.
Born in 1962 in Ithaca, New York, Wallace pursued literary and academic studies, culminating in an MFA from the University of Arizona. His career, punctuated by awards such as the MacArthur Fellowship, showcases his deep engagement with philosophical questions and narrative experimentation. Sven Birkerts highlights how Wallace presents an alternative to traditional social realism, contributing to his stature as a seminal literary figure despite divided critical reception.
Wallace's short fiction collections, including Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (1999), delve into themes of alienation and identity. Stories like "Little Expressionless Animals" critique popular culture through varied perspectives, as noted by Robert Potts. Critics have differing opinions on his style; some view it as excessively playful or derivative, while others, such as Greg Johnson and Robert L. McLaughlin, appreciate his creativity and experimentation. As Lawrence Norfolk observes, Wallace's work continues to provoke discussion on American themes and literary innovation.
Contents
- Principal Works
-
Wallace, David Foster (Contemporary Literary Criticism)
-
The Broom of the System
(summary)
In the following review, the critic finds that Wallace's first novel displays flashes of genius but also suffers from an immature and derivative style.
-
At Play in the Funhouse of Fiction
(summary)
In the following review of Girl with Curious Hair, novelist Bell places Wallace in the context of metafictionists like John Barth and Thomas Pynchon in order to discuss how Wallace seeks to differentiate himself from that label.
-
Love Is a Federal Highway
(summary)
In the following review, Levin finds Wallace's collection of short stories evidence of both an impressive talent and a tendency toward excess.
-
'Maximalist' Short Fiction from a Talented Young Writer
(summary)
The following review highlights Wallace's distinctiveness from his predecessors, "the metafictionists," and his contemporaries, "the minimalists."
-
David Foster Wallace
(summary)
In the essay below, critic and educator Birkerts sets Tom Wolfe's call for a return to fiction of social realism on the nineteenth-century model against contemporary techniques of story-telling to present Wallace as the exemplar of a viable alternative for a new approach to serious literature in our age.
-
An Interview with David Foster Wallace
(summary)
In the following interview, McCaffery explores Wallace's views on the relationship between serious fiction and popular culture, discussing how television's seduction impacts readers' expectations and the challenges writers face in engaging audiences with serious art that seeks to provide vicarious experiences of empathy and suffering.
-
Terminal Entertainment
(summary)
In the following review of Wallace's second novel, Infinite Jest, Kipen invokes the legacy of Thomas Pynchon to note Wallace's similarity and superiority to that legendary figure.
-
Mad Maximalism
(summary)
In the following review, Sheppard demonstrates his approval of Infinite Jest by emulating its humor and irony.
-
The Year of the Whopper
(summary)
In the following review of Infinite Jest, novelist McInerney praises Wallace's talent while lamenting his self-indulgent prolixity.
-
A review of Infinite Jest
(summary)
In the review below, Perlstein calls Infinite Jest "a daring and brilliant exercise" but one that ultimately fails because the novelist's compulsion overwhelms his art.
-
A review of Infinite Jest
(summary)
In the following positive review, Moore places Wallace firmly in the tradition of encyclopedic American novelists like William Gaddis, Thomas Pynchon, and William Gass.
-
The Prodigious Fiction of Richard Powers, William Vollmann, and David Foster Wallace
(summary)
In the following essay, LeClair contrasts three roughly contemporaneous younger novelists against their innovative forbears, especially Thomas Pynchon, and makes his case for a new and scientifically more astute voice in American literature that broadens and deepens the commentary and critique begun by the so-called metafictionists.
-
Verbal Pyrotechnics
(summary)
In the following review, Stern examines Wallace's collection of essays, A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, and equates Wallace's accomplishment with that of the classic essayist Montaigne.
-
The Road to Babbittville
(summary)
In the following review of Wallace's A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, Miller sees the writer fulfilling the promise and allaying the suspicions generated by his much-discussed novel Infinite Jest.
-
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again
(summary)
In the following review, Star discusses the often contradictory nature of Wallace's writing, noting that he can't escape from self-consciousness, which becomes the central theme of his compositions.
-
The Broom of the System
(summary)
-
Wallace, David Foster (Short Story Criticism)
-
Reading the Riding the Post-Scientific Wave: The Shorter Fiction of David Foster Wallace
(summary)
In the following essay, Rother discusses Wallace's short fiction as a prime example of “post-scientific writing.”
-
The Hidden Earpiece
(summary)
In the following mixed review, Tandon contends that Girl with Curious Hair offers “insight into the roots of Wallace's satiric concerns” and views the short fiction collection as a precursor to his novel Infinite Jest.
-
Fast-Forward Fiction
(summary)
In the following review, Orozco calls Wallace a literary show-off, concluding that the stories in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men both dazzle and frustrate the reader.
-
The Incredible Shrinking Jest: Wallace Makes More with Less
(summary)
In the following review, Begley praises the brevity and focus of the stories in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men and asserts that the pieces offer a “quick glimpse of common humanity in every grotesque.”
-
A Baffling Man
(summary)
In the following review, Passaro maintains that Brief Interviews with Hideous Men "continues Wallace's record of presenting new turns, new valleys and imposing palisades in the landscape of American short fiction."
-
Wallace's Prose Experiment Pays Off Handsomely
(summary)
In the following favorable review of Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, Johnson investigates Wallace's place within the pantheon of experimental American authors, which includes Donald Barthelme, John Barth, and William Gass.
-
New Tricks for Contemporary Fiction
(summary)
In the following positive assessment, Balitas recommends reading Wallace's earlier work before Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. He notes that if David Foster Wallace's new collection of short stories is one's first encounter with this fascinating young writer, it might be wise to get acquainted with one or more of his previous publications before venturing into waters quite turbulent, always challenging.
-
The Non-Silence of the Un-Lamblike
(summary)
In the following mixed review, LeClair finds the stories in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men as “frequently inventive, often witty and always demanding.”
-
Review of Brief Interviews with Hideous Men
(summary)
In the following review, McLaughlin lauds Brief Interviews with Hideous Men as a “virtuoso display” and a fine literary achievement. The book collects twenty-three pieces of fiction, most written since the publication of Infinite Jest in 1996, and includes various forms such as interviews, monologues, a play, and nonnarrative snapshots, showcasing Wallace's techniques and themes while taking his work in new directions.
-
Closing Time in the Fun-House
(summary)
In the following review, Norfolk places Wallace within the tradition of contemporary American authors and views him as one of the few American writers who addresses quintessentially American themes and questions.
-
They'll Do Anything to Get You into Bed
(summary)
In the following positive assessment, Potts delineates the moral purpose of the stories in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.
-
The Panic of Influence
(summary)
In the following review, Scott explores the defining characteristics of Brief Interviews with Hideous Men and discusses its relationship with his earlier novel Infinite Jest.
-
The Good, The Bad. …
(summary)
In the following review, Merritt praises the humorous and insightful stories in Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.
-
Reading the Riding the Post-Scientific Wave: The Shorter Fiction of David Foster Wallace
(summary)
- Further Reading