Both Flesh and Not Book Summary

In 'Both Flesh and Not', David Foster Wallace offers a thought-provoking collection of essays that delve into the intricacies of human experience. With his signature wit and insight, he explores topics ranging from the worlds of tennis and literature to the deeper moral dilemmas of life. Each piece invites readers to question their perceptions, as he intertwines personal anecdotes with profound philosophical reflections. Wallace's unique style challenges us to confront the paradoxes of existence while captivating our intellect. This compelling anthology promises to leave you pondering the very nature of reality long after you've turned the final page.

By David Foster Wallace

Published: 2013

"The most terrifying thing is the idea of living a life that is not your own—of being the creature of someone else's ideas, thoughts, and expectations."

Book Review of Both Flesh and Not

Brilliant, dazzling, never-before-collected nonfiction writings by "one of America's most daring and talented writers." (Los Angeles Times Book Review). Both Flesh and Not gathers fifteen of Wallace's seminal essays, all published in book form for the first time. Never has Wallace's seemingly endless curiosity been more evident than in this compilation of work spanning nearly 20 years of writing. Here, Wallace turns his critical eye with equal enthusiasm toward Roger Federer and Jorge Luis Borges; Terminator 2 and The Best of the Prose Poem; the nature of being a fiction writer and the quandary of defining the essay; the best underappreciated novels and the English language's most irksome misused words; and much more. Both Flesh and Not restores Wallace's essays as originally written, and it includes a selection from his personal vocabulary list, an assembly of unusual words and definitions.

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The most terrifying thing is the idea of living a life that is not your own—of being the creature of someone else's ideas, thoughts, and expectations.

Both Flesh and Not

By David Foster Wallace