David Foster Wallace

September 1, 2014
This collection of essays, speeches, and interviews is a colorful reflection of the late authorâs work in the last 15 years of his life. It includes some of his most famous later essays, such as âConsider the Lobsterâ and âThis Is the Water,â and the interviews often provide some nuggets of insight about Wallace, despite the fact that they sometimes are of a promotional nature. The entire collection, except for the introduction, is as the title suggests, spoken by Wallace himself. Some pieces were captured in a studio and provide crisp and clear sound that makes for an intimate experience compared to the pieces that were recorded in front of an audience or with an interviewing reporter. The studio recordings are enjoyable because the focus is often the written work of Foster, but the interviews are equally compelling since they flesh out the author in ways that the writing cannot. Taken together, they provide the listener with a unique and endearing understanding of Wallace. A Hachette Audio original.

July 1, 2014

Since 2011's posthumously published The Pale King, new Wallace titles have been repackagings of previously available essays and other items such as book reviews and print interviews. While this work is in the same vein, it's a treat for fans, who will relish hearing Wallace reading selections of his fiction and nonfiction (in studio and onstage) as well as listening to interviews he conducted for radio shows and other venues and even a commencement address he gave. It's sad but also fascinating to hear his gentle, thoughtful voice explaining the ins and outs of his books and his writing process and his occasional gripes with his editors and publishers. His thoughts on turning his material into audiobook form will interest fans, too, who will be familiar with his extensive use, even in fiction, of footnotes. His nonfiction and interviews are the most enjoyable material here; while it's instructive to experience Wallace's interpretation of his fiction, his voice is not ideally suited to acting and becomes a distraction. VERDICT Best for die-hard Wallace fans, this audiobook is perfect for larger public libraries and for academic literature collections.--Henrietta Verma, Library Journal

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