His non-fiction never quite did it for me. Like e.g., the cruise story is good, but it just doesnβt hit the same. Federer moments, Big Red Son, etc, itβs whatever. I guess itβs mostly intellect, much less heart? E Unibus Pluram too
The Pale King
Iβve only read this once, and itβs of course unfinished - my sense was that itβs a little dull, and hard to track, but there are moments are real beauty. The scene with the titular character and a woman in a diner where he listens to intently to her life story that he levitates a few inches off the chair. The whole short story about the βwastoidβ stoner guy who discovers the importance ofβ¦ civic duty? And becomes an IRS man?
I think the themes are incredibly interesting and of the times (instead of focusing on entertainment, as he did in Infinite Jest, heβs focusing on boredom, mundanity, sacrifice, etc.). I should really read it again π