His non-fiction never quite did it for me. Like e.g., the cruise story is good, but it just doesn’t hit the same. Federer moments, Big Red Son, etc, it’s whatever. I guess it’s mostly intellect, much less heart? E Unibus Pluram too
The Pale King
I’ve only read this once, and it’s of course unfinished - my sense was that it’s 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 “wastoid” stoner guy who discovers the importance of… 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, he’s focusing on boredom, mundanity, sacrifice, etc.). I should really read it again 👀