Both Flesh And Not

David Foster Wallace

Penguin Books Limited, Nov 29, 2012 - Literary Collections - 336 pages

Both Flesh and Not is an collection of essays and writing from the virtuosic genius David Foster Wallace

Beloved for his brilliantly discerning eye, his verbal elasticity and his uniquely generous imagination, David Foster Wallace was heralded by critics and fans as the voice of a generation. Collected here are fifteen essays published for the first time in book form, including writing never published before in the UK.

From 'Federer Both Flesh and Not', considered by many to be his non-fiction masterpiece; to 'The (As it Were) Seminal Importance of Terminator 2,' which deftly dissects James Cameron's blockbuster; to 'Fictional Futures and the Conspicuously Young', an examination of television's effect on a new generation of writers, the writing collected here swoops from erudite literary discussion to open-hearted engagement with the most familiar of our twentieth-century cultural references.

A celebration of Wallace's great loves - for language, for precision, for meaning - and a feast of enjoyment for his fans, Both Flesh and Not is a fitting tribute to this writer who was never concerned with anything less important than what it means to be alive.

Praise for David Foster Wallace:

'A visionary, a craftsman, a comedian . . . he's in a different time-space continuum from the rest of us' Zadie Smith

'Wallace's essays brim with cerebral energy, acute observation and fizzing wit. Enviably good' Sunday Times

'Wallace's exuberance and intellectual impishness are a delight . . . a superb comedian of culture' Guardian, James Wood

David Foster Wallace wrote the novels Infinite Jest and The Broom of the System, and the short-story collections Oblivion, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men and Girl with Curious Hair. His non-fiction includes Consider the Lobster, A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, Everything and More, This is Water and Both Flesh and Not. He died in 2008.

What people are saying

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - alexrichman - LibraryThing

As ever with DFW's non-fiction, if you're not familiar with or fond of his subject material the essays can be a little overwhelming - but when interests overlap with your own, this is sparkling,

LibraryThing Review

User Review  - JonArnold - LibraryThing

Foster Wallace’s last essay collection is, of necessity, weaker than his previous two. Those had the luxury of cherry picking his finest work to the point at which they were published. Both Flesh And ...

About the author

David Foster Wallace, who died in 2008, was the author of the acclaimed novels Infinite Jest and The Broom of the System. His final novel, The Pale King, was published posthumously in 2011. He is also the author of the short-story collections Oblivion, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men and Girl with Curious Hair, and his non-fiction includes several essay collections and the full-length work Everything and More.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Both Flesh And Not
• Author: David Foster Wallace
• Publisher: Penguin Books Limited, 2012
• ISBN: 0141943157, 9780141943152
• Length: 336 pages
• Subjects: Literary Collections / Essays