Consider the Lobster
Do lobsters feel pain? Did Franz Kafka have a sick sense of humour? What is John Updike's deal anyway? And who won the Adult Video News' Female Performer of the Year Award the same year Gwyneth Paltrow won her Oscar? David Foster Wallace answers these questions and more in his new book of hilarious non-fiction. For this collection, David Foster Wallace immerses himself in the three-ring circus that is the presidential race in order to document one of the most vicious campaigns in recent history. Later he strolls from booth to booth at a lobster festival in Maine and risks life and limb to get to the bottom of the lobster question. Then he wheedles his way into an L.A. radio studio, armed with tubs of chicken, to get the behind-the-scenes view of a conservative talkshow featuring a host with an unnatural penchant for clothing that only looks good on the radio. In what is sure to be a much-talked-about exploration of distinctly modern subjects, one of the sharpest minds of our time delves into some of life's most delicious topics.
Stats for nerds
46recommend
69mentions
63people
2009–2026years
72% recommend28% neutral
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
- For people reading the comments first: This is an article about David Foster Wallace (DFW) and her sister, Amy. The title is a rewording of the title of one of DFW's essays "Consider the Lobster"[0], which is an interesting read if you haven't read it.
- I think the title is a reference to David Foster Wallace's awesome article, Consider the Lobster.
- >They're capable of detecting and avoiding harmful stimuli, but that doesn't mean they have the subjective experience of pain.
This reminds me of "Consider the Lobster" by David Foster Wallace. I remember being pretty convinced by his argument that lobsters do indeed feel pain when boiled alive, which was interesting because, as I recall, he argued with simple logic rather than using any biological basis. It may have been as simple as avoiding harm = experiencing pain. I suppose this does not necessarily follow. I'll have to read it again some time.
- Infinite Jest seems excessively long and I haven't worked up the motivation to read it yet, but his short stories / essays in Consider the Lobster are excellent, including the titular story which is about a lobster festival in Maine. And looking at the comments in this thread, seems like he had some kind of fascination for fairs and other touristy things.
- Absolutely a joy to read. Reminds me of "Consider the Lobster" by David Foster Wallace. She also covers cycling, and let me tell you that skewering teams and sponsors is the norm in cycling journalist, so I'm not sure why people have to be so deferential in motorsport. Actually I do know. It's cause they are rich ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- The Experience of God by David Bentley Hart
Any of David Foster Wallace's books of essays such as A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again and Consider the Lobster
Related
Consider the lobster, and other essays
2 recommend · 3
A supposedly fun thing I'll never do again
39 recommend · 60
Infinite Jest
145 recommend · 549
The David Foster Wallace Reader
3 recommend · 3
This is water
48 recommend · 103
The Pale King
19 recommend · 43
