Lyle And Yrstruly

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Pages Read: 132

Pages To Go: 846

Footnotes: 48 of 388

I am assuming that if you’ve read Infinite Jest with even a modicum of care, then yrstruly is all I need to write to evoke which section I just finished. Nothing much to say about yrstruly except that it’s very much of the theme. Time will tell whether DFW is trying to show the horrors that await all drug addicts, or if it’s just one part of his mosaic of the full range of possible outcomes. Personally, I think the care that he’s taken to this point suggests he is not going the heavy-handed route.

What I really want to focus on is Lyle. Lyle is the oiled up guru that exists in the ETA locker room. He’s described as having a head that gleams, extravagantly-feathered jet-black hair, and a smile that could sell things. His tank top says TRANSCEND on the front, and DUES PROVIDEBIT on the back. It is day-glo orange.

Lyle is an ETA institution. He literally lives off the sweat of others. He will lick your arms and forehead after a particularly hard workout. This might seem strange, but his tongue is little and rough, like a kitty’s.

He’s harmless as they come.

He’s Lyle.

If Infinite Jest is meant as a laugh, I can’t help but think that the joke’s on me.

Vocab Word: Map Slang for face.

You are reading my live blog of Infinite Jest. Start at the beginning.

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