On Summer’s Progress

A few months ago I laid out a fairly aggressive plan for summer reading. Since then, I have fallen woefully behind. The time set aside for reading has been devoted to packing, finding a new place to live, planning to move, preparing syllabi and course material for the coming semester, and generally trying to enjoy my last few months in the glorious northeast. As of now, I have only completed a little more than half of Infinite Jest though I should finish it before we head southward. August, then, can be devoted to Inherent Vice but it appears that Silko may get bumped to Christmas break.

Despite the slow pace, I have been loving IJ more this go-round. I don’t often laugh aloud while reading but it seems that every lengthy reading session elicits an audible chuckle. DFW has a gift for bringing levity to even the most serious passages. That skill gives me hope for his soon-to-be-published-but-not-quite-finished novel, The Pale King. He may be uniquely able to tackle a subject like incredible boredom in an entertaining fashion.

Though mine have faltered, how are your summer reading plans going?