Gospel According to David Foster Wallace

<i>The Gospel According to David Foster Wallace </i>is the first book to explore key religious themes - from boredom to addiction and distraction - in the work of one of America's most celebrated contemporary novelists.<br/><br/>In a series of short topic-focussed chapters the book<i> </i>joins a selection of key scenes from Wallace's novels <i>Infinite Jest </i>and<i> The Pale King </i>with clear explanations of how they contribute to his overall account of what it means to be a human being in the 21st century. Adam Miller explores how Wallace's work masterfully investigates the nature of first-world boredom and shows in the process how easy it is to get addicted to distraction (chemical electronic or otherwise). Implicitly critiquing excising and repurposing elements of AA's Twelve Step program Wallace suggests that the practice of prayer (regardless of belief in God) the patient application of attention to things that seem ordinary and boring and the internalization of clichés may be the antidote to much of what ails us in the 21st century.