[edanm]

Are you referring to the essay, or the essay collection? Also, isn't he more well known for fiction (e.g. IJ) than non-fiction?

I'm also wondering where to start, having never read his books before but having heard a lot about them.

[tptacek]

The essay collection.

He's probably marginally better known as an essayist than as a novelist, except that his one famous novel (IJ) is one of the giant novels of the last 30 years. After IJ, the most impactful works of fiction he's produced are short story collections, and while I like them, they aren't the most pleasant reads.

The right way to approach DFW is to read his essays for awhile, and, if you find that you enjoy them, you can look at IJ as a long series of essays from an alternate universe.

[idlewords]

I think Infinite Jest is a giant novel only in the most literal sense. Otherwise it's just terrible (though I know you and some other people I respect disagree strongly).

The point is, don't feel sad and alone if you like Wallace's non-fiction and find yourself hating his novels.

[tptacek]

I like Infinite Jest the way I like R.E.M.'s "Murmur", in the sense that I can understand how either might fall apart at close inspection, but both are so effective at generating a mood for me that I have no motivation to do that.

I like the way DFW writes, but I'll happily cop to liking his essays more than his nonfiction. And again the short stories are unpleasant; sort of like how Elliott Smith can only seem to write songs that are at bottom about heroin addiction, DFW can only seem to write stories that are about how unhappy he is with the kind of person he is.

Also, DFW has sort of become a nerd literary signifier, a way of saying "once upon a time I put down the Xbox controller and picked up a Great Book". He didn't do anything to solicit that response, so I'm a bit wary about nerds sniping at him, because, hipsterism.

Everyone should go read Master And Margarita first.

[idlewords]

This is a really nice way to put it. I assume you meant to write "liking his essays more than his fiction"?