A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and ArgumentsA Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments
Score Modern
What it's about
David Foster Wallace's essays range from his teenage years as a nationally ranked tennis player in the Midwest to a state fair, a David Lynch film set and, in the title piece, a week on a luxury Caribbean cruise ship that leaves him in existential despair. They're full of hilarious detail and sharp thinking about American culture.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best nonfiction books. The cruise essay is one of the funniest pieces of journalism ever written.
You'll love it if you liked
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
Infinite Jest
The Land and Its PeopleGood to know
The essays stand alone, so start with the title piece. Wallace loves footnotes, and some are as long as the essays.
By the numbers
- Readers84 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller23 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #200 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #398 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking
More by David Foster Wallace
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Quick answers
Is A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the 100 best nonfiction books. It ranks #398 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 79.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments about?
David Foster Wallace's essays range from his teenage years as a nationally ranked tennis player in the Midwest to a state fair, a David Lynch film set and, in the title piece, a week on a luxury Caribbean cruise ship that leaves him in existential despair. They're full of hilarious detail and sharp thinking about American culture.
How long does it take to read A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments?
About 9 hours (368 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments?
If you liked it, try Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion, Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace or The Land and Its People by David Sedaris.