The Pale KingThe Pale King
Score Modern
What it's about
A character named David Foster Wallace is introduced to the banal world of the IRS Regional Examination Center in Peoria, Illinois, and the strange people who work there. Unfinished at the author's death, the novel is about boredom, attention and what it means to pay attention.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. It's David Foster Wallace's last, unfinished novel.
You'll love it if you liked
Infinite Jest
A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments
White NoiseGood to know
It was assembled from Wallace's drafts after his death, so it's fragmentary. Boredom is part of the point.
By the numbers
- Readers44 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics32 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller40 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz1 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
- #196 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #886 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1641 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
More by David Foster Wallace
Infinite JestA Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and ArgumentsIf you like this, read next
Americanah
The Help
Pachinko
Shuggie Bain
Half of a Yellow Sun
My Brilliant FriendExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is The Pale King worth reading?
Yes. It was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. It ranks #1,641 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Pale King about?
A character named David Foster Wallace is introduced to the banal world of the IRS Regional Examination Center in Peoria, Illinois, and the strange people who work there. Unfinished at the author's death, the novel is about boredom, attention and what it means to pay attention.
How long does it take to read The Pale King?
About 14 hours (548 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Pale King?
If you liked it, try Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace, A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments by David Foster Wallace or White Noise by Don DeLillo.