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This collection of essays is another posthumously published work of Wallace's that sort of somehow lacks any real coherence w/r/t any one essay's relationship to another. They're not all dedicated to one subject or topic or idea or group of subjects or topics or ideas. Which is fine. It's fine because Wallace's interests were multiform, and myriad, and beaucoup. And it's fine because his prose is so clear, his voice so present, that reading anything he's written ante or post Sep. 12, 2008 is an absolute fucking delight that I'm clearly having trouble getting over even as I'm writing this review for a collection of essays that no one is going to read (the review, not the collection). The essay from which this collection takes its title is about watching R. Federer playing tennis as a religious experience; DFW is (was?) both flesh and not.
I love DFW's essays. At the same time, they infuriate me. His writing is so good, so seemingly effortless, that it makes my own work seem so small.Both Flesh and Not collects the bits and pieces yet published in book form. His epic piece on Roger Federer is here, and it alone is worth checking this book out. There are some essays that went way over my head. Specifically, his literary criticisms. There's an essay on Terminator 2 that's just awesome, and the rest I couldn't connect with.And the one on grammar made me mad. I though I was good at grammar, but DFW would say no.Worth a look, but read his other books first. Especially Consider the Lobster. RIP, DFW.
would have given 5 stars but 3 of the essays were over my head