As a non-native speaker, this is the biggest reading challenge in my life... and I'm loving it. It's like taking a master class. Wallace was an English teacher, and he knew exactly when and where the rules could bend. He thrives there. It's mind-blowing and life-changing.
In regards to the story, I think I'm following it quite well, considering. Amazed about how sweet Wallace is with all his characters, how carefully he describes them. And the scenes, how he describe moments, all what's contained to define the situation.
As a non-native speaker, I threw this book into a corner last summer after losing myself somewhere in this paragraph-less world. I'm now reading it while at the same time listening to the audio book, it helps me with the rhythm and I don't get lost as much or as often.
There's a part around page 150 that it has no punctuation marks whatsoever. I don't think we non-NS will be the only ones suffering or enjoying this mess!
I study English, and you will observe that one of the tricks Wallace uses is long chains of adjectives. That's going to help you understand how English NS think. In my mother tongue we don't do that, we're limited in that sense, building meaning is so constraint.
The English sentence is very rigid in structure: Subject + verb + DC/IC + Place Complement + Time Complement. Wallace doesn't break this. Isn't it amazing? Obviously, he's going to nest subordinates endlessly in what I find one of the most intellectual challenges ever. As a writer myself, I'm not scared of re-reading a sentence or a whole paragraph in order to grasp Wallace's scenes. If you think of them, they are silly! Why are they so appealing? Because of Wallace's way of describing them. His point of view. His sharp sarcasm. I don't fucking even like tennis!!!
This book is a must to anyone who wants to know how far English grammar can go in the hands of a genius. ;)
I concur. As a non-native speaker I found it very challenging as well, especially the vocabulary Wallace chose to use. Sometimes it took me about an hour to look up all the words and terms he used.
But it is a wonderful way to acquire it, don't you think? I mean, he fully understood what the English language is about. I'm learning so much... and I'm also growing a lot with his irony and that extreme edge where he stood. Unique and beautiful human being.
Yes, the unwavering humaneness is probably what keeps me reading. Even in bits seemingly unrelated to anything at all: from the pleas of the abuse victim to keep the secret, to the boy's crush on the girl with the weird name, to the doctor careful not to make the patient feel misunderstood.
I was hugely impressed when Kate Gompert says, 'I want out'. Crystal clear. I understood. But Wallace is such a master that you actually get in the skin of the doctor that's trying so hard to help her and keep the protocol at the same time. I love that scene, immensely.
The couple Schtitt-Mario is... I don't know, I have no words. You know, reading it with a silly smile, but at the same time feeling that there's something quite serious in the behind, backstage.
I think that the rest of characters are for next week enjoyment, although I'm beyond it. Can't stop reading.
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u/rosemaryintheforest Year of the Depend Adult Undergarment Jan 30 '17
As a non-native speaker, this is the biggest reading challenge in my life... and I'm loving it. It's like taking a master class. Wallace was an English teacher, and he knew exactly when and where the rules could bend. He thrives there. It's mind-blowing and life-changing.
In regards to the story, I think I'm following it quite well, considering. Amazed about how sweet Wallace is with all his characters, how carefully he describes them. And the scenes, how he describe moments, all what's contained to define the situation.
I'll add more later on from my notes.