x dismiss this message
Did you know you can edit this page?
-
Sign Into Shelfari
-
Choose something to edit
-
Save your contributions
see page history
Description edit
The agents at the IRS Regional Examination Center in Peoria, IL, appear ordinary enough to newly arrived trainee David Foster Wallace. But as he immerses himself in a routine so tedious and repetitive that new employees receive boredom-survival training, he learns of the extraordinary variety... read more
Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit
Characters/People edit
- Claude Sylvanshine: Add a description of this character.
- Reynolds
- Joyce
- David Wallace
- Shane Drinion
- Lane Dean Jr.
- Lane Dean
- Zeller
- Leonard Stecyk
- Mr. Glendenning
- Toni Ware
- Beth Rath
- Dr. Lehrl
- Ms. Neti-neti
- Mr. Ingle
- Bondurant
- David Cusk
- Mr. Manshardt
- Dewitt
- David F. Wallace
- De Paul
- Bob Mckenzie
- Spackman
- Fogle
- Lake James
- Mel
- Keith Sabusawa
- Philo
- Meredith Rand
- Chris Acquistipace
- Marcus
- Doctor Kathy
- Matt Redgate
- Blumquist
- D.g.
- Claudie
- Garrity
- Sheri
- Howard Cardwell
- Rosebury
- Reagan
- Steve
First Sentence edit
Past the flannel plains and blacktop graphs and skylines of canted rust, and past the tobacco-brown river overhung with weeping trees and coins of sunlight through them on the water downriver, to the place beyond the windbreak, where untilled fields shimmer shrilly in the A.M. heat: shattercane, lamb's-quarter, cutgrass, sawbriar, nutgrass, jimsonweed, wild mint, dandelion, foxtail, muscadine, spinecabbage, goldenrod, creeping charlie, butter-print, nightshade, ragweed, wild oat, vetch, butcher grass, invaginate volunteer beans, all heads gently nodding in a morning breeze like a mother's soft hand on your cheek.
Series & Lists edit
This is book 10 of 10 in NPR Best Novels of 2011. (authoritative list)
Authors & Contributors edit
- David Foster Wallace (Author)
Other Contributors:
- Michael Pietsch (Editor)
First Edition edit
Original Language: English
Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2011
ISBN: 9780316074230
Page Count: 548
Publisher: Little, Brown and Co.
Country: USA
Publication Date: 2011
ISBN: 9780316074230
Page Count: 548
Classification edit
- Library of Congress: PS3573.A425635 P35 2011
- Dewey: 813.54
Subjects edit
Popular Tags
See all 50 tags
Links to Supplemental Material edit
- New York Times Book Review: “The Pale King” — which is set largely in an I.R.S. office in the Midwest — depicts an America so plagued by tedium, monotony and meaningless bureaucratic rules and regulations that its citizens are in danger of dying of boredom.
We’re hiding the errata, movie connections, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.
