# Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

26 Hacker News commenters recommended Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace and 5 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 9 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 10 years (6 owners). It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** People praise its idiosyncratic voice, prophetic take on media and rewarding structure, but its length and difficulty make it a big time commitment that some never finish.

## Why people recommend it

- Idiosyncratic, rewarding writing style (4 comments): "Something I learn when re-reading is that you can bring so many interpretations and perspectives to this novel" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48353779)) "My favourite thing about DFW is his writing style." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48354572)) "DFW's voice is so idiosyncratic and interesting." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48354887))
- Prophetic about media and entertainment (5 comments): "The videophony chapter is also especially prophetic when you consider the prevalence of things like filters." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48355132)) "One whose author saw the direction of society towards numbing entertainment very clearly." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48355739)) "The main prophetic thing in there is the notion of people watching media until they die." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48355046))
- Audiobook handles footnotes well (5 comments): "I would recommend the audiobook because the print book is huge and you get the footnotes inline in the audiobook" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49280098)) "it interleaves the end note in the text at the point where the endnote is referenced (by number)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48860513)) "check out the 30th anniversary audiobook, it just came out a few months ago, very accessible" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48860064))
- Footnotes essential to the reading (2 comments): "I'd say skipping the end notes would be a disservice to the reader as they would miss so much." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48390639)) "the ping-ponging across the recursive footnotes is an intended and crucial part of the book" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49280780))

## What people warn about

- Long and hard to finish (4 comments): "I finished it and thought it was overall good but I don’t know if I would say it’s good “bang for buck” in terms of what you get for the time commitment" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49918367)) "almost universally praised, but which I have been unable to finish" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48355123)) "Enjoying it so far, but the length keeps on killing me." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49895659))
- Characters and plot fail to engage (2 comments): "he gives us nothing to care about" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46760108)) "some parts just don't grip me" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46539636))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/crime-and-punishment.md): 39 recommend
- [The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://hackerapproved.com/p/brothers-karamazov.md): 28 recommend
- [The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald](https://hackerapproved.com/p/great-gatsby.md): 24 recommend
- [Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand](https://hackerapproved.com/p/atlas-shrugged.md): 23 recommend
- [Moby-Dick by Herman Melville](https://hackerapproved.com/p/moby-dick.md): 22 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0349139059?tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Bookshop.org](https://bookshop.org/a/130825/9780349139050) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace", https://hackerapproved.com/p/infinite-jest/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).