The Gospel According to David Foster Wallace is the first book to explore key religious themes
- from boredom to addiction & distraction
- in the work of one of America's most celebrated contemporary novelists In a series of short topic-focussed chapters the book joins a selection of key scenes from Wallace's novels Infinite Jest & The Pale King with clear explanations of how they contribute to his overall account of what it means to be a human being in the 21st century Adam Miller explores how Wallace's work masterfully investigates the nature of first-world boredom & shows in the process how easy it is to get addicted to distraction (chemical electronic or otherwise) Implicitly critiquing excising & repurposing elements of AA's Twelve Step program Wallace suggests that the practice of prayer (regardless of belief in God) the patient application of attention to things that seem ordinary & boring & the internalization of cliches may be the antidote to much of what ails us in the 21st century