David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest and Legacy

Released in 1996, David Foster Wallace’s novel Infinite Jest was critically lauded on release and became a New York Times bestseller. But since the author’s suicide in 2008, the book and Wallace himself has undergone a change in reputation. While the book still has its staunch defenders, with many considering it a masterpiece, it has also become shorthand for a sort of ‘literary chauvinism’ - seen to be adored by a certain type of male reader who insists on imposing their opinion on all, especially via social media.

What made this book so notable in the first place? Why does it possess a reputation for being both prophetic and difficult? And why is it now maligned in some quarters as a totem for toxic masculinity and how can the legacy and reputation of an author be maintained after death? With Jonathan McAloon, Elsa Court and Matt Greene.

Presenter: Hayley Campbell Producer: Dale Shaw