Infinite Jest on patriotism, fanatics, love, attachments, and temples:
‘Your U.S.A. word for fanatic, “fanatic,” do they teach you it comes from the Latin for “temple”? It is meaning, literally, “worshipper at the temple.”‘
I found this passage striking as well. On the one hand, Wallace writes great dialog. Even when most of the dialog is a monologue with ignored interjections by the other character. On the other hand, some great etymology and word-play here.
And then there’s the point: choose your core philosophies carefully. Is it really worthwhile to identify yourself as a Rails person, a libertarian, or a connoisseur of fart jokes?
Side note: I’m doing this whole Infinite Summer thing because, at my core, I enjoy the challenge of reading books that are just too long. This is very borderline hipster, so I promise never to refer to David Foster Wallace by his initials, because that’s just confusing when you live in Dallas.
