While this doesn't exactly add anything to the discussion, I thought you all should know that this book takes place largely in Boston, where Wallace spent 6 months on an AA program. So, the back bay thing is more a result of Wallace being a Bostonian rather than having some awesome meta-book-is-self-aware sort of thing. Also, if I remember correctly, the Incandenzas lived somewhere besides the back bay on the original manuscript. Where exactly, I can't recall. Probably insignificant. Probably.
Manuscript: //www.thehowlingfantods.com/ij_first.htm
someone do a search on Bain? Can't quite pull it off on my phone.
|