Infinite Summer

I realize this may be a fruitless enterprise, given the Spoiler Restriction, but I'm nearing page 700 and I'm just dying to discuss everything I've read over the past 300 pages or so. I would peruse the General Discussion, but I'm wary of having still-unread sections of the book spoiled for me. Has anyone else found themselves in this predicament? And what can such over-achieving readers as ourselves do?

I'm at 460 and it's killing me that I can't look in the general discussion area or discuss what I've read beyond the spoiler line. But you're still 240 pages ahead of me so I guess this doesn't help you much.

This is a second read for me so in a way I'll always be ahead of the curve in some respects though behind in others as I began at page 316 after learning of Infinite Summer. The spoiler line will be honored in this forum though p. 337 seems an odd place to draw the line much like the boundaries in Eschaton.

Page 509 here, though I wish I were even further ahead. I had planned to read a lot more novels this summer, at least meet the number of novels I read last summer,—eight, and one of those a Dickens, nearly as long as IJ (though, granted, not anywhere near as difficult as it)—but now I think I'll be lucky if I even manage to finish IJ before I have to head off to school (September 6th, a couple weeks before the official end date of Infinite Summer).

I'm actually an incredibly slow reader; I just put inordinate amounts of time into reading and then come on here and complain about how I'm ahead but not enough ahead.

I'm on page 404 - just far ahead to know what happens next, not so far ahead that I can't remember where we all officially are.

I'm on p. 747. I've been aiming to finish before I take a trip at the end of August, so I made sure to get a head start. At this point, I could easily meet my goal by reading at the scheduled pace, but I have found myself getting further and further ahead of schedule.

I've found it somewhat nice to have the earlier portions of the book dredged up again, so they're fresh in my memory when they're alluded to later on. Still, it would be nice to discuss the "new" developments without fear of spoilers.

I'm on 375. I want to just blast through it, but I also don't like waiting to talk about my favorite bits (Like Eschaton! Best. Scene. Ever.), so I've decided to just toe the line rather than race ahead. I've found it helpful to have collections of short stories or essays handy.* That way I can read both IJ and Book X in short little bursts without having to remember too much or getting things mixed up.
On a completely unrelated note, DFW's use of foot-/endnotes has been a revelation to me. I've basically been doing the same thing in my writing, except I've been using parentheses instead. However, I've always thought that while I like the parenthetical info and wanted to keep it, it nevertheless messed up the flow of the story. I never considered using foot-/endnotes in fiction, but it seems like the perfect answer to my problem. Yet I must wonder, is it cool to copy this bit of style, or would it be considered derivative? I'd very much like to hear any opinions on this.

*I just finished Batman & Philosophy, which wasn't as fun as I thought it would be, and am now giving myself an aneurysm trying to decide between Oliver Sacks's Musicophilia or Poe's collected works--anyone want to help me choose? lol

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"It is easy to put on a show & be cocky. . . Or I can show you some really fancy movement. But to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself. . . now that, my friend, is very hard to do." --Bruce Lee

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First-Time Reader
Started: 26 June 2009 | Finished: 25 July 2009

_________________
"It is easy to put on a show & be cocky. . . Or I can show you some really fancy movement. But to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself. . . now that, my friend, is very hard to do." --Bruce Lee