(noun) a particular form of expression or a pecul…
The Broom of the System
by
David Foster Wallace
May 31, 2017 - June 1, 2017
(read/david-foster-wallace)
Foster Wallace, D. (2004). The Broom of the System. Penguin Books.
p.350
locution »
p.239
sublation »
(verb) philosophy: to negate or eliminate (as an …
p.224
hegira »
(noun) a journey especially when undertaken to es…
p.155
fulgent »
(adjective) dazzlingly bright; radiant (effulgent…
p.133
trellis »
(noun) a frame of latticework used as a screen or…
p.461
UGOLINO THE SIGNIFICANT: Has the little turd lear…
p.441
"Lenore, we will shrink into husks together. We w…
p.438
"[...] stays shacked up in the malevolent blond p…
p.435
_Fieldbinder grinned coolly, then wryly._
p.431
[...] there was nothing the pathetic, paralyzed, …
3
1
1981
Lenore visits Mount Holyoke as a 15-year-old and is confronted with the full force of toxic masculinity (i.e., Biff Diggerence and Andrew Lang asking them to sign their bottoms)
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3
1
1981
Lenore visits Mount Holyoke as a 15-year-old and is confronted with the full force of toxic masculinity (i.e., Biff Diggerence and Andrew Lang asking them to sign their bottoms)
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2
1990
Rick tells Lenore a story about second-order vanity
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28
3
1990
Lenore Sr. is missing. The phone lines at Frequent and Vigorous are mixed up. Rick has a dream about Queen Victoria. the shape of East Corinth (as Jayne Mansfield) is revealed.
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3
28
3
1990
Lenore Sr. is missing. The phone lines at Frequent and Vigorous are mixed up. Rick has a dream about Queen Victoria. the shape of East Corinth (as Jayne Mansfield) is revealed.
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53
4
1972
a transcript detailing the creation of the Great Ohio Desert (basically it's because people were getting too soft)
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1
53
4
1972
a transcript detailing the creation of the Great Ohio Desert (basically it's because people were getting too soft)
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57
5
1990
Rick explains his life story (Mindy, Vince, Lenore) in POV subsections interspersed with the plot (i.e., Lenore answering phones)
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/
7
57
5
1990
Rick explains his life story (Mindy, Vince, Lenore) in POV subsections interspersed with the plot (i.e., Lenore answering phones)
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6
1990
Norman Bombardini has 9 steaks while Rick and Lenore watch in horror
2 / 5
94
7
1990
Vlad the Impaler starts to speak (very inappropriately); Rick tells Lenore a story about a man with a temper problem and a woman who overeats and their greedy therapist (they eventually all die); Lenore finds Mrs. Yingst's walker in her room
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/
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94
7
1990
Vlad the Impaler starts to speak (very inappropriately); Rick tells Lenore a story about a man with a temper problem and a woman who overeats and their greedy therapist (they eventually all die); Lenore finds Mrs. Yingst's walker in her room
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116
8
1990
transcript between Dr. Jay and Lenore in which Lenore expresses her anxiety about words and language; Rick begins the Fiedbinder collection; Rick has a dream about a hotel room with no sheets on the bed, which he tells Dr Jay; Lenore meets Mr. Bloemker's inflatable doll, Brenda
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3
116
8
1990
transcript between Dr. Jay and Lenore in which Lenore expresses her anxiety about words and language; Rick begins the Fiedbinder collection; Rick has a dream about a hotel room with no sheets on the bed, which he tells Dr Jay; Lenore meets Mr. Bloemker's inflatable doll, Brenda
2 / 3
146
9
1990
Lenore finally talks to her father, who explains what's going on re: Gramma and the pineal gland experiment
1
/
3
146
9
1990
Lenore finally talks to her father, who explains what's going on re: Gramma and the pineal gland experiment
1 / 3
159
10
1990
Lenore visits Clarice Spaniard and watches Kopek Spasova and then the Spaniard family theatre performance; Rick continues the Fieldbinder collection and has a dream about infinite urine streams; Rick is offered a generous contract from Stonecipheco in exchange for allowing Lenore to visit her brother
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2
159
10
1990
Lenore visits Clarice Spaniard and watches Kopek Spasova and then the Spaniard family theatre performance; Rick continues the Fieldbinder collection and has a dream about infinite urine streams; Rick is offered a generous contract from Stonecipheco in exchange for allowing Lenore to visit her brother
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175
11
1990
Andy leaves Mindy; Rick tells Lenore a story about a man who falls in love with a woman a toad in her neck (she dies); John LaVache is revealed to think of himself as a game show contestant; Lenore and Rick arrive at Amherst; Rick tells the story of his first and only attempt at approaching a woman (Janet) at a hors d'oeuvre bar, which ended with a Ritz cracker and bologna landing on Janet's nose; Lenore watches LaVache support his leg; Rick meets Andy Lang at The Flange, which is now a gay bar, and discovers Andy's coincidental experience on Corfu; LaVache shows Lenore the drawing of a man climbing a slope.
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/
7
175
11
1990
Andy leaves Mindy; Rick tells Lenore a story about a man who falls in love with a woman a toad in her neck (she dies); John LaVache is revealed to think of himself as a game show contestant; Lenore and Rick arrive at Amherst; Rick tells the story of his first and only attempt at approaching a woman (Janet) at a hors d'oeuvre bar, which ended with a Ritz cracker and bologna landing on Janet's nose; Lenore watches LaVache support his leg; Rick meets Andy Lang at The Flange, which is now a gay bar, and discovers Andy's coincidental experience on Corfu; LaVache shows Lenore the drawing of a man climbing a slope.
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257
12
1990
On the jet, Rick tells Andy the tragic tale of Lenore's family while she sleeps; Lenore et co meet Reverend Hart Lee Sykes.
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/
0
257
12
1990
On the jet, Rick tells Andy the tragic tale of Lenore's family while she sleeps; Lenore et co meet Reverend Hart Lee Sykes.
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13
1990
Rick tells Lenore his fear of Andy taking Lenore away
0 / 4
293
14
1990
Candy tells Lenore that Andy is into her; Neil Obstat and Andy discuss Lenore; Rick gives Lenore a promotion; Dr Jay gets instructions from Lenore Sr., via a proxy.
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1
293
14
1990
Candy tells Lenore that Andy is into her; Neil Obstat and Andy discuss Lenore; Rick gives Lenore a promotion; Dr Jay gets instructions from Lenore Sr., via a proxy.
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312
15
1990
The Fieldbinder collection story "LOVE", in which Monroe Fieldbinder tells the Slotniks about Mr. Costigan's obsession with their son
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0
312
15
1990
The Fieldbinder collection story "LOVE", in which Monroe Fieldbinder tells the Slotniks about Mr. Costigan's obsession with their son
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324
16
1990
Rick has a frightening dream involving Lenore, Andy, and urine; Lenore has a session with Dr Jay in which he pretends that he's a sperm cell; Lenore and Rick discuss the Fieldbinder story and its excess of wry grins; Rick has a session with Dr Jay in which he grows increasingly hostile; Rick decides that Lenore and Lang are inevitable; Rick exacts revenge on Dr Jay in his next Fieldbinder story; Candy and Mindy meet
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/
4
324
16
1990
Rick has a frightening dream involving Lenore, Andy, and urine; Lenore has a session with Dr Jay in which he pretends that he's a sperm cell; Lenore and Rick discuss the Fieldbinder story and its excess of wry grins; Rick has a session with Dr Jay in which he grows increasingly hostile; Rick decides that Lenore and Lang are inevitable; Rick exacts revenge on Dr Jay in his next Fieldbinder story; Candy and Mindy meet
1 / 4
362
17
1990
Lenore and Bloemker read to Concardine, who can only say "roughage"; Rick details the story of his fascination with Mindy Metalman, beginning with her at 13; Mindy explains to Candy her quest for a violet dress like the one Lenore had in chapter 1; Andy and Lenore fail to see Kopek Spasova; Mindy and Rick catch up and discuss Lenore and Andy; Andy comes clean (though probably manipulatively) to Lenore; Rick probably fails to satisfy Mindy; Lenore and Andy cuddle in a scene that's surprisingly sweet considering the rest of the book
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/
4
362
17
1990
Lenore and Bloemker read to Concardine, who can only say "roughage"; Rick details the story of his fascination with Mindy Metalman, beginning with her at 13; Mindy explains to Candy her quest for a violet dress like the one Lenore had in chapter 1; Andy and Lenore fail to see Kopek Spasova; Mindy and Rick catch up and discuss Lenore and Andy; Andy comes clean (though probably manipulatively) to Lenore; Rick probably fails to satisfy Mindy; Lenore and Andy cuddle in a scene that's surprisingly sweet considering the rest of the book
0 / 4
418
18
1990
Andy and Neil (in a rowboat) follow Lenore and Rick as they trudge along the shores of a strangely situated lake in the middle of the desert; Lenore tries to talk to Rick but is instead forced to listen to an extremely allegorical story about a woman with no self esteem and a dentist who can only communicate by Morse code after an accident; Rick has perhaps transcended sanity at this point and handcuffs Lenore to himself, which Andy is able to easily rectify
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/
4
418
18
1990
Andy and Neil (in a rowboat) follow Lenore and Rick as they trudge along the shores of a strangely situated lake in the middle of the desert; Lenore tries to talk to Rick but is instead forced to listen to an extremely allegorical story about a woman with no self esteem and a dentist who can only communicate by Morse code after an accident; Rick has perhaps transcended sanity at this point and handcuffs Lenore to himself, which Andy is able to easily rectify
0 / 4443
19
1990
two sentences about Lenore rarely crying and Rick crying a lot
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444
20
1990
Lenore returns to the office and is confronted with: Peter Abbott explaining the problem with the tunnels; Dr Jay warning about Norman Bombardini coming to eat Lenore; Bloemker, Alvin Spaniard, and Lenore's father all trying to get her attention
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0
444
20
1990
Lenore returns to the office and is confronted with: Peter Abbott explaining the problem with the tunnels; Dr Jay warning about Norman Bombardini coming to eat Lenore; Bloemker, Alvin Spaniard, and Lenore's father all trying to get her attention
0 / 0
458
21
1990
a transcript of Vlad the Impaler helping Reverend Sykes to get donations; Rick is with Mindy and in a state of denial; Rick is a man of his
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/
1
458
21
1990
a transcript of Vlad the Impaler helping Reverend Sykes to get donations; Rick is with Mindy and in a state of denial; Rick is a man of his
0 / 1