This collection starts off fairly strong, but it was quite a slog for the last 100 pages or so. It contains some excellent shorter pieces. When left with a narrator, a few trivialities, and nothing else, however, DFW seems to delight in taking the long way home. While the ability to render a fully-formed character from a monologue is impressive, the amount of pieces here that indulge in the circuitous dialectic method DFW seems to prefer became wholly overwhelming to me. I'll give Oblivian a try, at the urging of a friend, but I have to say that I'm concerned about my capacity for engagement with DFW's short stories.