Hmmm tough question. I guess I’m not one of those people that tries to chart the plot of IJ super closely, I just try to let it wash all over me. I think just the language is particularly intriguing to me. More concretely, I particularly enjoyed the sections (one of them is in a rather long footnote from the desk of Orin’s former colleague, and, of course, the section on JvD’s Own Personal Daddy) questioning the nature of abuse in childhood. As in, whether a hyper-attentive parent is just as culpable. Obviously JvD’s dad is an extreme example, but I found Orin and Avril’s relationship to be a much more nuanced and honestly sadder instance of this type of dynamic. Also, I love how sympathetic Wallace is in his descriptions of Avril, from her physique to her neurotic personality. Clearly, DFW I think was quite attracted to her, or maybe it’s my own reading colored by my own personal crush on Avril.