A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again

A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again is a comedic essay by David Foster Wallace about a one week trip aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean. It is also the title essay of a collection of non-fiction writing by Wallace.

Related Topics:
David Foster Wallace - Cruise ship - Caribbean

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In the namesake essay, Wallace wittily describes what he sees as the middlebrow excesses exhibited on a cruise ship. His ironic displeasure with the professional hospitality industry and the "fun" he should be having unveils how the indulgences of the cruise turn him into a spoiled brat, leading to overwhelming internal despair.

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Like much of Wallace's work, the essay is a tour de force of bravura writing style, with extensive use of footnotes throughout the piece for various asides.

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Another essay in the same volume takes on the vulgarities and excesses of the Illinois State Fair.

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