{"product_id":"the-pale-king-an-unfinished-novel-9780316074223","title":"The Pale King: An Unfinished Novel","description":"The agents at the IRS Regional Examination Center in Peoria, Illinois, appear ordinary enough to newly arrived trainee David Foster Wallace. But as he immerses himself in a routine so tedious and repetitive that new employees receive boredom-survival training, he learns of the extraordinary variety of personalities drawn to this strange calling. And he has arrived at a moment when forces within the IRS are plotting to eliminate even what little humanity and dignity the work still has. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Pale King\u003c\/i\u003e remained unfinished at the time of David Foster Wallace's death, but it is a deeply compelling and satisfying novel, hilarious and fearless and as original as anything Wallace ever undertook. It grapples directly with ultimate questions -- questions of life's meaning and of the value of work and society -- through characters imagined with the interior force and generosity that were Wallace's unique gifts. Along the way it suggests a new idea of heroism and commands infinite respect for one of the most daring writers of our time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Back Bay Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/10\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780316074223\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 550\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.35lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.10h x 5.80w x 1.70d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/06\/2012 pg. 28\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/20\/2015 pg. 22\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"David Foster Wallace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":36635981250716,"sku":"9780316074223","price":21.24,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_e517e0c5-1546-46ae-903f-721abcb28b01.jpg?v=1603841071","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/the-pale-king-an-unfinished-novel-9780316074223","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}