FWIW, I've only read the first 1/3 of IJ, and much of it is now burnt into my memory like the scars of a branding iron. Resolved to never pick up the book again.
Personally, that is exactly what made me decide that I actually loved Infinite Jest. I was deeply unsure what I thought about it. But it was indelible, I found it popping back into my thoughts constantly over the next few months, even (or especially) while reading other, less memorable, novels. Still, many years later, there are a bunch of specific scenes and themes that I find myself thinking about. I particularly think its vision of addiction in a broad sense is spot on and was ahead of its time.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/04/03/what-i-have-in...
FWIW, I've only read the first 1/3 of IJ, and much of it is now burnt into my memory like the scars of a branding iron. Resolved to never pick up the book again.