I've been warned from the start that Infinite Jest's plot doesn't really kick in until around page 700. Having passed that point, I can confirm that this is mostly true.
It's definitely so in the sense that the section about Hal sitting alone and watching Interlace cartridges is the perfect place for the average reader to start. That is, this section is the one that would probably open your standard "coming of age" paperback. It's a scene that introduces a range of characters, has one that could be a main character, and has quite the hook: the film Blood Sister: One Tough Nun.
BS: OTN is one of James Incandenza's films. Rather than the usual art house, indie stuff J.O. did, BS: OTN is a piece of grindhouse schlock about a nun in a tough, street-wise Toronto order who tries to continue said order's tradition of saving repentant toughs. It sounds like an incredibly ridiculous piece of film, full of violence and cheap movie blood, and all tied up with a far too convoluted story. Nonetheless, it grabs your interest and holds it tight.
The section's ending with Hal's flash of memory helps to build plot momentum to boot. What significance might that particular child actor have?
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