Although appreciated, I didn't need the details of Mario's birth and physical appearance. He's already my favourite Incandenza. The section that describes how he looks in detail, though, does evoke a lot of empathy. A little bit of pity, too, but only because some of his current physical shortcomings are the result of Orin's being too rough with him when they were young. Anyone with a brother or two can probably relate.
Nonetheless, it did finally clear up what exactly Mario's police lock was all about. It's basically his kickstand, unless amidst all of the section's endnotes part of my understanding successfully made a break for it.
Following this section directly with more of the mountaintop conversation of Marathe (the Quebecois wheelchair assassin) and Steeply (U.S.A. secret agent) is a genius move. Their dialogue is clearly the theme engine of the book, but we hear so little from them (thus far) that said themes never have the chance to be overwhelming.
In fact, this combination reminds me of what I've enjoyed about Infinite Jest so far: the continually broadening glimpses of the book's plot (endnote 114 refers to the company that sponsored the last year of subsidized time), its absurd society, and surrealist treatment of things strange and fantastical as everyday and quotidian.
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