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String Theory: David Foster Wallace on Tennis: A Library of America Special Publication Hardcover – May 10, 2016

by David Foster Wallace (Author), John Jeremiah Sullivan (Introduction)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 336 ratings
#1 Best Seller in Sports Essays
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An instant classic of American sportswriting—the tennis essays of David Foster Wallace, “the best mind of his generation” (A. O. Scott) and “the best tennis-writer of all time” (New York Times)

Gathered for the first time in a deluxe collector's edition, here are David Foster Wallace's legendary writings on tennis, five tour-de-force pieces written with a competitor's insight and a fan's obsessive enthusiasm. Wallace brings his dazzling literary magic to the game he loved as he celebrates the other-worldly genius of Roger Federer; offers a wickedly witty disection of Tracy Austin's memoir; considers the artistry of Michael Joyce, a supremely disciplined athlete on the threshold of fame; resists the crush of commerce at the U.S. Open; and recalls his own career as a "near-great" junior player.

Whiting Award-winning writer John Jeremiah Sullivan provides an introduction.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    158 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Library of America
  4. Publication date
    May 10, 2016
  5. Dimensions
    5.71 x 0.63 x 9.03 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1598534807
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1598534801
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“This book has nothing to do with physics, but its title will make you look super smart if you’re reading it on a train or plane.” —Bill Gates

“David Foster Wallace’s Federer essay turned me into an avid tennis fan.”
 —Lin-Manuel Miranda, The New York Times Book Review

“A wonderful and inspiring collection for fans of either tennis or eye-popping prose.”
 —Austin American-Statesman

“String Theory stands as a monument to Wallace’s talent—and his dedication to the game.”
—Doug Perry, The Oregonian/The Spin of the Ball
                                                                                    
“This collection is a tennis classic that deserves shelf space next to John McPhee’s Levels of the Game and Brad Gilbert’s Winning Ugly.” —Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News

“David Foster Wallace’s essays on tennis are a treasure, some of the best writing ever on the sport, and they are all here in the Library of America’s this deluxe hardcover collector’s edition.”
—NY Sports Day
                                                                                 
“Ruminative, digressive, lyrical, funny, sad, sometimes borderline lunatic, these posthumously collected journalistic pieces have all the hallmarks of Wallace’s novels.” —The Washington Post

“A remarkable volume. . . . The tennis-obsessive will find Wallace’s considerations almost bewilderingly insightful.” —The Telegraph (UK)

 “Wallace’s grasp of tennis was truly prodigious. . . . He has often been described as the best tennis writer of all time, and these essays don’t disabuse that notion.” —The Guardian (UK)
 
“What makes this collection so valuable for serious tennis fans is the chance to see ‘the most beautiful sport there is’ through Wallace’s eyes.” —Toure, Town & Country

About the Author

David Foster Wallace (1962–2008) was born in Ithaca, New York, in 1962 and raised in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where in his teens he was a regionally ranked junior tennis player. His works include Infinite Jest, Girl with Curious Hair, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, Oblivion, A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again, and Consider the Lobster. His final novel, The Pale King, was posthumously published in 2011. 

John Jeremiah Sullivan is one of America’s leading practitioners of the long-form magazine profile, with work appearing in The New York Times Magazine (where he is a staff writer), Harper’s (of which he is a contributing editor), The New Yorker, New York, Oxford American, GQ, and other magazines. He is the author of Blood Horses: Notes of Sportswriter’s Son and Pulphead.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Library of America; Illustrated edition (May 10, 2016)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 158 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1598534807
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1598534801
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.71 x 0.63 x 9.03 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 336 ratings

About the author

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David Foster Wallace

David Foster Wallace

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David Foster Wallace wrote the acclaimed novels Infinite Jest and The Broom of the System and the story collections Oblivion, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men, and Girl With Curious Hair. His nonfiction includes the essay collections Consider the Lobster and A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, and the full-length work Everything and More.  He died in 2008.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
336 global ratings
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Top reviews from the United States

Hande Z
5.0 out of 5 stars Set and Match
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2018
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This is such a delightful book - for tennis lovers. There have been many wonderful sports writers, and I count Simon Barnes as one of my favourites. David Foster Wallace is not generally regarded as a 'sports writer - there is no derogation intended, as Barnes has proven, writing about sports is a work of literary art as writing a novel, which is Wallace's main claim to fame.

This book is a collection of essays, or articles, if you prefer to regard them as such, on a game that enthrals millions including DFW. The piece entitled 'Federer Both Flesh and Not' is one of the best descriptions of Federer and his game. Nobody does it better - both Federer in playing it, and Foster, in describing Federer's play.

Listen to Wallace's submission as to why tennis is the most beautiful game. You may be convinced, if you not already a believer. Follow his article on Michael Joyce before you embark (or encourage your children) to embark on the professional tour. And his article on 'Democracy and Commerce at the U S Open' before booking your ticket. Even if you aren't going, this book makes delightful reading anywhere, anytime.
5 people found this helpful
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Art Gibbs
5.0 out of 5 stars Must-have volume for fans of tennis and/or great writing
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2016
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You don't have to be a tennis fan to enjoy this collection of David Foster Wallace stories on the sport. From his autobiographical "How Tracy Austin Broke My Heart" to the pinnacle of tennis (and maybe even sports) writing - "[Roger] Federer as Religious Experience" - this book covers the best from the late, great writer. You can find each of the essays online with some creative Googling, but there's something about reading these in print in this beautiful, hard-bound, green volume that is a must-have addition for the bookshelf of fans of tennis, writing or both. I've read each of these at least five times and still find new things to enjoy every time.
26 people found this helpful
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Richard Kaye-Schiess
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent service
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2022
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Nice personal note, prompt delivery, nice packaging.
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JNathanL
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2019
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If you enjoy tennis, you will this collection of essays entertaining and insightful.
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Renner
4.0 out of 5 stars DFW is an excellent writer, but he gets caught up in his own cycle of verbosity... at times.
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2017
Verified Purchase
No doubt DFW is a masterful writer, and some of the essays are informative and well told. Made me curious why he thought so poorly of Connors. I felt his US Open piece went a little long, as the Tracey Austen essay. Both points made, but dragged on. I'm a big Lendl fan, so good to see him getting his due as the first of the players to utilize modern technology in his game (kind of like the Nigel Mansel of tennis :))
One person found this helpful
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Lorraine
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic collection
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2016
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I don't know what the other reviewer here is on about, but I absolutely adore this essay collection. Granted, I'm a tennis player and a huge DFW fan, and his writing style isn't for everyone. If you're a tennis fan you'll definitely love this. If you're a DFW fan you'll probably enjoy it, especially the essays focusing more around tennis culture instead of the game itself. Really well done, and I normally wouldn't mention this but the book itself is very high quality, as in it looks and feels like you got your money's worth. Plus Sullivan's intro is pretty cool.
23 people found this helpful
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Bob Wachholder
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read, great insights
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2016
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DFW is one of my favorite writers. I've read some of these essays from him, but he's a good writer where one can re-read and still get something new from it.
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Alessandra
3.0 out of 5 stars Some Essays Are Phenomenal, Some Are Just Fine
Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2017
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Overall, glad I read this book and will read more by David Foster Wallace because he’s not afraid of directly speaking his mind, even if it creates enemies/hurt feelings in the process, which on a genuine level is rare. Some of the essays are phenomenal (esp. the one that tears a sports book apart, but concludes essentially saying, ‘what can you expect from a pro athlete, perfection on the court and in their writing abilities to convey how winning feels?’); however, some of them I had to force myself to keep reading despite sometimes getting bored with all the facts. It was one of the 5 books Bill Gates recommended in 2016 and did not disappoint. I recommend everyone reads this book because it (1) provides insight into a topic many of us are not familiar with while (2) also remaining relevant and a worthwhile investment of leisure time for the reader.
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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André
5.0 out of 5 stars Sensacional
Reviewed in Brazil on May 2, 2021
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Como um aficcionado por tenis, vivo ele todo dia, um livro de uma poesia e de uma escrita sensacional, David tinha o dom para a escrita e transforma todo o seu amor pelo tenis nestes ensaios incríveis. Um dos melhores livros de tenis de todos os tempos
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Ruth
5.0 out of 5 stars Top Buch!
Reviewed in Germany on August 16, 2022
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Besteht aus mehreren Kurzgeschichten. Die erste war okay, mehr nicht. Aber danach ein tolles Buch, über die Schönheit des Sports aber auch extrem kritisch, wie man es eigentlich nicht gewohnt ist. Nimmt kein Blatt vor dem Mund und geht mit dem Sport und den Profis härter ins Gericht.
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Prem Narayan
5.0 out of 5 stars Words strung with as much beauty as a Federer rally.
Reviewed in India on March 29, 2021
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Brilliant writing.
Just the arrangement of words makes it a sheer joy.
If you are a Federer fan, the piece on him is a must read.

If you are a fan of beautiful writing, perhaps as rare ad Federer's tennis. This is the book.
One person found this helpful
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Elias
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfecto para un fan del tenis, o de las matemáticas, o de las dos.
Reviewed in Mexico on December 18, 2017
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Pues este libro fué un regalo para un fanático del tenis, es una especie de biografía que mezcla la carrera en el tenis de David Foster y algunas disertaciones sobre matemáticas y física. Se lo dí a un fan del tenis con un grado en física y le gustó mucho.
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senlin
5.0 out of 5 stars Great tennis essays.
Reviewed in Canada on December 2, 2016
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A very thin book and these essays have all been published elsewhere. But, it is great to have them in a compilation. Nobody writes about tennis better than David Foster Wallace.
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