Pale King

by David Foster Wallace

The character David Foster Wallace is introduced to the banal world of the IRS Regional Examination Center in Peoria, Illinois, and the host of strange people who work there, in a novel that was unfinished at the time of the author's death.

More by David Foster Wallace

Infinite JestDavid Foster Wallace
A supposedly fun thing I'll never do againDavid Foster Wallace
This is waterDavid Foster Wallace
Consider the lobster, and other essaysDavid Foster Wallace
Brief Interviews With Hideous MenDavid Foster Wallace
Everything and moreDavid Foster Wallace
String TheoryDavid Foster Wallace
OblivionDavid Foster Wallace
The broom of the systemDavid Foster Wallace
Both Flesh and NotDavid Foster Wallace
The Girl with the Curious HairDavid Foster Wallace
The David Foster Wallace ReaderDavid Foster Wallace

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?