is also touched upon. Kate discusses how she once read an English translation of Euripides that was influenced by Shakespeare, then later reflects on Greek translations of Shakespeare that was probably influenced by Euripides. The main theme is loneliness. The novel itself is the byproduct of the narrator, Kate, typing at a typewriter in her own house any thought that comes to her head. Her thoughts rarely describe any non-famous, non-mythical character that isn't dead or has left her life. David Foster Wallace described the novel as an important example of "serious fiction," particularly in its examination of solipsism. Kate seems to exhibit solipsism syndrome, most notably near the end of the book. Many of her anxieties come from feelings of loneliness, abandonment, and betrayal, combined with her conviction that language is insufficient for communicating the events of one’s inner life. Release details 1988, USA, Dalkey Archive Press, May 1988, Hardback 1989, UK, Jonathan Cape, , August 1989, Hardback 1990, USA, Dalkey Archive Press, February 1990, Paperback (reprinted twice) 1995, USA, Dalkey Archive Press, , May 1995, Second paperback edition (with afterword by Steven Moore) (reprinted five times) 2012, USA, Dalkey Archive Press, , March 2012, Third paperback edition (with afterword by David Foster Wallace) References 1988 American novels American philosophical novels Postmodern novels Ludwig Wittgenstein Dalkey Archive Press books