Read IJ
>>8268735
I'm more or less settled that if I hadn't read IJ I would have liked DFW a lot more.
>>8268739
I kinda agree with this, actually. I don't dislike IJ, but even The Broom of The System is a more engaging read.
>>8268731
Seconding this question - can I just pick up A Supposedly Fun Thing or one of his other essay collections? I like essays.
>>8268760
Yes. His essays tend to be a lot less tedious than a good chunk of his fiction.
>>8268774
Start with essays, then move into shorter fiction, then longer fiction, and finally IJ.
I ***highly*** recommend starting with A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, and then Broom of the System, before getting into IJ or any of his other books.