David Foster Wallace's first novel, written while he was in his early 20's.
People familiar with Infinite Jest may see some similarities between the two, but Broom of the System doesn't go quite as over the top, stylistically or plot-wise. And there are no footnotes!
The story's main protagonist is Lenore Beadsman, a hyperintelligent philosophy student who chooses to work as a phone operator for minimum wage. Her grandmother, who is her closest friend, was a student of Ludwig Wittgenstein. The plot of the book circles around the disappearence of Lenore's grandmother, and her attempts to find her. The other major plot is the obsessive love of Lenore's boyfriend (and boss) for her.
That being said, the one of the funnest things about reading the book is the little details and scenes that the characters find themselves in. For example, there is a bar with a Gilligan's Island theme, where the waiters and waitresses dress up like cast members from the TV series.
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