I don’t disagree with what you say about narrative. To be more precise, I should have mentioned that the backstorys of particular characters in DFW novels are almost their own story. A character might spend the majority of the plot in the background, then get an entire chapter dedicated to their childhood or some other traumatic even that informs who they are. Not sure if this helps, but I enjoy thinking about it.

Thank you for your comment. Big fan of the Hesses and early Wes Anderson. And now that you mention it, I think The Good Place fits nicely in this genre. A good reminder for me to rewatch it.