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Summary: A book that will help lead us into the new millenium.
Review: Don Dellilo once again proves he is one of our greatest contemporary masters of literature with his ambitious and panaromic novel "Underworld." Dellilo gives us his masterpiece, a multi-plex peep show into the last half our of century, a view on how we live and die in this country. A novel that illuminates and enlightens, and like "White Noise," a work of art that will help lead us into the new millenium. -Mike Le Hollywood, CA
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Summary: This book is not easy to read but worth the effort
Review: I enjoyed this book. Not what you would call an easy read and a knowledge of the terminology of American baseball would have been handy. Love his writing style and the myriad of characters. I don't think it was profound in any way just a fascinating read about an interesting selection of people. It lived up to expectation after hearing the author inteviewed on the BBC. It was as intelligent and interesting as he was.
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Summary: It isn't "Godfather"
Review: I think I am guilty of mistaking it and reading it expecting something like Godfather by Mario Puzo. Was I disappointed? You Bet!First the good news. The command on english the author has is commendable. It just flows. But the bad news... There is barely a plot. You have to keep track of so many characters and the time periods do not have a chronological order that you feel exasperated and willing to give up. I think more than the usual average would have given up reading this after starting. If what you expect is a good literary treat and not a great plot and story this is for you. Otherwise it is a strict no-no.
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Summary: History makers and those that watch it unfold.
Review: There was certainly an element of uneasiness felt when I began to undertake this long novel. And yes, this uneasiness continued to grow as I read about a quarter of the novel; it's use of disconnected time, it's numerous characters, etc. Yet, as I continued to read, it all began to make sense to me; I started to make the connections--and here lies the brilliance of the novel-- as I began to draw parallels to the lives of the characters, I began to understand one of the themes of this great book: the human desire for connection. Following the characters lives, and the Bobby Thompson home run ball, I began to see the lines that Delillo draws throughout their lives and throughout history. It is the commonality of one's knowledge of history: rememberances of Bobby Thompson, the assasination of JFK, etc.; all historical moments that place the individuals at certain moments in their lives and, although they may be different, reasserts the communal existence of ordinary people's place in history as they watch it unfold. This is a great novel that needs to be read and re-read and then read yet again.
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Summary: Captivating, lush, exquisite escape
Review: I almost put this book down after struggling through the first 50 pages, but I am so glad that I chose to perserve. I have been amply rewarded by a novel that is nothing short of fully captivating. De Lillio weaves an amazing web with a use of language that is absolutely breathtaking, capturing nuances when needed and giving broadstrokes where appropriate. The way he uses words, pieces them together, and creates a story is pure genius.
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Summary: About the only thing I share with the author is our age.
Review: Having lived through the same period of time and seen and participated in some of the events that passed through the book, I was fascinated with the way that Mr. DeLillo cemented them all together. Because of the noble attempt made to encapsulate the last 40+ years in a single book and the truly marvelous prose, I would give the book a 10. Because of the confusion, circumlocution and at times totally unintelligable plot line that either hiccupped or hopscotched through the pages, I would have to give it a "0" on the 1 to 10 scale. I read to be entertained and challenged by ideas. I was entertained by the internally consistent subsections of the book, I was occasionally challenged to look at my own views of recent history but I was totally dismayed by the difficulty I encountered in tracking all of the bits and pieces. Mr. DeLillo must have more time than I to read at a single sitting or reads far faster than I do. If I could have read the entire book in a single sitting some of the confusion of my daily life would have not caused me to lose a character or forget who did what to whom with what several hundred pages before.
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Summary: DeLillo delivers conspiracy and cliche gorgeously.
Review: Using historical facts, literary and filmic history, and all the cliches of Americana, DeLillo delivers his masterpiece, a mournful exploration of the violence of childhood, the eruption of consciousness -- historical and personal -- with hard-working yet graceful prose and a love story haunting and human. "Underworld" lacks the postmodern excesses of his previous books, connecting to the human heart in a novel that has been unfairly maligned by a literary culture that's thrown unambitious novels like "Cold Mountain" and "American Pastoral" all the awards this year.
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Summary: Underworld - Lullaby of Dublin
Review: I saw Don Delillo read from this novel at Trinity College in Dublin. It was an interesting evening. Delillo was introduced by John Banville, and the contrast between DD's self-assured calm and Banville's uneasiness in front of the crowd was remarkable. Like seeing an artic wolf being introduced by some type of guinea fowl or moorhen or something (no disrespect John). Very different species. In physical terms Delillo is my idea of what Vespasian must have looked like. A squarish, sinewy body, tanned neck, face and hands, white teeth and white hair. Tidily dressed. There was a touch of the imperial about him, and he's aware of it. He read with emphasis and humour from his book, giving the sardonic twist to the Italian-American when he spoke it. Just right, but he should know. Underworld, when I did read it after this night, seemed for all its length like a lullabye to me, as DD soothed his fears (atomic bombs, brutality, madness, all worthy of Caesar) with descriptions of what moves him (baseball, some women, art, joking). He's explaining conclusions that help him to sleep with peace in the book, and it made me feel peaceful to read. The last word is no accident, and I feel sure that he meant to provoke the comparisons with Jim Joyce that I find myself making as I write. Yes. At the end of the reading, after the applause, DD took questions. Most of which seemed to be put by visiting Americans, o craven sons of Erin. The most memorable things I remember him saying were that 'lists were examples of cultural hysteria', in response to one unfortunate who inquired as to his favourite authors (Cormac MacCarthy was one, when he eventually replied). His compatriot was well and truly quelled by that one, and I imagine we all shifted infinitesimally in our seats as we attempted to put some distance between us and the callow hysteric. He also said that he had attempted to employ painterly techniques in the writing. Pointillism, drip painting, abstraction ? We didn't get much farther than that, he said h! is goodbyes and left. I bought the novel the next day.
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Summary: Underworld Cuts Deep Into your Soul
Review: This book covers many subjects with a very detailed point of view. Delillo can fit a lifetime's worth of feeling and emotion into one paragraph and there's about 800 pages of it for those who can handle the pain of introspection. I think people have problems with it because it forces you to look at your own life and all the relationships and decisions that have led you to the point where you are now. 'Underworld' is about memories: the good ones, the bad ones, the forgotten ones and the ones that seem insignificant til you remember them 10 years later. Not for the faint of heart.
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Summary: This heavyweight tome is a big bore.
Review: Forget it. Don DeLillo should have thrown this unfinished manuscript in the garbage. Klara Sax is the dullest character in literature. Reread WHITE NOISE instead. What a disappointment.
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