Rating: Summary: White Noise Review: In White Noise, DeLillo takes a jab at the modern American family. Although written in 1985, a few years prior to the internet being in every home, White noise is strangely prophetic. The Gladney's go about there daily lives with TV's blaring in the background handing out curious bits of factoids. It would be difficut to call the Gladney's disfunctional, even though the children were products of multiple marriages of both parents. Even though they communicate well with each other they all seem a bit paranoid and therefore a bit off center. Jack Gladney is a professor of Hitler studies at the University and his wife Babbette is a housewife. The Hitler studies is farcical to the point that Jack is encouraged to dress and look like the Fuhrer. After a chemical accident,which forces the family to temporarily flee their home, their lives are forever changed. Babbette, preoccupied with death goes to some bizarre methods to ease her paranoia. Jack, after the toxic spill, becomes convinced that he has acquired a fatal dosage of insecticide poisoning. He becomes suspicious of his wife and obssessed with the scientist who is experimenting on her. Even the chidren catch on to the paranoia. Darkly funny, White Noise, is a good time and intersting study of modern Americana.
Rating: Summary: Solid, but Not Remarkable Review: Firstly, this is the only book by Don DeLillo that I have ever read, so I am unable to compare it to his other works (re Libra, Mao, The Underworld.) That said, I found this book all at once, captivating, frustrating, intriguing and dull. DeLillo is able to spend some twohundred+ pages writing, without ever really saying anything: I found myself at the end, wondering "what was that?" This novel centers around the head of a Hitler Studies' department in the mid-1970s. Of all of the characters, I found his son, Heinreich, to be the most interesting. With the exception of the narrator, no one is presented with much depth and there was no defineable "plot." Maybe to the artsy folks, that's just another way for any author to be "deep," but I just found it boring and useless. White Noise is divided into two sections. The first section serves the primary purpose of introducing the reader to the family, the surroundings, the town. There is an all-encompassinmg anonymity to the town in which this takes place, which I interpreted as DeLillo's attempt to make the entire cirumcstnace of the novel to be believable whether it were in Maine, Montana, or California. The second section tells of the family's "escape" from a large, dark cloud looming, a supposed toxic waste reaction. Really. Overall, this book is interesting, and DeLillo is funny - he manages to portray the quirks of family home life convincingly, and his offbeat general "oddness" makes for an interesting, if superficial, read. I don't precisely see this as a literary staple, but it is occasionally interesting nonetheless.
Rating: Summary: Some of the Most Remarkable Prose I Have Ever Come Across Review: I can not give out 5 stars without good reason. For me, the driving force behind this book was the language. I read about as much poetry as I do fiction, and this surpasses many books of poetry that I have read in terms of lyrical beauty and vivid imagery. This was my first encounter with Delillo, and I have rapidly purchased Underworld, arguably the more popular of the two. This works well as a period peice also. It captures 1985 very well. There are a number of casual details that completly took me back to that time period, without really trying. They are not nostalgic details, but refferences that makes the time and place very clear. Delillo has truly crafted something unique here, and I would be happy to teach it in a high school course. His language is honestly amazing. Not so much the verbage but the way he views things. The narrator has one of the most memorable and bizarre takes on life that I have ever come across. Seeing the world through Delillo's eyes is an enormous pleasure, and is in some ways, though I hesitate to say this, lifechanging. Of course this is only for certain people. But I will say that, every so often, I find myself looking through the eyes of Delillo at something in my own life, and remembering and appreciating this book. The length is nice, and it moves a consistant and near perfect pace. It was, for me, a rather quick read. If the plot fails to keep you moving, the language makes you hang on. On a more broad and sweeping level, this book is a wonderful critique of modern culture, and only becomes increasingly relevant over time. This is, of course, the mark of a classic. Every last one of the characters is memorable in one way or another. Really, I see very few flaws with this book. I would confidently say that it is one of the greatest novels of the 20th century. I highly recommend it. Those who have read McSweeney's, Michael Chabon, Jonathan Lethem, Jonathan Franzen, Dave Eggers, etc and found them pleasing will especially enjoy this work. Get yourself a decent copy. You will be loaning it out.
Rating: Summary: Insanely well-written, insanely self-serving Review: I'll start with the positives. Technically, Don DeLillo is one of the very best authors I have ever read. His prose is extremely readable, engaging, and enjoyable. This book can certainl be enjoyed on the merit of the quality of writing alone. Unfortunately, his content has to muck it all up. Like so many post-modern writers (Eggers, Wallace, etc...) DeLillo is far too clever for his own good. For instance: Jack Gladney, the main character is a Professor of "Hitler Studies" who gains weight and dressed in all black in order to affect an air of greater importance. DeLillo apparently thinks this is a subtle suggestion that academia is nothing more than bloated, pointless, self-importance. Unfortunately, what DeLillo takes as subtlety is, in actuality, tantamount to beating the reader over the head with a hammer to deliver his point. His characters are unbelievable, and their actions do not arise out of internal motivation, but rather, out of DeLillo making them do things. Real people don't behave in the way DeLillo suggests (his friend Murray is the least believable character I've ever enountered), and the book suffers as a result. Overall, I undestand DeLillo's point - that the oversturation/stimulation of media and commercialism in today's society blocks out every sensation we experience, and only the fear of death is strong enough to penetrate the fog. However, I think it would have been more effective had the point been illustrated with believable events and characters.
Rating: Summary: Think Twice Before Buying, It's not a great book... Review: White Noise by Don DeLillo is set in a small town called Blacksmith, somewhere in Middle America in the 1970's. The setting seems to be deliberately bland to allow the reader to conceptualize it as "Anytown, USA". The book centers on Jack Gladney as he interacts with his family, friends and coworkers. In the story, an airborne toxic cloud strikes Blacksmith. The town residents, including the Gladney family, evacuate to a shelter. Everyone is eventually permitted to return to their homes. Jack's wife takes an experimental drug and has a physical relationship with a "Mr. Grey" whose identity is eventually discovered by Jack, who shoots him. The main character, Jack Gladney, is a middle-aged liberal arts instructor, chairman of the Hitler Studies department, friend, colleague, father, husband, and three-time divorcé. His wife Babette is a poorly developed character but we do gather that she reads tabloids to old people, takes experimental drugs, cheats on her husband and has ambitions to die before him. The children are byproducts of the various current and previous liaisons of Jack and Babette. The girls seem to be obsessed with developing every symptom that radio and television reports say people are supposed to have if they've been exposed to the airborne toxic cloud. Murray Siskind is a professor at the college and a close associate of Jack's. He wants to replicate Jack's Hitler Studies success by building a similar career teaching Elvis Presley Studies. Jack attempts to help Murray in this endeavor by co-presenting with him and drawing comparisons between Adolf Hitler and Elvis Presley. Murray is fascinated with the minutia of human behavior and makes unique observations throughout the book. The story is populated with several other minor characters but only a few are worth mentioning. Howard Dunlop is an older and presumably German man who attempts to teach Jack to speak German fluently. Vernon Dickey is Babette's father. He is relevant to the story for two reasons: at one point Jack confuses him with Death; later, Vernon gives Jack a gun. The final character worth mentioning is Mr. Gray, a.k.a. Dr. Willie Minks. Minks allows Babette to trade sexual favors for an unauthorized supply of an experimental drug called Dylar, which is supposed to eliminate the fear of death. After the toxic event, the theme of death is explored as the characters interact with each other. Jack's constant fear of death continues to escalate. The book progresses toward the climactic event of Jack discovering the identity of Mr. Gray, confronting him, and shooting him. From this point, the book winds down. Jack takes Mr. Grey to the hospital and both men survive. The theme or point of DeLillo's story seems to be that triviality, commercialism and materialism in American culture cause a lack of meaning, truth, and spirituality resulting in a propensity to fear death. His writing style relies on cliché's, stereotypes and satire to expose the superficiality and commodification of American culture. Humor and extreme examples are used throughout the story. The book often reveals ironies present in everyday life and culture in America. Repetitive lists are regularly used as a device to create a mood, make a point, or reveal the absurdity of something. The voices of the characters all sound the same, even the children. I read this book in a college class. When I first heard that we were going to read a novel as part of our assignment, I was delighted. Compared to academic textbooks, novels are generally much more entertaining, interesting and easier to read. The book's back cover described a plot that included Hitler Studies and an airborne toxic event. I've studied and read extensively on the lives of Adolf Hitler and Elvis Presley. I was therefore intrigued with and supportive of the plot-concept of having a dedicated educational program focused on their lives. I also believe that one grave and growing threat to mankind's existence is a toxic event or a super-virus. So far, the book sounded good. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for me to remember the old cliché "never judge a book by its cover". After such promise, the author squanders the most interesting plot elements and instead chooses to focus on the banal. His characters are uninteresting and difficult to differentiate or relate to. His writing style is pedantic, dull, unimaginative, humorless and irritating. The situations he describes are implausible. The dialog borders on being ludicrous. His obsession with the theme of death and his lack of respect for capitalism is exceeded only by his offensive comparison of Elvis Presley to Adolf Hitler. In the end though, it is the reader who is disrespected the most. I remain a stalwart supporter of freedom of speech but after reading White Noise I have a new understanding of why some people burn books. I would oppose burning this book though; since it is made of paper, the environment has been harmed enough through the callous waste of good trees.
Rating: Summary: Noisy novel for our times Review: Existentialism is the malaise of the XX Century in Don DeLillo's 'White Noise'. But our lack of energy and will to live have their sources. The writer aims his machine gun to three sources: television, legal drugs and tabloids. But all the problems boil down to one thing: the fall of the family as an institution. Jack Gladney, the protagonist of 'White Noise' is surrounded by these three factors and his life is at a crossroad. Having been married four times, and fathering a couple of kids, he feels depressive and has a pointless life. He spends most of his time wondering about death. Matters are worse after a chemical accident that threatens his and his family's life. It is with such originality that DeLillo deals with the subject that wit readers are simply hooked after a few pages. The writer has a neat and sophisticated prose, and the plot of this novel is so smart that it is funny. His comments may seem to be about the average North American man, but it turns out that he is able to reach everyone in the Western civilization. It is curious that with 'White Noise' DeLillo created such a prophetical novel, foreseeing events like AIDS and anti-depressives. DeLillo does not writer for the masses and this is one of the reasons that his novels does not make a huge success. His target is the smart and experienced reader who is tired of average prose and writers afraid of dealing with the disease. DeLillo's White Noise is sharp and cutting and doesn't please those who are used to best sellers. Above all things, 'White Noise' is a novel of ideas. It is one of those books that are in your mind long after you have finished it. The novel was written in the mid 80's but still has a fresh tone, thanks to DeLillo's witty comments and feeling for the world we live in.
Rating: Summary: He is a master at knowing what makes us want to die Review: Delillo very acuratly predicts the Al qaida attack on the Capital building in this book. "a death cult will hijack an airliner and crash it into the US Capital building - They only say they do it for Uncle Bob." This comes from a series of tabloid predictions that Baba reads to the old guy. He looks at death and why people run headlong towards it while they also have a terrible fear of death. He exposes the little and big ways that we kill ourselves. In spite of the absence of religeon this book practically screams "God save me". I was left disturbed for a month after this but it was for me ever so perception changing. I am going to be for ever grateful to him. I tried to read a couple of his other books but I had a hard time. But it is the same thing with CS Lewis for me.
Rating: Summary: DeLillo's Best Work Review: ... which isn't saying much. Boring, Repetitive, no plot whatsoever. My wife gave up in disgust. I finished it only because it reminded me of college and the inanities I used to read in the student newspapers. If you want humorous writing, read Dave Barry - he does it so much better!
Rating: Summary: One of the best books I've read Review: Don DeLillo's "White Noise" is one of the best books I've read in a long. It reminded me just how powerful and great literature can be. I found out about "White Noise" when someone told me they were reading this weird but interesting book and told me about a few of the ideas of the book. I usually tend to read more classical fiction but I decided to take a risk and read something new. From the first fifty pages of the book, I was addicted to the plot, characters, observations, and ideas. I devoted most of the next week to reading "White Noise." The plot of the book is not so important, it's the OBSERVATIONS that count. Each observation written in the book is a whole new revelation in itself and you could write an entire essay on just that observation. I found myself thinking 'wow..that is so true..I never thought of it that way' when reading. The most interesting parts of the book had to do with technology and our relationship to it. Most informed people(including myself) tend to believe that technology is slowly taking over our lives and turning us into zombies for the corporate world and we must free ourselves from T.V., internet, cell phones etc... DeLillo through the character of Murray, seems to suggest the opposite; that we must accept technology as a new mode of living like our ancestors accepted working with tools as a new mode of living. To Murray, technology is like a religion or piece of art with many symbols that if interrupted right, can lead the viewer to a new revelation of how society works and even one's own self-liberation. There is so much that can be said about "White Noise" but let me simply say that it is one of the best books I've read. It got me to wake up and start thinking about my environment and who am I in relationship with it.
Rating: Summary: Overrated and not that relevant Review: I can see why this would be a big deal in the 80s and 90s, when fear of an apocalpyse was steadily creeping into our consciousness (like so much toxic gas, blah blah blah), but I really hope they'll stop making this a high-school staple from now on, because this book is not really that great. Personally, I found the book cleverly written and occasionally amusing, but it's also tedious and often quite ANNOYING, for lack of a better word. Alright, I get it, it's "about death." Well, you could take all the best passages that banter back and forth about death and condense it into a short story. There's really no need for it to drag on like this. At one point -- you guessed it -- you start to sort of hope these people will die already so they can stop acting like such ineffectual wimps, constantly lying to themselves and others. The dialogue is sometimes brilliant, other times completely incongruous, unbelievable, non-sequiturial. Most people don't talk like that; in this book, children, German nuns and college professors speak with the same voice. Other than "Mink," who basically says nothing remotely non-nonsensical, the only character who doesn't sound exactly as smarmy and overly intellectual as the others is "Babette," who replies to everything with, "What is _____?" As in, "What is wet? What is dark? What is pants?" It's pretty goddamn irritating. That, and the fact that everyone calls her "Baba," made me grit my teeth in rage. If that makes me shallow, fine. But it's something to keep in mind, if you're planning to indulge in this book: You WILL have to read about a character nicknamed "Baba," and you ARE supposed to feel some sort of affection for her. Baba.
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