what do you guys think of white noise by Don Delillo?
I personally found it really boring and did not finish the book.
Finished it yesterday. Absolutely fantastic novel, a very interesting and fun look at American society/culture. I will say that I doubt it would appeal to non-Americans or Americans born after, say, 2000.
It's one of the most dreadful novels I've read. It's got boring prose and is more like a horrible essay stating the obvious with a bit of a symbol somewhere around there. I don't understand why this is a staple novel for late 20th century literature.
it's the most trite analysis of american culture i can think of.
>>7786207
Indeed. Supremely banal. Why is it so praised again?
did you guys know that DFW loved DeLillo?
>>7785057
You probably stopped before reading what I thought was the best part, close to the end. It is sort of a challenge to read, though, as distant and formalist as it is.
Perhaps the very real absence of substance is a sort of commentary in itself. Whatever the case, I stalled out on this bitch for a minute and then just read the remaining bit real fast to get it behind me. No big shakes.
Haha, get it, it's called "White Noise" because it's a bunch of privileged white people whining about their banal problems.
>>7786396
nice one
>>7786391
>White noise
>the very real absence of substance is a sort of commentary in itself
You might be on to something here bub
>I'm gonna make a point by making my novel boring and vapid!
Yeah... knock yourself out, donny...
>>7786298
>the best part, close to the end
I re-read it last week. The Dylarama section is by far the weakest third of the book. It was my favorite book halfway through highschool so I guess I look back on it nostalgically but it's really not a bad book. DeLillo can't write women convincingly, but his descriptions and catalogues are 10/10.
It's my second favorite book. It's an essential novel that everybody should read if they want to understand the times we live in.
>>7786563
i loved the book as well. what's your favorite book, anon?
>>7786570
Gravity's Rainbow (pretty boring choice for this board, I know, but I read it long before I discovered this place). Number three is Something Happened by Joseph Heller.
>>7786640
Fine choices all around
I dont get how dfw can love this but hate bret easton ellis. Isnt it similar?
>>7785057
I read it expecting to like it because I'm a big fan other other pomo writers like Pynchon and Gaddis, but I really didn't.
Would I like any of his other stuff if I didn't like White Noise?
>>7785057
I think that Libra is better.
>>7786807
No. Wallace thought DeLillo had fantastic prose. He thought BEE wrote no substance shock value bullshit.
>>7786116
97 here. I felt DeLillo's commentary is still relevant. Especially the balding son, funny and very real
IM GONNA READ MRS DALLOWAY THEN LIBRA WEEEEEEEW
[Noun]studies Professor wakes up to find his son is more redpilled than he ever will be.
>>7786814
>>7788575
Libra is literally a flawless novel. Not even Flaubert could match that perfection.
Reminder thatthey've been watching you, Anon, for a long time now, and are putting messages into the Horoscopes section of the newspapers just for you to see.
>>7785057
it reminded me a lot of True Stories, i think he wrote it as sterilely as he did because to write about hyperconsumerism any other way would be hypocritical
i genuinely don't understand how anyone thought it was boring, and it was anything but banal, maybe insipid but not banal
>>7786807
>i don't get how somebody can love eating oreos but hate eating the packaging that the oreos came in
Wasted my time reading 5 chapters before I realized I was being meme'd hard. I'm starter since then.
Don't ever listen to /lit/ when it comes to purchases, it's impossible to tell what's actually good and what's being liked ironically.
>>7789353
>I'm starter since then.
I meant smarter, goddammit.
>>7786396
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM
>>7789362
I don't think people need to like Pynchon or DeLillo, but they need to recognize their talent.
>>7789511
I recognize Pynchon even if I don't like him at all, but DeLillo is dreadful.
>>7789543
Well, agree to disagree my friend.
>>7786640
tbqh, white noise reminded me a lot of something happened, in a very good way. I really liked both.
>>7791548
Something Happened has one of the best endings of any book I've ever read
Hitler studies... Cracks me up every time I think about that.
>>7789563
I don't agree to that.
I thought it was great, but I must agree with some other anons in this thread; the last part, Dylarama, was the best. I found "The Airborne Toxic Event" to be a bit boring desu senpai
