I am currently reading white noise. I think I am stupid since I am enjoying it but… I cannot quite figure out his things connect in it. I mean, I am about 50 pages from the end so maybe things come together and I’ll have a aha moment… but right now I am finding it kinda impenetrable. Not in the language, that’s easy enough. But I feel like the book has all of the clues right there but I am not putting them together. A bit like I feel when I watch a David lynch movie…
Oh definitely, Duncan! That seems to be the consensus on Cosmopolis, so I wasn’t too worried about folks reading it. With your interest in crime, Running Dog and Libra might be a good fit. Cheers, Jack
Glad you enjoyed White Noise! I hope you enjoy whichever of those you try next. The Names is a little closer to what he does in White Noise, but Libra is excellent. Cheers, Jack
I appreciate the encouragement to pick up some of DD's earlier novels. I've read White Noise and Underworld and Point Omega, but the rest are still out there waiting. I do hope the adaptation of White Noise captures some of the weird humor that I remember. This is great prod to explore more of the backlist. Thanks and have a great weekend, Jack.
Those are three of his best, Sonya, so if you enjoyed them then I hope you find more of the idiosyncratic beats in his other books. My wife and I are both very excited for White Noise. I hope you have a really enjoyable weekend as well! Cheers, Jack
He’s a great author and I saw him do a reading of underworld. But like you said I felt I needed to start elsewhere and build up to it. I started with Great Jones St and that almost stopped the process! Fortunately I have since read and loved Libra, White Noise and Mao II. Underworld might be next, and I have a copy of Amazons too when he wrote as Cleo Birdwell and it sounds hilarious!
Thanks, Ian! Great Jones Street might be great for a reader who is super interested in the mythology of Bob Dylan, but it’s otherwise a very imperfect novel. Glad you enjoyed those later novels. Did you have a favorite? Hope you have a great weekend! Cheers, Jack
Absolutely loved to see some DeLillo discussion content! You're right about there not being as large a devoted fanbase as it would seem- but, nonetheless, his bibliography really is outstanding. Personally, I'm a massive fan of his seventies works- including Americana, which I understand the negative buzz around, but which I think has some great merit personally, and I all around enjoyed it- but especially Great Jones Street and End Zone I think are underrated and incredible pillars of his works, along with Ratner's Star, which I remember him citing (I'm not sure I could find exactly where) as one of his personal favorites. I also think that his post Underworld work is criminally underrated and receives far too much hate, personally. The Body Artist and Point Omega are genuinely outstanding, and some of my favorite works of his, along with Falling Man, The Silence, Zero K, et cetera. Also his plays, Valparaiso and Love-Lies-Bleeding especially, are some of his most fascinating works. I agree with a lot of your picks for beginning reads; I'd also add on Pafko At The Wall, especially for those who are planning on reading Underworld, it's really good preparation for that, and an incredible work in it's own right. So much of his bibliography goes overlooked and underrated, and it's really cool to see content exploring his work beyond the eighties and nineties, specifically beyond just White Noise, Libra, and Underworld.
I'm currently reading The Names, in the Library of America volume. I agree with many people. This, and not White Noise, is where he really found his voice. It laid the foundation for everything that's followed.
Point Omega, The Silence, and End Zone each have their merits and make great forays into DeLillo’s work, but Point Omega is best read after Underworld, and the other two are quite focused and may not reveal the full depth he is capable of as a writer. I do not recommend Cosmopolis as a starting point, but I doubt anyone is reading it first, even after the Cronenberg adaptation. Please share you favorite works by DeLillo or counterpoints to my ideas! Thanks, Jack
I didn't like Point Omega at all, but Underworld is probably my favourite book. In terms of his novellas, The Body Artist is a lot better than Point Omega, imo.
I found Mao II was DeLillo's most cohesive, coherent and compelling books, and one's whose symmetry of structure and reasonable length makes it more approachable for a reader starting down the DeLillo path.
Thanks. I've been wanting to get into DeLillo, but White Noise hasn't really grabbed me over the course of the first few pages. This video was helpful in understanding his work and approach to writing. I might try Running Dog first.
Great video! I started with Falling Man cuz I got a large print hardback for like a buck at a library sale, lol. 😅 I felt like it was false advertising cuz it didn't end up being about what I thought it would be about. Then I read Underworld, (thought it was...ok), then Mao II, (like Falling Man, it seemingly devolved into nothing and the characters made some of the strangest decisions I've ever seen), then Libra, (which I actually really liked a lot. Delillo is conflicting for me; as a prose stylist he's one of the finest, but his books just seem so devoid of emotion and his characters speak like no humans I've ever encountered. And sometimes it's like he's trying for "edgy". I think I've read about all of his books that strike my interest; for my money Libra is the best; it's the only book of his that's actually managed to make me really feel something. But yeah, I think you've got some good advice here for newcomers. 🙂
Hahahahahaha, Tyler, you basically read all of the books I would avoid as a newcomer!! Libra is a fantastic book. I appreciate it more each time I’ve read it. You’re on to something with his characters. They do not represent the typical human we are or encounter, though I’ve met a few folks who speak that way. Hope you have a wonderful weekend! Cheers, Jack
I had missed this great video! I just started Underworld and it’s proving to be a higher, spiritual, mystical experience. My only disappointment with him is his not having resolved his existential research into some positive spirituality, but my God, reading him at his peak is an exhilarating experience. I am giggling and laughing and letting out “ha!” of enthusiasm every few seconds!
@@ramblingraconteur1616 At about p. 550 now ! Absolutely magnificent. Gives me the feeling of poetry even if it’s prose. Only thing, the central chapter about “Klara” drags a bit, but overall it’s unbelievable. Especially the opening scene , which he initially wrote as a separate short story.
Dang fascinating overview on the themes. Very interesting! Good looking out too, I was going to start with Underworld. I have White Noise, so I’ll start there! I also have Libra.
Thanks, Fraser! I hope that you are doing well. Let me know what you think of DeLillo. I suspect that you’ll either really enjoy White Noise or have a strong distaste for it, so I’m curious to see which it is. Cheers, Jack
I have been on a Delillo kick this year and it has been very rewarding. Zero K was the most moving and effective for me (a very Heideggerian novel, and it often reminded me of Houellbecq's early works). Mao II likely requires a re-read -- I appreciated the themes, but I likely did not read it at the most appropriate time in my life. I loved the Silence and Cosmopolis. I am currently re-reading The Body Artist (initially read it many years ago when I was not a particularly perceptive reader), and I am finding it to be quite extraordinary. It's only after writing this comment that I realise how much Delillo I actually read this year! Thanks for the video. edit - Also, off-topic, but have you read The Passenger by McCarthy yet? It's my book of the year thus far.
Hahaha, seems like we have both been on the DeLillo bus this year. The sparer works DeLillo has produced in the last decades might serve as a sort of palimpsest for readers. There are ideas and metaphors but they are sketched so briefly that there is space for the reader’s imagination. I have not read The Passenger yet. I’ll pick it up from the library in the near future. I’ve seen mixed reviews from longtime McCarthy readers. Hope you’re having a fantastic week! Cheers, Jack
I usually only read Stephen King or Noir or Dramatic literature (Plays) but when a dude like the great John Malcovitch decides to make a Stage Play from your novel like John did with Libra you know it has to be good!!!!!
What about Falling Man and Ratner’s Star? Only two I’ve not read. Loved: Underworld, Libra, White Noise, Great Jones Street, End Zone, Cosmopolis, Mao II, even Americana. So so: The Names, Point Omega, The Silence. Disliked: Players, Running Dog.
Thanks for this RR - I read (and didn't really get on with) Mao II but that was many years ago. I loved White Noise. Libra is next. Can I ask - who is your favourite novelist about America in the 1960s / 70s particularly from a political point of view?
I just started with Underworld (I read more than 50 pages) and I'm enjoying it. As a non-american, non-native English speaker, I'm struggling with some vocab and some american culture aspescts (such as the baseball game at the very start). I like the story of the black kid and the guest appearances of Hoover and Sinatra. I might eventually switch to White Noise if it gets too complex.
I loved White Noise the movie. My mom and I saw it in the theater and we both laughed. Adam Driver wouldn't have been my first pick for the main character, but he did great! When I read Underworld I couldn't believe how good it was. I read it six more times. It really is that good.
Hi! Great video. I am writing an article on the silence and m perplexed by it in so many aspects. Could u plz upload a detailed video on it or if i can get in touch wd u dor ur valuable views on it
@@ramblingraconteur1616 I’ve read & own Point Omega, Cosmopolis, The Body Artist, The Angel Esmeralda, & Falling Man. His more famous novels I haven’t gotten around to reading yet. Usually when covering an authors body of work, like this video, helps rekindle the curiosity for viewers like me to come back to those authors again. Thanks & cheers!
I just "discovered" Delillo because some idiot (who cowardly has comments turned off) listed him as a pretentious writer, and this is a very great video to get one interested.
Yesterday, I was looking for some harder novels to read and I pick up "Zero K", since one thing that I heard about Don DeLillo intrigue me. So, here I am, to learn more about him.
End Zone has the paranoia, nuclear war in this case, that is a DeLillo hallmark, but it’s basically one extended metaphor between football and war. His early works tend to operate on that level, under the heavy influence of Thomas Pynchon. I hope you enjoy it, Dylan! There’s plenty more from him. Cheers, Jack
It’s in the middle of the pack among her post-Underworld works: stronger than Cosmopolis and The Body Artist, not as impactful as Point Omega or The Silence. Hope you’re having a good weekend, Ann! Cheers, Jack
And, I just ordered Underworld... I'll either pile through it, or order another one of his novels, and keep it on hold. Either way, I'm excited to give his works a go, and see what all the hype's about.
@@ramblingraconteur1616 I ordered White Noise. So, I'll take your advice and start there. Thanks for the reply. I know that mountain all too well, but I figure if I can get though James Joyce's Ulysses, I can get through anything.
Thanks for the kind words. Matthiessen is one of my favorite writers, and I hadn’t thought of him in connection to DeLillo. Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Jack
Definitely not a common opinion! Cosmopolis probably reads better now that we have his 21st century books, particularly The Silence and Point Omega. In the aftermath of Libra and Underworld it was a definite change of pace. Best, Jack
His works can be hit or miss, but there are some really interesting ideas that DeLillo pushes towards in his better works. Let me know if you decide to check him out. Cheers, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 Thanks, but I don't like 'idea' novels. I stopped reading Turgenev's "Fathers and Sons" when I realized it was about Nihilism. John Zerzan's essays have been a great help for me to turn my back on civilization and open up to wild nature. I rid myself of beliefs and opened up to unmediated experience. But it's just a partial thing. Cheers.
That's one of the places I recommended folks start, particularly if they have an interest in US history or conspiracies. It's much more than a "dry run" for Underworld. Hope you're having a Happy New Year. Cheers, Jack
I think Falling Man is criminally underrated. White Noise is a great book but Falling Man gives you a better and more resonant application of Ernest Becker’s ideas.
Falling Man is the only full book of DeLillo's that I've read (I've read bits and pieces of Libra and plan to read it and his other works at some point), but I found it really haunting and impactful. A great piece of work.
I read it last summer. I thought it was an interesting take on the Dylan myth and heavily influenced by Thomas Pynchon, sort of a road DeLillo took for a few years before finding a new path in the 1980s. What did you think of it? Cheers, Jack
