White Noise

Consumerism and Death

White Noise / 978-1-440-67447-1 White Noise, arguably Delillo's best work, carefully explores a world where consumerism has, almost literally, consumed us all, to the point where we become empty shells of people. The extended family in the book have been reduced by consumerism to two-dimensional beings, dependent upon television and other cultural stimuli to tell them how to think and behave. Occasionally, they act out against this emptiness (or is it that a wire has been crossed in the brain?) with idiosyncrasies such as a pronounced preference for the smell of burnt toast, or a tendency to find frumpy jogging outfits attractive. On the weekends, they shop at the local supermarket, under the soporific thrall of the overhead neon lights. When their consumer culture literally threatens to kill them, via a toxic waste spill on the town railroad, they are ill-prepared to respond and look to their customary authorities (television and radio) on how to react to the emergency. When fire trucks storm through town, broadcasting an evacuation notice, the mother wonders absently whether the evacuation is a suggestion or a command. And in the aftermath of the toxic cloud, even when many have died and many more have had their lives shortened by exposure to the poison, the town feels no outrage, only numbness that what is normally confined to the television news stories nevertheless happened in their idyllic town. Actors themselves, they practice emergency evacuations, determined to perform better "next time". Despite the shallowness of their lives, they fear death. Some self-medicate with dangerous experimental drugs in an attempt to control that fear. Others take up death-defying hobbies in the hope that this will deaden their fear. They discuss which food preservatives will kill them, whether the phones lines will cause cancer, which yoga poses will prolong their lives, and how to squeeze every drop of life out of their lives. When a character points out how much energy is wasted in daily life (carrying things that don't need to be carried, making extra trips, etc.), another asks what would one do with all the saved energy. The answer: Live longer. In this way, Delillo paints a stunning and frightening portrait of a community that fears death yet has no love for life. ~ Ana Mardoll

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

More like White Crap

Along with The Catcher in the Rye, this is the worst book of all time. This book has a plot...sort of. it moves so slowly, that by the time it ends, you hate everyone in the family so much that you hope they all die. Boo to White Noise.

3 out of 12 people found this review helpful.

Twice as Long as It Needed to Be

I recognize that the bizarre and arbitrary plot twists are supposed to reflect the nature of modern society, but they made for an unsatisfying book. Certainly DeLillo's reflections on consumerism are interesting--a sort of verbal reflection of Warhol's Pop Art. But they get repeated over...and over...and over. The character of Murray is too obviously a foil for Jack, and their philisophical discussions feel contrived. And frankly, the book feels dated. I found myself quickly bored by the earnest critiques of deceptive advertising and corporate greed. Maybe it's a generational gap. Because we're already inured to the idea that huge corporations could take over the world.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

black humor at its finest

white noise surprised me greatly, not only as a perfect example of stylized postmodernism, but a great tale full of the darkest humor. delillo is not only a beautiful wordsmith but an intellegent writer who makes fear of death, mortality, and faithfulness seem digestible while making the entire experience a smart and humorous experience.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Postmodern Paradise

This book is phenomenal. For those who enjoy a realistic trip through a novel which portrays the real world as something more absurd or fantastical, this book is for you. DeLillo writes in a heavily ironic style which criticizes multiple outlets of state or government authority, state sponsored events or violence, and more generally the situation of modern Americans or all people for that matter. The majority of this book is written in a beautiful fashion which cannot be passed over if you enjoy wholesome literature. To those who consider this book boring or tedious, one might only wonder how much of this work or their own world they have ignored. As a runner-up in the New York Times' recent writers, critics, and editors survey of the best work of American fiction in the last 25 years, this book deserves far more credit than I can possibly give to it here.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

I love to read for pleasure. But...

This book was not pleasurable at all! I was forced to read it for 11th grade Lit class, and if I never see another Don Dilillo book, I will die a happy girl. It was complete waste of time, and I DO NOT RECCOMEND this book to ANYONE!!!!

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

It's ok for English classes, but not for your time

I thought the book was ok, but is geared more towards middle aged white men. This book is very slow moving and is boring. I reccomed this only if you enjoy semi-suspense, but not in for a thriller.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Stylistically mirrors our times

White Noise captures the multi-tasked, ADD-infused overload of our time. Corporate content, centrally scrutinized Kardasian junk feed. Like our society, no clear resolution. Why read it? Because The Matrix says so! A great read.

Exceptional. White Noise = black humor.

Exceptional. White Noise = black humor.

Highly recommended - A Wild Ride

I enjoyed Underworld immensely, then came back to White Noise. I was afraid it would suffer in comparison, but this book really holds its own.

This is post modern fiction at its best. Things might be going on now, might have never happened, or might simply be untrue static. For me, I enjoyed the overall book, but bogged down here and there.

Avoid if you don't like post modern books or if you prefer a linear plot with the writer filling in all the dots. If you like uncertainty and the idea that a book might have a number of meanings, go for this one and Underworld, too. Good book for discussion if your entire group can deal with uncertainty and the writer not telling you how to interpret what is happening (or has happened, or might happen).

Could be it's all just static anyway!

Laborious read but with Catch 22 glimpses.

I am an avid reader. This is one of the few books that I finally just set aside, rather than finish. I was close to the end. Just didn't care about the story. Interesting characters but the plot was uninteresting and the writing style was not to my taste. I enjoyed the abundant irony, cleverly developed traits/quirks of the characters, and the social issues. Some very funny parts, almost Catch 22.

Beautifully written, intellectually stimulating book.

I'll admit, it took me about 30 pages before I realized what I was reading and how good this book really is. It is indeed slow, and at times, you will find yourself re-reading paragraphs. But it is worth it. Don't read this book on a plane or on the train to work. Give it a peaceful setting and attack it with an open mind.

Suprisingly good

Surprisingly good I have to say that this book is quite good . I am a student from Belgium and I am in the 6th grade of Secondary school . I have to read it for my final exam at the end of the year . This book is good, it gives me look at 'the American Way' . ( By the way : Belgium is not the capital of Brussels, it's the opposite) G reetz, M

This book was delightful

I love DeLillo and I loved this book. It paints a very realistic picture. The characters remind me of people I know. Calling it boring, well... I'll just say no.

Splendid, my friends.

Well, this book was not meant to be an edge-of-your-seat thriller. However, its sheer psychological implications of truth and consciousness make it enlightening and compelling. It touches upon topics in modern society that receive little attention as Americans trudge through their routines. Delillo has a talent and an incisive intellect that makes him essential to deciphering the post-modern world. Jack Gladney is an unforgettable example of mid-life crisis at its absolute worst.

'Compelling to the second drop'

Jack Galdney, a major in Hitler Studies at the local collage in a Middle American town, is introduced to a toxic spillage and must flee with his family of six including his wife, Babette, who is in a constant state of fear of death. Later, Jack discovers his deeply-loved wife, is concealing a horrendous secret from him, of taking a mystifying, unknown drug which supposedly cures her condition. Jack, along with his colleagues, are on a quest to find what and why, but ultimately, who, created this drug that serves an unknown purpose, along with the constant batter of massive consumerism and constant noise from TV¿s, to language of radiation. White Noise, it seems. ¿An awesome book. Contains real background structures of today¿s media. Lots of deep physiological drama.¿

English Writing Major Gives Props To Delillo

I have to say that DeLillo's book not only captured my interests, but fascinated me at the same time. I think everyone should pick this book up and read it. Granted it can be depressing at times, but it captures the best of what this real world is coming to. Trust me...pick this up.

A "Thinking" Novel

Don DeLillo¿s White Noise is the story of Jack Gladney, a Professor at the local University, and his quest to save himself and his family. He lives with his wife and their children. The book is a complex, multi-staged novel with several intertwined plots. Small details quickly elevate into major points of the plot. Likewise, minor occurrences quickly spiral out of control. Jack is constantly moving around while trying to juggle his school responsibilities and keeping his family in equilibrium. The son is meeting friends who will try death defying stunts and a wife who is taking special medication. One aspect of this novel that I truly admire is Don DeLillo¿s ability to put the reader in positions where they begin to think about instances that aren¿t even in the book. This is rare in many novels because this is one novel that challenges conventional thinking. It tells more than just a story. The novel forces the reader to ponder questions that we take as common knowledge. In one instance, Heinrich, Jack¿s son, challenges his father with a proposal to define rain. Even as Jack decides on a reasonable answer, Heinrich has a veritable battalion of retorts to trump Jack¿s definition. This made me think about other situations we accept as the norm without fully understanding them. I also enjoyed the vivid descriptions DeLillo goes into when he describes situations. During periods of chaos, he explains not just the characters feelings, but their surrounding atmosphere as well. This really puts one into the novel. I felt like I knew Jack, and I knew his wife. There were times when I wanted to shout advice to the characters (a la horror films), but only to remember, ¿It is only a book.¿ It is really that well written. Don DeLillo is an amazing writer. I believe this novel to be one of the novels I have ever read. The book has elements of Science Fiction, a satirical novel, it can even get a bit risqué in places. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading other books he has written.

Common Commotion

This was one of the best novels that I have written in a long time. It made me feel that it was totally real, it painted a picture in my head. They seemed to be the modern american day family with a hint of Brandy Bunch touch to them. I would reccomend this novel to anyone who would be interested in reading it.

review

i would recommend this book but would advice that the reader try to get something out of each scenario rather than something from the entire book. there are obvious themes that help tie the scenes together but overall the plot is lacking and unresolved.