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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Equally challenging and rewarding. A magnum opus by one of the American Novelists to ever do it.
I definitely didn't "get" it. Some incredible segments of prose sandwiched by a whole lot of nothing. I respect the writing quality and the scope/ideas behind this beast of a novel but feel pretty unsatisfied all said and done.
Here's the thing about me and Don DeLillo, which, knowing I was getting close to the end of Underworld, I've been trying to articulate to friends lately. On a sentence-by-sentence and scene-by-scene basis basis, it's hard to find a better writer. He's a remarkable writer in that his sentences themselves are often beautiful. I enjoy the rhythm of his words. He writes well, better than pretty much anyone else. But, when you add all of those sentences and scenes up into novels--with the exception of White Noise, which is absolutely terrific, and which you should go read, if you haven't yet had the pleasure--it doesn't often add up, for me. Besides Underworld and White Noise, I've read The Names and The Body Artist, and I will likely read the rest of his novels, because I really want to find one that I like as well as I like White Noise. I really want to find one that delivers both on the sentence level and holistically. Parts of Underworld are brilliant. I really hoped the whole thing, as a whole thing, would be. For me, it wasn't.
I admire the man. I admire his work. I'l probably read Libra next or Mao II.
I admire the man. I admire his work. I'l probably read Libra next or Mao II.
challenging
dark
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What's it about? What's it about ? I don't get it! What's it about? READ YOU IMBECILES! It's a book it is about READING---what is the Office about? Or Beethoven's 9th? It doesn't have a POINT!! You dead fish. You over literal Nazis. READ IT. READ IT. READ IT....seriously it's not about anything there is no point there is no Climax--but, b-but when is the Inciting Incident? Gooooood GOD! The book is a wonderful experience. Just sit down and read it, a few sections at a time. Enjoy the prose. Enjoy those little nuggets of experience described in a way we are all strangely familiar. In other words enjoy reading.....Freaks......
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn't hate it but I did grow tired of it.
The subtle (and obvious) connections between characters, the mystery of the connection between the baseball and the bomb, the number 13... interesting. But maybe 2/3 of the way through this beast of a novel the story became less about intrigue and more just the history of the protagonist and I became impatient. And the epilogue, where the author is appears to be trying to tie things together in a tidy bow... nope. Either I wasn't smart enough to understand or DeLillo's writing was far too abstruse to be understood. Big letdown.
The subtle (and obvious) connections between characters, the mystery of the connection between the baseball and the bomb, the number 13... interesting. But maybe 2/3 of the way through this beast of a novel the story became less about intrigue and more just the history of the protagonist and I became impatient. And the epilogue, where the author is appears to be trying to tie things together in a tidy bow... nope. Either I wasn't smart enough to understand or DeLillo's writing was far too abstruse to be understood. Big letdown.