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kalulah 's review for:
Underworld
by Don DeLillo
Reading DeLillo always feels like a strange dream and Underworld is no different. It's a really long, strange dream; and you're either into it or you're not.
Right from the first chapter, which I have now read about ten times, I was hooked on DeLillo's choice to use a single baseball from one of the most famous games and most famous pitches in history as an allegory for American history. Beyond the masterful control DeLillo has over language in the first chapter, each character throughout the novel and each of their respective storylines are especially compelling, from Nick Shay to Sister Edgar. As disparate as these stories seem, DeLillo weaves them together with the smallest threads to give us something worthwhile.
To many readers, the randomness of this novel and its lack of a clear plot can be frustrating. From another perspective, DeLillo chooses to embrace the chaos and dig for a deeper meaning in our digital, consumerist world that often feels like a fever dream or a feeling of being "lost in the data stream." Reading Underworld is not easy; it isn't always enjoyable and his dialogue can sometimes be difficult to follow. Nevertheless, every sentence and word is beautifully and purposefully written. I think I'll find myself reading Underworld over and over again throughout my life and finding new meaning each time.
Right from the first chapter, which I have now read about ten times, I was hooked on DeLillo's choice to use a single baseball from one of the most famous games and most famous pitches in history as an allegory for American history. Beyond the masterful control DeLillo has over language in the first chapter, each character throughout the novel and each of their respective storylines are especially compelling, from Nick Shay to Sister Edgar. As disparate as these stories seem, DeLillo weaves them together with the smallest threads to give us something worthwhile.
To many readers, the randomness of this novel and its lack of a clear plot can be frustrating. From another perspective, DeLillo chooses to embrace the chaos and dig for a deeper meaning in our digital, consumerist world that often feels like a fever dream or a feeling of being "lost in the data stream." Reading Underworld is not easy; it isn't always enjoyable and his dialogue can sometimes be difficult to follow. Nevertheless, every sentence and word is beautifully and purposefully written. I think I'll find myself reading Underworld over and over again throughout my life and finding new meaning each time.