Underworld

I checked this out from the library and it changed my life.Look, this isn't for everyone. It's slow, it meanders aimlessly for hundreds of pages. But the ending is so amazing it drops your jaw and caves your chest. There is a reason why some call this the elusive Great American novel, and the best written in the 20th century.I loved this book, and it doesn't matter to me at all if you do. If you gave up before the end, I get it. But if you didn't, you know what I mean when I say this book will change everything you've ever thought about.

It’s difficult to admit that one of the most amazing books I have ever read is one that I would not recommend to most readers I know. But that is the case with Underworld. I have spent a little over a year reading, re-reading and digesting this book. And it is a journey that is not for everybody. But it is a journey which I am very glad I took.I am not a “DeLillo loyalist.” I have only read 3 of his novels, yet I do not think that matters in reading this one. In fact, those who are used to the much more accessible and funny “White Noise” will probably feel alienated by this book. This book stands alone. And it is an achievement on a grand scale. Very few writers can even dream of accomplishing what DeLillo has here.Part of the reason why I think this novel is so inaccessible is because it is not even about what most people think it is about, at least in my opinion. It is often described as being about “The Cold War,” and to some degree that is a part of it. But it is so much bigger than that. This book is an opus of realism about the second half of the 20th century, and what we can learn from that. Certainly the Cold War was a big part of that, but its more about its role than it is about the Cold War itself.The characters presented here are human scale. Other than Bobby Thompson, there are no heroes here. Every once in a while one of these characters does something amazing. But just like life, by and large these characters are underwhelming and disappointing.Those seeking the traditional “plot-driven” or “character-driven” novel simply have no way to see the forest for the trees here. Because if you think these characters don’t “live-up,” “impress” or “come-together” enough for you, guess what: that’s how most people measure up in real life too.But even that is only a small element to this book. DeLillo waits till the very end of the book to explicitly state what he has been trying to show us all along. “Everything is connected in the end.” And when he says everything, he means everything. That may not make for a fun read, but every seemingly “self-indulgent” aside included in this book is meant to be here. From the long sections on sewage being dumped in the ocean, to the many repeated mentions of atomic bomb testing, everything is connected. And when these cliché characters take a break from their mundane lives to do violence to one another, that too is connected to the impending threat of violence that hangs over us all.CONCLUSIONThere are certain books which are so large in scale and scope that they must be presented in a more accessible format. Look at the reviews for “American Psycho” before and after the movie. And “Requiem For A Dream” is the kind of book that most readers scoffed at before the incredibly effective film-adaptation was available. Sadly, I fear the ideas that DeLillo addresses may be too large even for translation to the big screen. But this is a book worth tackling, for those willing to be open to a new kind of reading experience, where the whole world is taken into account on an epic scale.

One of DeLillo's longer reads so take that into account if you only have time to read books you can get through quickly. Whether you'll enjoy this or not depends on if you like a firm 1990's setting and are captivated by the authors writing style along with his slant on things- eye for satire his own particular brand of humor- the critics love him and alot of readers that enjoy something not exactly predictable or standard in style also pick him up.

I read White Noise and was not impressed but at least it was shorter. I believe DeLillo is a talented writer but this was a waste of my time if not his since it was a bestseller. There is no plot to speak of, and, as something of a mystery through most of the book. It’s resolution has no impact. The main theme is garbage and perhaps other aspects of society most of us are not familiar with, like bomb making. There are many, many characters, none of which stand out and many forgettable.

Don DeLillo can write spellbinding sentences and paragraphs. There are also a few set-piece scenes in this book that are intriguing. But over the course of this very long book he was not able to sustain my interest.This is primarily because I just didn't care about any of the characters. It's difficult to feel emotion for someone who clearly is not flesh and blood but is simply a pawn in the author's hand, being pushed around to fulfill his/her spot in the grand theme. The problem of believing in the characters was made worse by the fact that we see some of them at different points in time, decades apart, and although the names were the same I couldn't believe that they were the same person.Stylistically, DeLillo has some unfortunate habits.One of these is repeating thoughts in kind of a round-robin cycle every three or four paragraphs. Perhaps he trying to get into some kind of "jazz rhythm" but the effect on me is that of a bad saxophone player who keeps honking away on the same riff over and over.Another habit is that of having characters not end their sentences, despite the fact that DeLillo decides to plop down a period at the end of what they're saying. Particularly in the New York 1950's sections, it gets irritating. Did people really talk like that ALL THE TIME? I certainly wasn't there, so maybe I'm wrong, but I am suspicious of this note-perfect fast-patter dialog everyone seems so adept at.On the plus side, DeLillo does a great job of evoking the atmosphere of the Giants-Dodgers playoff game, and he has made me (finally) appreciate Lenny Bruce, more so than listening to actual Lenny Bruce recordings. (Are these Lenny Bruce bits real? Or did DeLillo make them up?)And I enjoyed the bit where a married couple go to the "Float" section (?) of San Francisco to track down a baseball. I got the feeling here that DeLillo is just loosening up and having fun, setting aside his pursuit of The Theme for a few pages. I wished he had done that more often.To sum up, DeLillo is capable of great writing, and I admire the ambition of this book, but based on this he has a ways to go before he can write a novel that could be considered good.I was probably a quarter of the way into this book when I felt like throwing in the towel, but forced myself to keep going. Was it worth it? Maybe not ...