White Noise
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- Create Date：2021-11-28 09:54:02
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Don DeLillo
- ISBN：0143129554
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Summary
Part of the Penguin Orange Collection， a limited-run series of twelve influential and beloved American classics in a bold series design offering a modern take on the iconic Penguin paperback
For the seventieth anniversary of Penguin Classics， the Penguin Orange Collection celebrates the heritage of Penguin’s iconic book design with twelve influential American literary classics representing the breadth and diversity of the Penguin Classics library。 These collectible editions are dressed in the iconic orange and white tri-band cover design， first created in 1935， while french flaps， high-quality paper， and striking cover illustrations provide the cutting-edge design treatment that is the signature of Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions today。
White Noise
Winner of the 1985 National Book Award， White Noise tells the story of Jack Gladney， his fourth wife， Babette， and their four ultramodern offspring， as they navigate the rocky passages of family life to the background babble of brand-name consumerism。
For the seventieth anniversary of Penguin Classics， the Penguin Orange Collection celebrates the heritage of Penguin’s iconic book design with twelve influential American literary classics representing the breadth and diversity of the Penguin Classics library。 These collectible editions are dressed in the iconic orange and white tri-band cover design， first created in 1935， while french flaps， high-quality paper， and striking cover illustrations provide the cutting-edge design treatment that is the signature of Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions today。
White Noise
Winner of the 1985 National Book Award， White Noise tells the story of Jack Gladney， his fourth wife， Babette， and their four ultramodern offspring， as they navigate the rocky passages of family life to the background babble of brand-name consumerism。
Reviews
Felix Hübner
，
"How strange it is。 We have these deep terrible lingering fears about ourselves and the people we love。 Yet we walk around， talk to people， eat and drink。 We manage to function。 The feelings are deep and real。 Shouldn't they paralyze us？ How is it we can survive them， at least for a little while？ We drive a car， we teach a class。 How is it no one sees how deeply afraid we were， last night， this morning？ Is it something we all hide from each other， by mutual consent？ Or do we share the same secre "How strange it is。 We have these deep terrible lingering fears about ourselves and the people we love。 Yet we walk around， talk to people， eat and drink。 We manage to function。 The feelings are deep and real。 Shouldn't they paralyze us？ How is it we can survive them， at least for a little while？ We drive a car， we teach a class。 How is it no one sees how deeply afraid we were， last night， this morning？ Is it something we all hide from each other， by mutual consent？ Or do we share the same secret without knowing it？ Wear the same disguise？" 。。。more
Mary
，
I found the book funny。 My favorite sentence" The radio then updates its information and says that it causes "nausea， vomiting， shortness of breath。" Babette calls up and says that Steffie and Denise have sweaty palms and Heinrich replies "Tell them they ought to be throwing up。" I found the book funny。 My favorite sentence" The radio then updates its information and says that it causes "nausea， vomiting， shortness of breath。" Babette calls up and says that Steffie and Denise have sweaty palms and Heinrich replies "Tell them they ought to be throwing up。" 。。。more
Socrate
，
Brecurile au sosit la amiază， un convoi strălucitor şi lung care gonea prin campusul de vest。 În şir indian， reduceau viteza când ocoleau sculptura portocalie elansată， din oţel， şi se îndreptau spre căminele studenţeşti。 Capotele brecurilor erau supraîncărcate cu valize încuiate cu grijă， valize pline de îmbrăcăminte uşoară şi groasă; cu cutii cu pleduri， bocanci şi pantofi， papetărie şi cărţi， cearşafuri， perne şi plăpumi; cu saci de dormit şi covoraşe făcute sul; cu biciclete， schiuri， rucsac Brecurile au sosit la amiază， un convoi strălucitor şi lung care gonea prin campusul de vest。 În şir indian， reduceau viteza când ocoleau sculptura portocalie elansată， din oţel， şi se îndreptau spre căminele studenţeşti。 Capotele brecurilor erau supraîncărcate cu valize încuiate cu grijă， valize pline de îmbrăcăminte uşoară şi groasă; cu cutii cu pleduri， bocanci şi pantofi， papetărie şi cărţi， cearşafuri， perne şi plăpumi; cu saci de dormit şi covoraşe făcute sul; cu biciclete， schiuri， rucsacuri， şei englezeşti sau de cowboy şi saltele pneumatice。 În timp ce maşinile încetineau şi de-abia se mai târau， studenţii săreau din mers， se repezeau la portierele din spate şi începeau să scoată obiectele din interior; aparatele stereo， radiourile， calculatoarele personale; mici frigidere şi aragazuri portabile; cutii de carton cu plăci de patefon şi casete; foehnuri şi droturi; rachete de tenis， mingi de fotbal， crose de hochei pe gheaţă şi de hochei pe iarbă， arcuri şi săgeţi; medicamente şi substanţe chimice permise， pilule şi dispozitive contraceptive; mâncare aflată încă în pungile de cumpărături ― cartofi prăjiţi， cu ceapă şi usturoi， sărăţele， pateuri cu cremă de alune， Waffelos şi băutură energizantă Kaboom， gumă de mestecat cu fructe şi floricele în caramel; bomboane Dum Dum şi bomboane de mentă Mystic。Am asistat la spectacolul ăsta în fiecare septembrie timp de douăzeci şi unu de ani。 Evenimentul este extraordinar， fără excepţie。 Studenţii se salută unii pe alţii cu strigăte comice şi gesturi de prăbuşire toropită。 Vara lor a fost plină de plăceri criminale， ca întotdeauna。 Părinţii stau lângă automobilele lor orbiţi de soare şi îşi văd propriile imagini mişunând în toate direcţiile。 Cei bronzaţi conştiincios。 Feţele plăcute şi aerul inteligent， amuzant。 Ei au senzaţia de reînnoire， de recunoaştere comună。 Femeile drăcoase şi sprintene， zvelte în urma dietei， care ştiu numele oamenilor。 Soţii lor， mulţumiţi să măsoare timpul， sunt distanţi dar nu ranchiunoşi， desăvârşiţi întru paternitate， ceva din ei sugerând asigurarea solidă împotriva riscurilor。 Această reuniune de brecuri， precum şi ce puteau face în cursul anului， mai mult decât ceremoniile oficiale sau decât legile， le spun părinţilor că ei reprezintă adunarea celor ce gândesc asemănător şi a celor înrudiţi din punct de vedere spiritual， un popor， o naţiune。Am plecat din biroul meu， am coborât dealul şi am ajuns în oraş。 În oraş sunt case cu foişoare şi verande， cu două etaje， unde oamenii stau la umbra arţarilor bătrâni。 Există biserici în stilul renaşterii greceşti şi în stil gotic。 Există un azil de nebuni cu portic alungit， lucarne ornamentate şi acoperiş în două ape foarte înclinat， având un fleuron în formă de ananas deasupra， pe coamă。 Babette şi eu şi copiii noştri din căsătoriile anterioare locuim la capătul unei străzi liniştite， acolo unde odinioară fusese o zonă împădurită， cu văi adânci。 Dincolo de grădina din spatele casei trece o autostradă， mult sub noi， şi noaptea， când ne instalăm în patul de bronz， traficul rar se scurge pe-alături， murmur îndepărtat şi neîntrerupt în jurul somnului nostru， ca de suflete moarte care bolborosesc la marginea visului。Sunt şeful catedrei Hitler la College-on-the-Hill。 Eu am inventat studiile despre Hitler în America de Nord în martie 1968。 Era o zi senină şi rece， cu rafale de vânt intermitente venite de la răsărit。 I-am sugerat rectorului că am putea constitui o catedră completă în jurul vieţii şi operei lui Hitler şi el a sesizat repede posibilităţile。 Succesul a fost imediat， electrizant。 Rectorul a plecat şi a fost pe rând consilierul lui Nixon， Ford şi Carter， până când a murit într-un teleschi， în Austria。La Fourth şi Elm， maşinile virează la stânga spre supermarket。 O poliţistă， ghemuită în interiorul unui vehicul ca o cutie， patrulează zona şi vânează maşinile parcate ilegal， neregulile comise la parcometre， abţibildurile de revizie expirate。 Pe stâlpii de telefon din tot oraşul se văd afişe improvizate， uneori cu scris de copil， despre câini şi pisici pierdute。 。。。more
Eithan
，
Damn， one thing for sure was that i didn't expect such a bad writing。 The story is as dull as a rock， the 'profound' moments that Don inserts here & there insulted my intelligence， through sheer perseverance read about 15% & couldn't take it no more， who the hell decided that this is a classic？ of what？ Classic of bad writing？？？ Damn， one thing for sure was that i didn't expect such a bad writing。 The story is as dull as a rock， the 'profound' moments that Don inserts here & there insulted my intelligence， through sheer perseverance read about 15% & couldn't take it no more， who the hell decided that this is a classic？ of what？ Classic of bad writing？？？ 。。。more
David Harris
，
When I first read this book back in the nineties， I was in graduate school。 I loved the way the author captured the banality of a modern suburban life filled with absurd academic theories and fields of study， cookie-cutter neighborhoods， isolated snippets of overheard conversations about nothing interesting， etc。I've tried to read several other Don DeLillo novels in the interim， but I just can't get into them。 They're all just so long and filled with meaningless detail。 And I don't mean tha When I first read this book back in the nineties， I was in graduate school。 I loved the way the author captured the banality of a modern suburban life filled with absurd academic theories and fields of study， cookie-cutter neighborhoods， isolated snippets of overheard conversations about nothing interesting， etc。I've tried to read several other Don DeLillo novels in the interim， but I just can't get into them。 They're all just so long and filled with meaningless detail。 And I don't mean that they're uninteresting。 It's just that there are so many things I want to read as it is that it feels wrong to spend so much time reveling in such trivialities。 Still， I thought maybe it was time now to re-read this one。 I've done that now and have just finished listening to it on Libby。I still think it's a masterpiece， but it moved me a lot less this time than it did the first time I read it。 It seems to me now to be an homage to the mundane， a celebration of the victory of style over substance。 The start of every chapter is sort of like walking into a Walmart store for the umpteenth time and trying not to lapse into a deep depression。I love the main story line of the professor of Hitler Studies who is embarrassed that he doesn’t know German。 But， ultimately， that story doesn’t end up going anywhere。 Instead， the protagonist’s bizarre obsessions about the enigmatic Mr。 Gray take over toward the end， leading to a completely chaotic and difficult-to-follow conclusion。I remembered being impressed with the discussion with the nurse in the hospital at the end， the Catholic nun who sets the protagonist straight about belief in God and an afterlife。 When I first read the book， I found the idea of a clerical class whose primary function was to relieve non-believers of the burden to believe to be quite novel and interesting。 And I felt the same way this time。 I feel this theme could be extended and worked into a more major theme， and that that would probably improve this novel。 。。。more
Federica
，
Che trip meraviglioso ❤️
Ludvik
，
Opp og ned den her， av og til litt vel mye som skjer， men alt i alt mange morsomme øyeblikk og ideer
Ala'a Héjji
，
إما انها فعلًا سيئة أو أنا ما فهمت مغزاها 🤷🏻♀️ لكنّي ما استمتعت فيها أبد
سَلمى
，
'الخوف من الموت خوفٌ من الحياة。'على هامش إحدى الصفحات أكتبُ هذه العبارة المُرتَجلة، حيث لم يترك لي دون ديليلو خيارًا إلا التحديق في سقف الغرفة بعد انتهاء هكذا سرد كثيف بطيء مُتعب。بطل الرواية«جاك غلادني»يخاف الموت، وفي نفس الوقت يعمل أستاذًا في الجامعة بقسم دراسات هتلر، ثم يجلس وسط مجموعة غريبة من البشر يصفهم بأنهم أذكياء، سفّاحين، مولعين بالسينما، ومُستشيطين غضبًا على أتفه الأمور。 كادرٌ تدريسيّ بأكمله من مهاجري نيويورك حصريًا。 هجاءٌ للثقافة الأمريكية، كشفٌ لتوافه الوجود الأمريكي المعاصر، وتغريب 'الخوف من الموت خوفٌ من الحياة。'على هامش إحدى الصفحات أكتبُ هذه العبارة المُرتَجلة، حيث لم يترك لي دون ديليلو خيارًا إلا التحديق في سقف الغرفة بعد انتهاء هكذا سرد كثيف بطيء مُتعب。بطل الرواية«جاك غلادني»يخاف الموت، وفي نفس الوقت يعمل أستاذًا في الجامعة بقسم دراسات هتلر، ثم يجلس وسط مجموعة غريبة من البشر يصفهم بأنهم أذكياء، سفّاحين، مولعين بالسينما، ومُستشيطين غضبًا على أتفه الأمور。 كادرٌ تدريسيّ بأكمله من مهاجري نيويورك حصريًا。 هجاءٌ للثقافة الأمريكية، كشفٌ لتوافه الوجود الأمريكي المعاصر، وتغريب البشر عن أنفسهم。 أمواجٌ وإشعاعات متتالية في سياقٍ يُعقّد الإنسان في التاريخ، وفي دفقات دمه بفعل التكنولوجيا، والحياة التي أصبحت خاليةً من المعنى على حين غرّة。يكتب ديليلو عن الخوف كشعور لاذع نعرفه جميعًا، حين يتسلل إلينا بلا مقدّمات، وتتآكل بفعله رغبةُ العيش، والوجود، والتداخل مع الحياة في سياقها。 يخبرنا عن السخرية الذاتية، والمفارقة، والرّقة، والهشاشة، والسأم من العالم المتحضِّر، والإحساس التراجيدي بالتاريخ، "العالم المليء بالمعاني المهجورة، وفي الدماغ ترليون خلية عصبية تحمل كل خلية عشرةُ آلاف غُصين عصبي صغير。 منظومة تواصل داخلي تُثير الرهبة。 مجرة كاملة يمكن لك إمساكها في يدك، ولكنها أشد تعقيدًا، وأشد غموضًا。"وأنا أريد أن أصبح مثل هاينرش، يكافح كي يكبر وكي يهرب من الأنظار في آنٍ。 "لا تنظر إلى أحدٍ، لا تكشف شيئًا من ماضي داخلك، ابق هادئًا。"وفي عالمنا، أن تصنع لك عدوًا تشاهده مهزومًا أمامك ينزف دمًا، فقد تفوّقت على الموت قليلًا。 تفوّق أرعن。 "لذائذ عابرة، معايير صارمة。" ما فائدة شعورٍ مثل الخوف من الموت الذي يمرح تحت السماء الأمريكيّة في القرن الحادي والعشرين وهو يمنع أولئك عن الحياة؟ وفي الحوار الذي دار بين جاك والراهبة في المشفى كاد كل شيء ينقشع فجأة。。 ببساطة، بهدوء مميت。"لاغٍ حيثُ يكون محظورًا。"وهذه مراجعة غير مكتملة، لأن الرواية غير مكتملة بالنسبة لي، وثمة شيء ناقص على طول خط الأحداث لم أستطع تبيُّنه، ولكنها تجربة جديرة。。。سلمى3。5/5 。。。more
Jake Sheridan
，
A phenomenal collision between style and content。 Frustrating， and powerful in that frustration。 Give it a chance and stick with it -- even though I suspect narrative isn't the point， the conclusion is one of the best I've read in a while。 A phenomenal collision between style and content。 Frustrating， and powerful in that frustration。 Give it a chance and stick with it -- even though I suspect narrative isn't the point， the conclusion is one of the best I've read in a while。 。。。more
Sarah Rayman
，
This deeply philosophical story regarding a man and wife’s grappling with death and the crushing weight of existing knowing they are going to die coupled with a fear of death was delightful and thought provoking。 The loose plot kept me intrigued and the intense attempts to understand death and what it means to live were satisfying。 When Jack and Babette finally reveal to each other their respective secrets harmony between them is glorious。 “How strange it is。 We have these deep terrible lingerin This deeply philosophical story regarding a man and wife’s grappling with death and the crushing weight of existing knowing they are going to die coupled with a fear of death was delightful and thought provoking。 The loose plot kept me intrigued and the intense attempts to understand death and what it means to live were satisfying。 When Jack and Babette finally reveal to each other their respective secrets harmony between them is glorious。 “How strange it is。 We have these deep terrible lingering fears about ourselves and the people we love。 Yet we walk around， talk to people， eat and drink。 We manage to function。 The feelings are deep and real。 Shouldn’t they paralyze us？” （188） ‘“Why have I had this fear so long， so consistently？”’‘“It’s obvious。 You don’t know how to repress。 We’re all aware there’s no escape from death。 How do we deal with this crushing knowledge？ We repress， we disguise， we bury， we exclude。 Some people do it better than others， that’s all”’ （275） 。。。more
Athena Lynda
，
Don Dilillo’s White Noise is an amazing work。 It is not very plot heavy and is more symbolic and thought provoking。 I must read for everyone！
Ali
，
loved this book。 The novel touches on many topics from Consumerism to family dynamics but there is one reoccurring theme and that's the fear of death。 We follow jack and his family as they try to come to terms with their mortality and despite the bleakness of the topic it was surprisingly hilarious。 loved the interactions between the family。 loved the dialouge。 loved the characters and specially loved The Airborne Toxic Event。I heared this was a post-modern novel。 I don't know waht that means bu loved this book。 The novel touches on many topics from Consumerism to family dynamics but there is one reoccurring theme and that's the fear of death。 We follow jack and his family as they try to come to terms with their mortality and despite the bleakness of the topic it was surprisingly hilarious。 loved the interactions between the family。 loved the dialouge。 loved the characters and specially loved The Airborne Toxic Event。I heared this was a post-modern novel。 I don't know waht that means but if this is it then i'm a fan。 My first Delillo and definitely not gonna be the last。 Highly recommend for anyone who reads。 。。。more
Justin Dloski
，
Leaves you feeling extremely cold， like all Delillo， but deserves no less than 5。
Parastoooo
，
از اون کتابایی بود که ۵۰ صفحه اول رو که خوندم کتابو دوست نداشتم و بیشتر واسه اینکه خیلی ازش تعریف شنیده بودم ادامه دادم، واقعن قسمت های اول کتاب رو که رد میکنی و متوجه موضوع اصلی داستان میشی به نظرم خیلی خیلی خوب بود، به خصوص بخش هایی که جک درمورد وایلدر صحبت میکرد به خصوص توصیف اخر کتاب از وایلدر رو سه چرخه اش خیلی زیبا بود، خلاصه عشق کردم، بخونید شما هم！
Lisa
，
2。5The only dark cloud I see above is the elusiveness of why this is supposed to be such a great book 😊
Brian Riordan
，
I thought White Noise was a solid book。 What it lacked in narrative drive it made up for in salient observations and philosophical intrigue。 In particular， I thought the character of Murray was flush with the two aforementioned virtues。 His character in combination with Jack's relationship with Heinrich represented the strongest parts of the book。 Books are a portal into a different world。 White Noise succeeded in this pursuit not through the its creation of The-College-on-the-Hill and the adjoi I thought White Noise was a solid book。 What it lacked in narrative drive it made up for in salient observations and philosophical intrigue。 In particular， I thought the character of Murray was flush with the two aforementioned virtues。 His character in combination with Jack's relationship with Heinrich represented the strongest parts of the book。 Books are a portal into a different world。 White Noise succeeded in this pursuit not through the its creation of The-College-on-the-Hill and the adjoining town but through its creation of Jack Gladney's mind。 We see Jack process an array of human experiences in the book。 Told through Jack's perspective， these experiences act as a whetstone。 When Jack's character becomes sharper so does DeLillo's commentary。 This books succeeds because it transports the reader into the subjective experience of an unknown man。 Jack is a neurotic intellectual， a committed father， and an ambivalent husband。 He is an iconoclast and a conservative。 He is an academic fraud and a legitimate thinker， a devoted husband and a serial divorce'。 He is a man full of contradictions and that makes him feel real。 Their slow tragedy and quiet irony grind forward in a meter that mirrors real life。Every sentence of this book seemed to be rich and layered。 I'm sure analysis of this book could have a much more global context， meaning all the societal critique， but my favorite part was watching Jack's character develop。 He was a seemingly good man yet he was completely complicit in the absurdity of his circumstance。 There is something relatable in this。 。。。more
Francesca
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Impressioni a caldo: non mi ha fatto impazzire， ma sono comunque contenta di averlo letto， soprattutto perché mi ha dato la possibilità di scoprire la scrittura magistrale di Delillo。 Il romanzo ruota intorno al "rumore bianco" prodotto dalla civiltà postmoderna e la paura della morte che lega i protagonisti， tuttavia quest'ultima tematica non ha saputo suscitare il mio interesse， soprattutto per via delle tante， troppe paranoie di Jack （riconosco che quando pensava alla morte forse era disperat Impressioni a caldo: non mi ha fatto impazzire， ma sono comunque contenta di averlo letto， soprattutto perché mi ha dato la possibilità di scoprire la scrittura magistrale di Delillo。 Il romanzo ruota intorno al "rumore bianco" prodotto dalla civiltà postmoderna e la paura della morte che lega i protagonisti， tuttavia quest'ultima tematica non ha saputo suscitare il mio interesse， soprattutto per via delle tante， troppe paranoie di Jack （riconosco che quando pensava alla morte forse era disperato， ma la sua disperazione non mi arrivava）。 Anche le conversazioni sempre vuote di contenuti alla lunga mi hanno stancata， e ho dovuto iniziare a fare skimming e a saltare paragrafi pur di arrivare alla fine senza perdere interesse。 Purtroppo credo che la distanza temporale tra noi e questo romanzo del 1986 faccia un po' da filtro impedendo di immedesimarsi totalmente in Jack， ma rimane un ottimo libro。 。。。more
Jared
，
This curious， thought-provoking book seems to pick a spot， and then it just ends。 Hard questions are asked， few answers are given， and I’m left with a slight feeling of unease。 Such is life。White Noise is filled with intelligent， interesting characters， the older ones of which seem worried and paranoid。 The best parts of the book are to be found in the conversations that father Jack Gladney has with members of his family-- particularly his rather smart， balanced children， I’ll add-- and his frie This curious， thought-provoking book seems to pick a spot， and then it just ends。 Hard questions are asked， few answers are given， and I’m left with a slight feeling of unease。 Such is life。White Noise is filled with intelligent， interesting characters， the older ones of which seem worried and paranoid。 The best parts of the book are to be found in the conversations that father Jack Gladney has with members of his family-- particularly his rather smart， balanced children， I’ll add-- and his friend Murray， who seems to have everything in life figured out。 Though this was written in the 80s， it was nice to get to see what family life in the 80s might have looked like; what “normal” might have been from day to day for a modern family， all before Wifi， Amazon， and Disney took over everything。 Television and radio are there in the book， sure， but the Gladneys aren’t slaves to it。Part 1 of White Noise is very pleasant and ordinary in events and tone and reminds me of a Jonathan Franzen family novel。 It’s in Part 2 where the Gladneys’ lives get shaken up a bit， and the book's main conflict enters the picture: Fear of Death。 How Jack and his wife， Babette， deal with that fear is different， and it’s from that and the conversations the characters have around the topic that the author starts asking the reader the hard questions。Things nowadays are a bit different than they are in the setting of Don DeLillo’s White Noise， sure， but I was impressed by how much of the book， its questions and conflicts， is still relevant thirty-seven years later。 White Noise was the first I’ve read from Don DeLillo， but it will not be the last。 。。。more
Julie
，
Oh boy， did I take my time with this - 3 months for a book that's just a bit over 300 pages long doesn't bode well， does it？It's just because I found it dull and disjointed。 For context， it was published in 1985 and has won a number of accolades （including the US National Book Award for Fiction）， but I'm struggling with how to explain the premise of the novel to a human that's lived through the year 2020 and our humanity's airborne toxic event。Set in a quaint little college town， the book follow Oh boy， did I take my time with this - 3 months for a book that's just a bit over 300 pages long doesn't bode well， does it？It's just because I found it dull and disjointed。 For context， it was published in 1985 and has won a number of accolades （including the US National Book Award for Fiction）， but I'm struggling with how to explain the premise of the novel to a human that's lived through the year 2020 and our humanity's airborne toxic event。Set in a quaint little college town， the book follows the life of academic Jack Gladney， who is a pioneer in Hitler studies。 We meet his all-over-the-shop family （wife Babette， and children Denise， Steffie， Heinrcih and Wilder）。 Their lives are all thrown into chaos by a chemical spill of a mysterious substance called Nyodene-D， and the Gladneys have to temporarily flee their homes。 Jack's contact with the substance compels him to comfort his own mortality - and by becoming gradually obsessed with this， he finds out that Babette has been cheating on him in order to gain access to a fictional drug， Dylar， which is meant to treat the fear of death。 Makes sense， right？I completely understand how this novel is meant to explore a number of ideas which were at the forefront of the American collective psyche in the mid-1980s。 I'm also struggling to see its role in the current socio-political climate， except as a time capsule of how certain issues were perceived nearly 40 years ago。 In conclusion， it's probably worth reading as a historic artefact， but it's not the most enjoyable book。 。。。more
John Amundsen
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Frustrating and brilliant。 Not exactly pleasurable but at some points hilarious。 I read this in my early 20s and enjoyed it， now firmly in my 40s less so but still appreciate its craft。 Not sure how this will translate into a movie （coming out next year！）
Quo
，
Initially， there were things to embrace in reading White Noise by Don DeLillo but the novel seemed to descend into what I considered a chaotic network of discordant voices， exasperated characters & a thoroughly dysfunctional family。 Indeed， as Tolstoy had it， "every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way"， but this modern-day， blended family aroused little sympathy as I delved deeper into the narrative。 For starters， I found a definition of white noise that portrayed it as "a heterogeneous mix Initially， there were things to embrace in reading White Noise by Don DeLillo but the novel seemed to descend into what I considered a chaotic network of discordant voices， exasperated characters & a thoroughly dysfunctional family。 Indeed， as Tolstoy had it， "every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way"， but this modern-day， blended family aroused little sympathy as I delved deeper into the narrative。 For starters， I found a definition of white noise that portrayed it as "a heterogeneous mixture of sound waves extending over a wide frequency range" and felt， if nothing else， this phrasing captured at least some of the spirit of the much-praised DeLillo novel， with over 5，500 G/R reviews in tow。Although called a satire by some & even compared to Joseph Heller's classic， Catch 22 or a Vonnegut work， I felt that White Noise， while perhaps a sardonic glance at American life， failed to hold up as a satirical work in a meaningful way。 The attempt to show a collision of values， with art， culture & educational values seeming to merge， especially with a first day on campus in fall at "College-on-the-Hill"， students being delivered via station wagons （in a pre-SUV age） by parents "grown comfortable with the money & sense of entitlement， giving them a kind of rude health that caused them to glow a little"， stands as an apt， whimsical introduction to the novel。 Jack Gladney， a professor as well as founder of Hitler Studies holds forth at the college in the Popular Culture & American Environments Building on campus， with Alphonse Stompanato his department head， a man whose field of study includes the "Aristotelian nature of bubble gum wrappers， cereal boxes， detergent jingles & the ecology of the mall。" So far， so good but does the novel ever delve more deeply into any of this， perhaps delineating courses taught or a typical day on campus？ It does not， thus causing the initial narrative scaffolding to lack residual meaning， existing as just a literary device that flashes a promise it never delivers。 Jack's current， heavy-set wife Babette， with each having had a multitude of previous partners， reads to man in decline named Treadwell， runs up & down stadium steps in an attempt to slim down & tries to provide a semblance of order for 4 fractious children。 I found the children， including Steffie， Heinrich & Denise， in many ways more compelling than the adults & that may be part of the author's storyline。 The children are precocious， outspoken & even somewhat belligerent teens， with the exception of Wilder， who is withdrawn if not catatonic， at one point crying for 7 hours。 They are described as "kids with no addresses， only phone numbers， a race of people with a 7-bit consciousness"， this in a time just prior to the Internet's predominance。 There is also Murray， who describes himself as a New York Jew in exile， a college lecturer on Elvis。 In fact， one of the few meaningful exchanges on what seems to constitute the fabric of their academic lives is when Murray & Jack compare notes on Hitler & Elvis， concluding that both had extreme mother-fixations。 However， the bulk of their interaction is not on campus but at a nearby supermarket where they seem to have extremely frequent chance-encounters， with Murray in search of generic food。In the book's 2nd section， there is a potentially lethal Chernobyl-like escape of of noxious gas causing everyone to be evacuated。 When this abates， those who were afflicted suffer from attacks of deja-vu， a kind of potentially interesting tagline that never really gets fleshed out but with the characters also carrying a sense of "large scale ruin"。 It is postulated that perhaps Big Foot "will dramatically appear at a campsite in the Pacific NW， welcoming tourists as an apostle of peace。" Jack & Babette's child， Heinrich， a kind of wunderkind， explains the tendency to refocus on past events:It's like we've been flung back in time。 Here we are in the Stone Age， knowing all these great things after centuries of progress but what would you tell an ancient Greek that he wouldn't say， "big deal"？ What could you do to stop an epidemic？Meanwhile， Murray suggests that "every advance in knowledge & technique is matched by a new kind of death， a new strain， with death adapting like a viral agent。" Much of the novel is in fact about a fear of death， with Murray discussing its prospect with Jack and Jack having an ongoing dialogue with his wife Babette， who in particular wants to chart which one of them might die first， fearful that she might perish before her beloved husband。 However， he is so beloved that Babette has frequent trysts in a sleazy motel with a man who has developed a pill， called Dylar， to deal with the fear of death， not without side-effects to the health of the taker or to the well-being of her marriage with Jack。 At one point， she is cautioned:I think it's a mistake to lose one's sense of death， even one's fear of death。 Isn't death the boundary we need？ Doesn't it give a precious texture to life， a sense of definition？ You have to ask yourself whether anything you do in this life would have beauty & meaning without the knowledge you carry of a final line， a border or limit。I found the concluding chapters bleakly cartoonish rather than satirical， with the purpose of satire to make people & situations look ridiculous but with the ensuing aim of the ridicule， derision， parody or caricature often including the intent to inspire a kind of social reform or other potentially uplifting change。 While there are many forms of both humor & satire， when the author inserts a group of agnostic hospital nuns in a downtrodden hospital and a seemingly schizophrenic child crossing a highway on a small bike without any inkling of catastrophe near the conclusion of the novel， I found it dispiriting， rather than humorous。I've not previously read Don DeLillo & while there were things to admire in White Noise， I felt that the novel lacked both expected development & coherence， though this may very well be a minority opinion。*Within my review is a photo image of the author， Don DeLillo; a screen shot of white noise; Edvard Munch's painting， "The Scream"; and a quote from the author。 。。。more
Julia Anne
，
I had to think about this book for a bit before I felt I could rate it。 It has been so well reviewed and awarded， yet when I finished it I was a bit disappointed。 I had to take a step back and just enjoy the book for what I think it is。 It’s cleverly written， witty， and amusing。 It’s also dated and very disjointed。 I understand that was the point， but I am not a big fan of this type of writing。 It’s worth the read， as long as you don’t think too hard and just enjoy the ride，
Fia
，
I really liked the writing style here。 I definitely understand why this is hailed as a modern classic and see how it has influenced the American novel （Franzen for example）。 Not a book that I necessarily hold close to my heart but so many good quotes。 Great for analyzing， ruminating， reflecting。 Will read again。 Could be a five star。
Melanie Randle
，
Murray said， ´I don´t trust anybody´s nostalgia but my own。 Nostalgia is a product of dissatisfaction and rage。 It´s a settling of grievances between the present and the past。 The more powerful the nostalgia， the closer you come to violence。 War is the form nostalgia takes when men are hard-pressed to say something good about their country。´How strange it is。 We have these deep terrible lingering fears about ourselves and the people we love。 Yet we walk around， talk to people， eat and drink。 We Murray said， ´I don´t trust anybody´s nostalgia but my own。 Nostalgia is a product of dissatisfaction and rage。 It´s a settling of grievances between the present and the past。 The more powerful the nostalgia， the closer you come to violence。 War is the form nostalgia takes when men are hard-pressed to say something good about their country。´How strange it is。 We have these deep terrible lingering fears about ourselves and the people we love。 Yet we walk around， talk to people， eat and drink。 We manage to function。 The feelings are deep and real。 Shouldn't they paralyze us？ How is it we can survive them， at least for a little while？ We drive a car， we teach a class。 How is it no one sees how deeply afraid we were， last night， this morning？ Is it something we all hide from each other， by mutual consent？ Or do we share the same secret without knowing it？ Wear the same disguise？The greater the scientific advance， the more primitive the fear。The power of the dead is that we think they see us all the time。 The dead have a presence。 Is there a level of energy composed solely of the dead？ They are also in the ground， of course， asleep and crumbling。 Perhaps we are what they dream。 。。。more
Erica
，
I can't wait to discuss this one with my New Yorkers Dispersed Book Club。 I need some help with it， but I think I will thoroughly enjoy hearing what you all have to say。 I can't wait to discuss this one with my New Yorkers Dispersed Book Club。 I need some help with it， but I think I will thoroughly enjoy hearing what you all have to say。 。。。more
Sandy Salzinger
，
Pretty hilarious book， with an ending I didn’t see coming。 Quite entertaining
Axel
，
Heel Amerikaans。 Moest effe doorbijten， maar leest lekker。
Cynthia Abraham
，
DeLillo is truly a master of satire！ He skillfully managed to construct an absolutely ridiculous and hysterical tale that not only touches on death and the meaning on life but also on rampant materialism in the Reagan era！
Michael
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I've never read anything by Don DeLillo and knew nothing about the book before reading it。 I had the intention of reading something by DeLillo and a podcast I listen brought up how good this was so it seemed like just the sign I needed。 I wasn't disappointed。White Noise starts fairly innocuously; it's got an understated humor and absurdity that aligns with a lot of （post？）modern fiction I enjoy。 Then it gets weirder and darker and more absurd。 The plot accelerates， leading to an unexpectedly thr I've never read anything by Don DeLillo and knew nothing about the book before reading it。 I had the intention of reading something by DeLillo and a podcast I listen brought up how good this was so it seemed like just the sign I needed。 I wasn't disappointed。White Noise starts fairly innocuously; it's got an understated humor and absurdity that aligns with a lot of （post？）modern fiction I enjoy。 Then it gets weirder and darker and more absurd。 The plot accelerates， leading to an unexpectedly thrilling conclusion。 I very much enjoyed not only the plot itself， but the writing and the social critique。 I had to check the publication date because even though it was written in 1985， the critiques of American society， especially consumerism and spectacle could have been written in 1995 or 2015。 A great book and I'm looking forward to more DeLillo。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=White Noise
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=White Noise&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,White Noise&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0