White noise seems to portray quite well the absurdity of modern life or something, in the vein of baudrillard and the hyperreal or whatever. I get the vibe. It was a fun book to read. Feels kind of poignant even today. But it did not blow my mind or anything to be honest.

Underworld seems really good. I am about 3/4 through at this point and i really like it. I think i like this delillo guy. He is in some ways like a dfw or pynchon type author who has some restraint and a more reasonable taste

>>24880926
>has more restraint than DFW or Pynchon
not saying much there

>>24880888
His use of language is fantastic. The plot and characters are more questionable. In that way it’s like a lot of highbrow literature, afraid to really say something outright.
Pinecone can combine it with a lighthearted humorous touch and stock plots that he complicates a bit.
Corncob did more of a funeral dirge take on standard plots as well as some much more experimental stuff that people like a whole lot less.
DFW for me is mostly in the Pinecone humour area but without the genreplots and George Saunders (if we’re allowed to mention him in this esteemed company) is also there but can travel into PKD territory. He’s also the funniest imo. >>24880926
> the absurdity of modern life or something
This is about how I’d describe it. The “or something” really does some heavy lifting in structuring the large parts of his work that goes nowhere or has some point too obscure for mortal men. In this company he’s the worst of them as far as hanging his linguistic baubles off of a frame people are used to following.
I think there’s a reason people specifically mention the baseball chapters from Underworld when saying he captures something of the soul of Americas, but never the whole book.

Great prose and utilised to startling effect in his best works. Libra and Underworld are masterpieces.

>>24883588
Good to know. I was wondering if I should continue with his bibliography and after a few pre-20th century stuff on my list I’ll check out those two reccs

What of his should I read next if I absolutely loved White Noise but Underworld is just okay to me?

>>24880888
>I don’t feel I came away with anything postmodernists haven’t already beaten to death.

That‘ll happen when you arrive upon a topical novel forty years after the fact.

White Noise is good. If you want a really great Delillo book I suggest you check out The Names, Mao II, Running Dog, Libra. Those are my favorites I think. Although you can't go wrong with any Delillo novels (even later ones have something to offer, even though they are kinda weaker desu)

>>24880888
>White Noise
Only thing I remember was it was very boring. Oh and the guy who talked about the weather to make chit chat

I've only ever read Zero K. When I was a hobo in San Francisco some guy who lived above the corner I sometimes hung out on got to talking to me about books and etc, he had just finished Zero K and gave it to me to read. What a fucking mess, two hundred pages of bullshit like maybe he's trying to say something but he never does. No surprise it was given to me by a guy who probably paid 6k+ a month in rent.