- Hardcover: 326 pages
- Publisher: Picador (Jan 1986)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0330291092
- ISBN-13: 978-0330291095
- Product Dimensions: 21.8 x 14 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,949,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
White Noise
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
A brilliant satire of mass culture and the numbing effects of technology, White Noise tells the story of Jack Gladney, a teacher of Hitler studies at a liberal arts college in Middle America. Jack and his fourth wife, Babette, bound by their love, fear of death, and four ultramodern offspring, navigate the rocky passages of family life to the background babble of brand-name consumerism. Then a lethal black chemical cloud, unleashed by an industrial accident, floats over there lives, an "airborne toxic event" that is a more urgent and visible version of the white noise engulfing the Gladneys--the radio transmissions, sirens, microwaves, and TV murmurings that constitute the music of American magic and dread.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
‘An extraordinarily funny book on a serious subject, effortlessly combining social comedy, disaster, fiction and philosophy . . . hilariously, and grimly, successful’ Daily Telegraph Jack Gladney is the creator and chairman of Hitler studies at the College-on-the-Hill. This is the story of his absurd life; a life that is going well enough, until a chemical spill from a rail car releases an ‘Airborne Toxic Event’ and Jack is forced to confront his biggest fear – his own mortality. White Noise is an effortless combination of social satire and metaphysical dilemma in which DeLillo exposes our rampant consumerism, media saturation and novelty intellectualism. It captures the particular strangeness of life lived when the fear of death cannot be denied, repressed or obscured and ponders the role of the family in a time when the very meaning of our existence is under threat. ‘An astonishing novel . . . unforgettable . . . nearly every page crackles with memorable moments and perfectly turned phrases . . . dizzying, darkly beautiful fiction’ Sunday Times
--This text refers to the
Paperback
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
38 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Reading this book staggered me: the phrasing is so spot on, the themes so unusual yet compelling, the dialogue so full of witty, off-the-wall observation that I was left marvelling at the author's magical ability to put words together in unusual yet telling combinations and searching bookshops for more of his books. But having read three others from different periods of his career (the vastly overrated 'Underworld', the execrable 'Ratner's Star' and the mixed 'Great Jones Street') I am left in little doubt that this is his chef d'oeuvre. By some fortunate inspiration, DeLillo discovered his perfect theme for this book: fear of death. He takes this theme and looks at it from all possible angles; yet this is not at all a morbid book. It is instead the funniest black comedy around: the exchange between Jack and his wife when preparing to have sex made me explode with laughter. I found the latter so hilarious that I even shared it with one of my advanced English as a foreign language classes, whose eyes were standing on stalks by the end! Last but certainly not least, DeLillo's understanding of the impact of popular culture on our minds and lives is remarkable: he forced me to make connections about the insidious influence of technology and the media that I would certainly never otherwise have made, and continue to bear in mind every time I read a newspaper or switch on my computer. If you only ever read one contemporary novel, read this one: this is the book that encapsulates our time, not 'Underworld'.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Jack Gladney teaches at the College-on-the-Hill. He and his wife Babette live, with four of their children from previous marriage (Heinrich, Steffie, Denise, and Wilder) in the quiet college town of Blacksmith. Jack and Babette are both afraid of death and it is this fear that is central to the novel. Whose fear is the greater? "Sounds like a boring life." "I hope it lasts forever," she said.
Jack and Babette's fear of death, the world in which they live and participate is conveyed satirically through a series of events (some of more direct consequence than others) which are peppered with laugh out loud moments. There's a subtlety in the observation and the writing that makes this novel work.
`The family is the cradle of the world's misinformation.'
Jack serves as the department chair of Hitler studies, a discipline that he invented in 1968, despite the fact that he does not understand German. Hitler's importance as an historical figure gives Jack a degree of importance by association: `Some people are larger than life. Hitler is larger than death. You thought he would protect you.' His colleague, Murray Jay Siskind, has come to Blacksmith to immerse himself in what he calls `American magic and dread.' Murray is a lecturer in living icons who is trying to establish a discipline in Elvis studies. Murray finds deep significance in things that are ordinary - especially the supermarket: `This place recharges us spiritually, it prepares us, it's a gateway or pathway. Look how bright. It's full of psychic data.'
The major events in the novel concern an airborne toxic event and its consequences, and Jack Gladney's search for a mysterious psychopharmaceutical drug called Dylar once he discovers that Babette is participating in an experimental study (of sorts). All this fear of death becomes an inability to really live, especially in a world full of white noise, rampant consumerism and simulations, or does it?
`In a crisis the true facts are what other people say they are.'
This novel was published in the mid-1980s, and while I read it then, I enjoyed it a whole lot more this time around. Disturbingly, it made more sense.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Jack and Babette's fear of death, the world in which they live and participate is conveyed satirically through a series of events (some of more direct consequence than others) which are peppered with laugh out loud moments. There's a subtlety in the observation and the writing that makes this novel work.
`The family is the cradle of the world's misinformation.'
Jack serves as the department chair of Hitler studies, a discipline that he invented in 1968, despite the fact that he does not understand German. Hitler's importance as an historical figure gives Jack a degree of importance by association: `Some people are larger than life. Hitler is larger than death. You thought he would protect you.' His colleague, Murray Jay Siskind, has come to Blacksmith to immerse himself in what he calls `American magic and dread.' Murray is a lecturer in living icons who is trying to establish a discipline in Elvis studies. Murray finds deep significance in things that are ordinary - especially the supermarket: `This place recharges us spiritually, it prepares us, it's a gateway or pathway. Look how bright. It's full of psychic data.'
The major events in the novel concern an airborne toxic event and its consequences, and Jack Gladney's search for a mysterious psychopharmaceutical drug called Dylar once he discovers that Babette is participating in an experimental study (of sorts). All this fear of death becomes an inability to really live, especially in a world full of white noise, rampant consumerism and simulations, or does it?
`In a crisis the true facts are what other people say they are.'
This novel was published in the mid-1980s, and while I read it then, I enjoyed it a whole lot more this time around. Disturbingly, it made more sense.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
24 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
White Noise can be a difficult book to read, though I suppose it can depend at which level you are reading this. There are many layers to this book, many things that University lecturers could pick at and write papers upon subtle little literary techniques although this is also a book that can be enjoyed just as a work of fiction.
It deals with many of the more pressing issues of a modern American society, dealing especially with the issue of the fragmented family consisting of numerous half and step siblings while also looking into the massive cult obsession of the fear of death.
While in many instances this novel can seem especially complicated, I found it to be a real page turner, and was always eager to turn to the next chapter.
So why not give it a go?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Not for me? Not for anyone!
I bought this book as the Amazon reviews divided opinion. I was interested to understand why the book divided opinion so much and now having read two-thirds of the book I am no... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Robin
The Story of the Man that Took the Blue Pill in the Matrix...
I can see why some people wouldn't like this book. The characters are not in the least realistic and the plot (if there is one) just seems too subtle to be noticeable. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Angus Vantoch-wood
suburbia just isn't this strange
DeLillo is supposed to be one of our best contemporary novelists. Alas, when I picked up this book, I found a world of Hitler obsessions, death worries, multiple divorces, sexual... Read more
Published 10 months ago by rob crawford
Poor writing...
This book comes recommended and I don't understand why. The writing lacks precision and depth and the story is dated. Read more
Published 10 months ago by ratz
HYPERBOLE
White Noise by Don Delillo is considered quite an important book i decided to read it as i have not read one of the authors books before. Read more
Published 11 months ago by mister joe
book 'white noise'
Im impressed with the delivery time, i received my item on timnice and quick. The books in good condition appart from pencil lines throughout it that a previous owner has drawn. Read more
Published 15 months ago by kerry
Tedious
I read this book for my book club, otherwise I think I would have abandoned it mid-way. Although there are definitely some interesting concepts and ideas, and indeed some good... Read more
Published on 16 Mar 2010 by Too many books
White Noise
This is a brilliant novel, which satirizes so many things: disjointed families, the way families communicate, marriage, academia, consumerism, intellectualism, fear of death, and... Read more
Published on 22 Feb 2010 by Dave Gilmour's cat
white noise
this is the first Delillo book i have read and it will not be the last.i found this book quite enjoyable. there was not much of a story, but it was something different. Read more
Published on 24 Feb 2009 by Mr. M. Bounds
One star is too much praise!
When one picks up a book from the "Cult Fiction" section in any bookshop, it's normally there for a reason. Read more
Published on 11 Oct 2008 by J. Kuscher
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