White Noise, Don DeLillo BOOK REVIEW

I should have read this book years ago. Why, oh education gods, have you failed me???
A playlist of the books I've reviewed:
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[@jaycobyart]

I just went through the audiobook of white noise and my view of reality is beyond repair. In a most excellent way. I didnt know a novel can even do this. So many incredible scenes and impressions.. i love how jack keeps running unto Murray in the suoer market and Murray is having nearly mystical experiences in the auoer market finding hints of life and death on the labels of the items. Having collections of cereals and magazines studying them for underlying signals and insights in a most hilarious way. The reflections of on media and language in poetic language are just beyond description.. this is the first don delillo book I have experienced and look forward to going through and taking in as much of his work as I can get my hands on.

[@amandaleeformby2826]

I feel like watching until the end to catch any bonus footage is a behavior learned from 90s movies. I just finished your playlist, and I can confidently say that you have the best book reviews I've encountered so far on BookTube. Looking forward to next week!

[@RyanRabid]

+Amanda Lee Wow. Thank you so much for this comment. It made my morning :)

[@valpergalit]

Wish you'd come back to making videos, man. Other than BookChemist and BetterThanFood, you're the only guy on KZbin who reviews books I actually like.

[@robertbaillargeon3683]

Between the name of the channel and all the talk about death, I'm strongly reminded of Dear Hank and John. Also, these book reviews have been uncanny in delivering that "wow, someone put into words that feeling that I had."

[@RyanRabid]

+Robert Baillargeon that's a good thing because I love their podcast :) haha thank you!

[@mikeramsay5964]

Just my opinion, I think all the references to television and advertising which surround modern society are white noise, but so is death. Death surrounds us, always, like a high-pitched frequency resulting from listening to music at high volume, such as a concert, or tinnitus. In a room where there is a lot of background noise, we don't notice the buzz, but it's still there, and we sometimes have difficulty hearing clearly as a result of that buzz, just as we sometimes get lost in the world of television and block out people around us, turning them into white noise. DeLillo is one of my favorite authors. Check out his earlier work' i.e., End Zone, Americana.

[@WhatKamilReads]

I'm just reading it and after reading Underworld earlier this year I feel like I should have started from this one and only then ventured to Underworld. It feels like a fantastic witty introductory course to Delillo's magnum opus. I love the humour, sarcasm absurdity of family life and terrifying picture of our consumer tv obsessed culture building our group identity. And when you make a connection with Hitler's crowds also mentioned a few times in this work, it feels almost as a wake up call. Great review Ryan, love the ending ;-) but mostly your plea for specific descriptions when literature is being discussed.

[@RyanRabid]

Oh man, this is so interesting! I'll be reading Underworld this summer so we're going to be doing the exact opposite route through Delillo's works haha. That's okay though, I loved your comment--that sarcastic absurdity feels so REAL to the time period, the time when we were just starting to see how fragmented our lives would be with media and advertising. Thanks for the smart and thorough comment :)

[@emmadobereading]

I tried hard with this book. I got to the second section but by that point I was exhausted. I'll have to give it a second shot soon. I watched your review for some re-inspiration.

[@RyanRabid]

+Barbells and Books I hope you get a chance to! The first section is probably the least fun

[@TrpleAgnt2011]

DeLillo's a bore. I really don't know how he got annointed as this profound seer. Pray tell me what he has explained to his readers about this trans national neo liberal corporatism that is dominating everything ?

[@michaelalvarado2640]

My gf is getting me the book for my b day... I'm so excited. Ty for the review

[@ceebs648]

I know this is a six year old review but I just finished White Noise and also wish I’d read it sooner. Amazing book.

[@50alexrod]

I am looking at your video in february 2022. Yes, just when the Train derrailed in Ohio and just a few weeks after watching the Netflix movie. I will read it. Thanks for your thoughts.

[@DanMartinlikesyou]

Hahaha, I stayed for the end-screen. Nice review. I've never read any DeLillo either so perhaps I'll start with this one...

[@RyanRabid]

+Danmartinlikesyou If this helps, I've heard a few people say that DeLillo, McCarthy, and like 3 other writers make up the can't-miss writers of the last 50 years :)

[@ThePerksOfBooks]

Another book to add to my tbr because of you, thanks haha

[@RyanRabid]

+ThePerksOfBooks just doing my duty, making us all feel guilty for the books we haven't read ;) haha

[@KnowledgelostOrgOnline]

P&R is greater than The Office, but good analogy. I really need to read this one, sounds right up my alley. I plan to read Zero K as my next DeLillo. Can't wait to see an Underworld review.

[@RyanRabid]

+Knowledge Lost exactly. I'm looking forward to starting it!!!

[@cammeronhanna3374]

This book put me in a mental hospital. Literally.

[@vagingo]

I hated White Noise. I enjoyed DeLillo's The Body Artist more and found it more thought provoking.

[@originoflogos]

Also, I wouldn't read Underworld as your next DeLillo Novel. Maybe Mao II or Libra, then if you have read through those, get to Underworld.

[@RyanRabid]

+Justin Lance hmmm... any preference between the two?

[@originoflogos]

probably Libra. Libra, unlike White Noise, delves deeply into themes major themes that DeLillo tackles in Underworld: reinterpretation of historical events, to be specific. And then Mao II, which delves into the question of terrorism among other themes; terrorism is also into Underworld. So, it kind of all comes together in Underworld: that, and Mao II and Libra are alot quicker to read lol.

[@PaperBird]

I have a feeling you'd really dig Ratner's Star.

[@RyanRabid]

+PaperBird what about it makes you think so?:)

[@PaperBird]

+ForTheLoveOfRyan when you spoke of his resonance with the later post-modernists, I thought of that book. He had an insane level of absurd playfulness that seems to have petered out into more somber meditations in later works.

[@bensonbone]

WHERE ARE YOU NOW

[@elevenism769]

Aside from Infinite Jest, what other 90s books do you think this book informed, and which of these would you recommend?

[@RyanRabid]

It's not actually a 90s book, but the suburbia/dissociation of White Noise sure as crap made its way into The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. That's a place I'd start.

[@elevenism769]

Thanks for taking the time to reply, man, and thanks for the tip. I dig your show, btw.

[@irena7777777]

Hi Ryan Road, Ryan Rhodes is my favourite boxer

[@RWSThe101]

Underworld rocked my world

[@donlevy8960]

I just finished Underworld about a month ago. Great book.

[@RWSThe101]

+Don Levy Did it not rock your world?

[@RyanRabid]

+Ryelin Segars I'm really really excited for it.. :)

[@russellroberts184]

I stay

[@RyanRabid]

+Russell Roberts glad to hear it :)

[@julianmirano5001]

ahahahahahaha full of pop references is like saying the text is interesting.

[@seannolan7980]

Do you have a goggle tan??

[@seannolan7980]

Also, this review was full of thoughtfulness and you really did a good job of analyzing Delillo's intentions in things that he did with structure etc..

[@ratherrapid]

50 pages in my copy went into the trash can. Too much good stuff out there to waste precious time on mediocrities such as WN.

[@julianmirano5001]

Really digging this. I'm obsessed with Murakami, DeLillo, and DFW. Love Bolano, too. I hope you have read 2666. Thanks so much.

[@Ray_D_Tutto]

I love how he uses an analogy of Parks and Rec and the American remake of The Office. Which goes against the original British version by becoming completely saccharine which is the very thing authors like Don Delilllo, David Foster Wallace and others criticized and were against.

[@jordanhall4054]

I like how he said he was looking for a metaphor then went on to give a simile

[@sdrw7389]

Your jaw line is impeccable.

[@sdrw7389]

Side note: Picked up White Noise today.

[@danielkeats6891]

I’m sure you’ve read it but I find catch-22 to be kind of “the office” to white noise

[@Akerzun]

Great review of a great book. I read that a film version starring Adam Driver is supposed to release this year. Hope it’s good.

[@marinajakovacz]

Just watched it, it's on Netflix! I really liked it.

[@lynndemarest1902]

Try THE SOUL GENE Any one of us could have been any other one of us.

[@PaperTamsMedia]

This is probably the best White Noise review I've found on BookTube up til now. So thank you for that. I've made an effort to read more DeLillo this year and started with White Noise because so many rave about it. First read - I did enjoy some of the satire and appreciated the structure of the book that you point out. But, because I don't read much post modern literature, I didn't see the connection that you mention and I didn't really understand why so many people think this book is one of the best books ever. I love that you used P&R and the Office to help explain your impression. Now I want to go back and read parts of White Noise again. Nice job.

[@RyanRabid]

thanks for the nice words :) I've been craving a white noise reread too, actually. What other DeLillo have you/are you going to read?

[@gibson7392]

I love that you just froze half way through, and said, "wait that's not true." Like instead of editing it out, you were like nahhh, they should see that I say dumb stuff too.

[@bluemonster27]

I have 1- chapters left as of this comment. So glad I am reading it.

[@TK-kf8zc]

My first DeLillos were The Names, Ratner's Srar and Great Jones Street. He deserves his place in Cult Fiction

[@cryingaboutbooks]

Airborne Toxic Event is such an awesome band!!

[@RyanRabid]

+cryingtrash you're not wrong there :)

[@sannachang8362]

Is that the Secret History I see behind you? That book is one of my favorites - have fun reading it! Speaking of Donna Tartt, would you ever consider doing a review of the Goldfinch? I liked it a lot, but enjoyed TSH much more!

[@RyanRabid]

+Sanna Chang it's a borrowed copy, but I'm gonna knock through it sometime in the next month. I've read the Goldfinch, and I *adored* it, but it's also been 2 years since I've read it... and I don't like reviewing stuff that isn't fresh in my mind. So, I guess the basic answer is: if I reread it :)

[@jaycobyart]

The only thing I recognized behind him was infinite jest by David foster walace after seeing that I couldn't see anything else. I might want to look into the books you mentioned as well.

[@originoflogos]

Yes, you have passed the test of reading the essential book of all time!!!! Now read Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I would REALLY love to see what you think of that book lol.

[@originoflogos]

+Justin Lance Btw, Blood Meridian is a very plotless book, so you will REALLY enjoy it!

[@RyanRabid]

+Justin Lance Cormac McCarthy is definitely someone I would love to be reading more of.. I'll keep Blood Meridian in mind as the next book of his to read :)

[@yesgunner9494]

5 minutes in and this still doesnt say anything. Thanks thought.

[@ryansuttree8054]

Thank you for calling me “beautiful.” Haven’t even fixed my hair yet for the day. Too busy trying to decide what to read next.

[@Thefreizer]

Great review! Finished 'White Noise' few weeks ago and I can say its must be on a list of postmodern classic. I have 'Underworld', so will jump right into it after 'Lolita' :D Hey, it will be interesting to hear your opinion of 'Ulysses' by James Joyce, maybe only book with biggest influence on modern literature. P.S. I saw you also did reviews on 'Gravity's Rainbow' and ' crying of a lot 49' by Pynchon. You have definitely good taste in literature. Greetings from Ukraine :)

[@TheSteinmetzen]

It's Pynchon lite.

[@davidgmorris181340]

So did you end up liking Underworld?

[@poesson7139]

Thank you for this review sir! I read White Noise in 2015 and really enjoyed it. Out of the few readers I knew , no one had read this book so that somehow resulted in me not looking into DeLillo more. Once I saw the book in the thumbnail and clicked right away. I am hoping to read more DeLillo this year now that you have reminded me of his wonderful works.

[@pjdalton]

"Moby Dick can be summed up in one sentence." Okay then, genius

[@cathleenmills7019]

Retired English teacher running a book club at Oasis. I am going to use your review of White Noise to whet members appetites for this book. Great review, in fact great postmodern review. I have been struggling to find a way to stir up interest for this book and your video is the answer. Thank you, Ryan. I love this book: so much going on and he predicted the Toxic Event that happened last year in Ohio? The train derailment with the toxic chemicals. I am hooked on your channel. Cathleen

[@helpyourcattodrive]

I read this.

[@donlevy8960]

White Noise is a brilliant book. I think De Lillo is one of our most important novelists. I just finished Underworld and liked it, despite its size.

[@RyanRabid]

+Don Levy thanks for the comment! What do you mean, despite the size? Did it hinder your reading or was it important that the book be that big? I'm truly curious :) big novels are my sh*t, pardon my french

[@darealdovahkiin3652]

This book had its moments, but overall it was one of the worser books I’ve read. It’s ideas never culminated into anything rewarding to me as a reader. It way frustrating to get through

[@RUTKN2ME92]

Such a great review, as always! White Noise is so excellent. I read it for my American Literature class in college and remember loving it so much. I especially loved the sections about Dylar and Babette's role in that whole fiasco. The climax of the novel totally blew me away and I remember I could not physically put the book down. I had to know what happened next! The "Wilder's Ride" chapter at the end is amazing, as well!

[@RyanRabid]

+Sadie Sarrazin exactly! At first the first section seems a little odd, but by the end of the book I was convinced that every single sentence in that book needed to be included :) the Dylar was fascinating..

[@RUTKN2ME92]

+ForTheLoveOfRyan Your review definitely made me want to reread White Nose and revisit my lecture notes. So awesome! :)

[@farihashoaib6247]

Omg...the very novel white noise by don dellilo is a novel not only but a mere depiction of our own age.i guess this is the novel we ppl who r living an urban life and dont have a real connection with the certain values of life can corelate our lives with the characters of this novel Being a consumer society its an apt mimicry of our lives in postmodern time

[@MoodyMegReads]

That intro was adorable lol

[@MoodyMegReads]

Also... stayed Curious George. :P

[@RyanRabid]

+Megan Hambey glad to hear it :) haha

[@yungyosef]

I stayed around! I'm really late to this video. But I stayed around!

[@Bicyclesidewalk]

Nice comment on about the Wind Up Bird - agree.

[@Chesterton7]

Note: The Playlist link in the descript is broken.

[@paigespages9255]

That office/parks and rec metaphor though. I'm going to have to read this book.

[@RyanRabid]

+Paiges & Pages anything and everything Parks and Rec is just so close to my heart :)

[@michellecostley7878]

Why, thanks!

[@thisisyrrobotfriend]

I stay for the end! Haha. I will be interested to see if underworld treats you as well as this did.

[@RyanRabid]

+yrrobotfriend A few people have now said that I ought to read something else of his first.... so we'll see :)

[@dig_limited]

So glade I found this channel

[@herrklamm1454]

I stayed around for the end screen 👍🏼

[@danielhutchings7278]

Have you read Zero K (his new book) yet?

[@RyanRabid]

I haven't... but I hear the BookChemist has :)

[@melissaholton5161]

Excellent. Must add to my list. Thank you!

[@RyanRabid]

+Melissa Holton no thank you! :)

[@user-qb3jg8ep9t]

Great review as usual! The way I read the novel, DeLillo's main concern was to consistently implement Baudrillardian thought, displaying the oversaturation with signs/information/representations and from it resulting loss of reality and alienation (the segment with The Most Photographed Barn in America comes to mind; or the entire Airborne Toxic Event, an excess of reality, that disrupts the system of the simulated, and the physical structure of the novel itself). My main gripe with White Noise is consequently the dry prose and the alienating nature of the characters' relation to each other, drags on too much imo. I imagine that there's little one can get out of the novel without being familiar with Baudrillard or PoMo in general. What did you enjoy about it specifically, besides bridging gaps in your understandment of post modern literature? I plan on finishing White Noise sometime this week, hopefully I'll understand by then what the whole obsession with death is all about. PS: I'd like to second Blood Meridian, It's a fantatstic book. I think you'll enjoy it since you said that you've read Moby Dick. Blood Meridian greatly references Moby Dick (and Paradise Lost I believe)

[@user-qb3jg8ep9t]

I've been planning on reading One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn after White Noise, so here's my suggestion for your next review :)

[@RyanRabid]

+ww wifi I think your comment on Baudrillard/PoMo depends pretty heavily on what you mean by what a reader can "get out" of the novel. Lord knows I'm into thinking hard in literary and theoretical ways about texts, but I'm also reading in a lot of other ways too: for entertainment, for interesting formal considerations, for informing my reading of other texts or periods, for human connection, for neatly crafted sentences, etc. Some of the things I mentioned in the video that really pleased me: the way the structure of the book contributes to our understanding of the content (that central section and how it's framed is so interesting), as well as the way the characters and the text has become porous to television/radio/advertising in general, etc. That's why I'm pretty adamant that you need not know a thing about Baudrillard or PoMo in order to have a meaningful experience with the text--I'm just never excited by limiting what a book can do for us or to us. Anywho, I think you've certainly got a legitimate and well-considered reading here, and honestly I reacted very similarly! Did you get the book finished up this week! I'd love to hear more about what you thought!

[@user-qb3jg8ep9t]

+ForTheLoveOfRyan Yeah I finished a week ago. You're right of course, commiting to one interpretation distances the reader from what the text has to offer. Before I picked up White Noise I've seen Baudrillard come up several times and consequently I couldn't keep him out of my thoughts during my reading, especially after the barn segment. I had many different interpretations and thoughts to all the segments I came aross, but I couldn't piece them together to one coherent mental construct. Which, if I understand correctly, is another important aspect of the book, the search for narrative in a rhizomatic world (with death and prospect of death being the only plot point we're given - in life, and this particular text). Now that I think of it, this is definitely the wrong attitude to approach a book like this! To me, reading a text and not exhausting it to to the greatest extent that my prior knowledge allows it, defeats the purpose of reading it in the first place. So after finishing White Noise I can say that I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would several weeks ago. I find it more pleasant to look at it from the outside, as from the inside. Excuse me if I write somewhat incoherently, English is my second language. Anyway it pleasure to discuss lit with you!

[@RyanRabid]

+ww wifi No, thanks for the comment! I love this discussion because this is the exact reason I ever started making book-related videos :) I think you're spot on with your thoughts about the barn and the plot point about death. I'm happy your reading was a pleasant one!

[@PIMPBOOKREVIEWS]

Great video I love your review style.

[@RyanRabid]

+podcastbook review thank you!

[@pwnayr]

Thanks for the video.

[@pwnayr]

End Screen Achievement Unlocked!

[@PIMPBOOKREVIEWS]

I stay

[@RyanRabid]

+podcastbook review hahaha :)

[@danielsniper3538]

Instead of reading shit novels, open a math textbook it’s far more useful 👍