Where do I get started with DeLillo?

Conventional wisdom says White Noise, and then proceed through his peak from there (Libra, Mao ll, Underworld)

WN is much more domestic than his other novels, so plebs sometimes get the wrong impression of his work based on that book. Mao ll is probably his best overall.

>>8649868
White Noise is a meme, really glad I didn't start with it.

Cosmopolis is top-tier.

Cosmopolis is generally known as a weak book, the beginning of his decline, but if you liked it, more power to you.

I'd say start with Libra.

>>8649868

Make sure end zone is an early work you read. Its short and digestable, and helps you get a feel for what delillos all about

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>>8650769
>I'd say start with Libra.

OP this is what I did, I've only read Libra but it was good and made me want to read more of him. Not a hard read at all.

Delillo at first seems like the anodyne vanilla authors who write the sort of generic fiction you see at airport bookstores except that out of nowhere his writing suddenly gets really profound. It's a funny contrast.

>>8650970
Libra is a thriller, but from the very first page the quality of the prose distinguishes it from airport fiction.

>>8651048

Not every sentence of his consists of great prose but in general I agree

Mao ll > Libra > Underworld > White Noise > End Zone > The Names > Cosmopolis > Players > Ratner's Star > Point Omega > Running Dog > Zero K > Americana > Great Jones Street > Falling Man > The Body Artist

I really like the Mao II love on here, I thought before reading it his works ranged from mediocre to good, but other than maybe Mason and Dixon it's the best American novel of the 90s, by miles.

My first and only Delillo book is Point Omega and I loved it but I'm in a minority here I think. I've read the beginning of Underworld and I loved it. I own those two and Mao II, End Zone, Americana... I found a copy of The Names at Goodwill, should I cop it?

reading white noise its pretty shit

>>8652381
You're wrong, but that's okay

>>8651048
Delillo's prose is not exceptional.

>>8653315
Read the opening to Underworld and say that again. He's one of the best prose writers of the century.

>>8652372
Of course

>>8653414
Lol gonna get it then. Fun fact: I got the body artist from goodwill and then donated it and a P Roth book to my high school library because I wanted moar literary shit in there. People say it's his worst but maybe I should of read it when I had a chance because it's short. Jennifer Egan mentioned liking it when presenting DeLillo with a national book lifetime achievement award or whatever it's called.

>>8654765
The Names was David Foster Wallace's introduction to DeLillo. It made a big impression.

>>8654791
Someone took it dammit. I love that quote about the being told the novel dead.

>>8655264
"The ghoul of literature" one?

>>8655295
yuh

anyone read his newest novel Zero K?

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>>8650758
White Noise may be a meme now, but its still really good. I'd start there.

I've only read White Noise but I thought it was great

>>8655781
A few flashes of the old magic, but like most late DeLillo it's kind of drab overall.

>>8651505
I'm going to save this, thank you based anon

>>8655827
>>8655848
>>8652381
>>8650758
White Noise is incredible but no one gets it. Just like no one gets Inherent Vice. It probably just hits too close to home or people are lazy and satisfied with their superficial readings.

>>8655919
Read it again. You missed the key.

>>8657159
what is it that no one gets in Inherent Vice?