It’s a genius book in so many ways. Although I can’t understand your conclusion about it having no plot, it was interesting to hear your critique. Given that his books have been so prophetic, not sure how “edge lord” any of it is. The passages on the twin towers alone in the context of the theme are almost preternatural. As for White Noise, you’re right that his books usually aren’t what they’re set up to be. Death is probably the least of its concerns, and consideration of its time structure may reveal more meaning than the “story” reveals. As for caring about the characters and how they talk, one might consider the extraordinary reflections on the differences between a photographer who photographs like a writer and a writer who writes like a photographer. Mao II is excellent meta-fiction, so if you’re getting verfremdungseffekt and you didn’t care about Bill’s death while praising his style, maybe it was more successful than you let on. And for the record, his books make me feel a great deal. So much so that I listened to your entire review and wrote at such length. Very interesting take and perhaps the big idea in this one will arrive in your mind eventually. The point is made so incredibly well in Mao II (not what Bill writes about but HOW he writes is the key. Surface level profundity with no depth in an entropic world. It’s just as well done as anything in Blood Meridian. Definitely A+ for me and my fave Delillo book next to White Noise. As for “pretentious,” perhaps define what the world is before claiming to have three books that changed it. Without doing that, noting that you don’t name these three books, the accusations of pretension sound a lot like confession through projection (which is one of the themes in White Noise). 🙏
Well hey, thanks for at least watching the whole thing! 😀 I think we may ultimately have to agree to disagree with this one, but if you'd like to hear me review a Delillo book more positively, then maybe check out my review of Libra. That book was actually one of my best reads last year, and I found it mostly excellent, if only because it was a more character focused piece with a tighter scope perhaps. Didn't enjoy Mao II very much, but Libra was a different story.
It’s a genius book in so many ways. Although I can’t understand your conclusion about it having no plot, it was interesting to hear your critique.
Given that his books have been so prophetic, not sure how “edge lord” any of it is. The passages on the twin towers alone in the context of the theme are almost preternatural.
As for White Noise, you’re right that his books usually aren’t what they’re set up to be. Death is probably the least of its concerns, and consideration of its time structure may reveal more meaning than the “story” reveals.
As for caring about the characters and how they talk, one might consider the extraordinary reflections on the differences between a photographer who photographs like a writer and a writer who writes like a photographer. Mao II is excellent meta-fiction, so if you’re getting verfremdungseffekt and you didn’t care about Bill’s death while praising his style, maybe it was more successful than you let on.
And for the record, his books make me feel a great deal. So much so that I listened to your entire review and wrote at such length.
Very interesting take and perhaps the big idea in this one will arrive in your mind eventually. The point is made so incredibly well in Mao II (not what Bill writes about but HOW he writes is the key. Surface level profundity with no depth in an entropic world. It’s just as well done as anything in Blood Meridian.
Definitely A+ for me and my fave Delillo book next to White Noise.
As for “pretentious,” perhaps define what the world is before claiming to have three books that changed it. Without doing that, noting that you don’t name these three books, the accusations of pretension sound a lot like confession through projection (which is one of the themes in White Noise). 🙏
Well hey, thanks for at least watching the whole thing! 😀 I think we may ultimately have to agree to disagree with this one, but if you'd like to hear me review a Delillo book more positively, then maybe check out my review of Libra. That book was actually one of my best reads last year, and I found it mostly excellent, if only because it was a more character focused piece with a tighter scope perhaps. Didn't enjoy Mao II very much, but Libra was a different story.