Post by Fand on Jun 4, 2006 13:54:43 GMT -5
Bizarre but dense, this is a book recommended to me by an English teacher I had in freshman year; his senior honors class (I have another teacher, who goes by a different curriculum) was reading White Noise, and I borrowed a copy from him.
Now that I think about it, bizarre but dense might be the best way to describe White Noise. It centers around a college professor and renowned Hitler expert, his family and colleagues. It doesn't so much have a plot as a cornucopia of interconnecting themes threading through disparate conversations--death, fear of death, perspectives, morals, the existence of God... sounds dark, and it is. This is definitely not your classic bedtime story. From the freakish visiting professor who smells everything in the grocery store without buying it and openly lusts after the protagonist's wife to the neurotic step-daughter who is obsessed with discovering the truth behind the drugs her mother is on, the characters are eccentric and vividly painted. And then, of course, there's the titular 'white noise'--phrases the protagonist hears from the radio, t.v., telephone conversations, etc while talking with his family or friends.
If you're up for something challenging and enveloping, definitely check this book out. The onslaught of symbolism and double (sometimes triple or more) meaning is, quite literally, constant. As I said, bizarre but dense. And fully amazing. Even though it's hard to pigeonhole books as such, I'd give it a round 9/10.
Now that I think about it, bizarre but dense might be the best way to describe White Noise. It centers around a college professor and renowned Hitler expert, his family and colleagues. It doesn't so much have a plot as a cornucopia of interconnecting themes threading through disparate conversations--death, fear of death, perspectives, morals, the existence of God... sounds dark, and it is. This is definitely not your classic bedtime story. From the freakish visiting professor who smells everything in the grocery store without buying it and openly lusts after the protagonist's wife to the neurotic step-daughter who is obsessed with discovering the truth behind the drugs her mother is on, the characters are eccentric and vividly painted. And then, of course, there's the titular 'white noise'--phrases the protagonist hears from the radio, t.v., telephone conversations, etc while talking with his family or friends.
If you're up for something challenging and enveloping, definitely check this book out. The onslaught of symbolism and double (sometimes triple or more) meaning is, quite literally, constant. As I said, bizarre but dense. And fully amazing. Even though it's hard to pigeonhole books as such, I'd give it a round 9/10.