White Noise by Don DeLillo
The novel is a postmodern exploration of death and consumerism in the United States. It follows a year in the life of Jack Gladney, a professor who has made his name by pioneering the field of Hitler Studies at a small liberal arts college in Middle America. Jack and his fourth wife, Babette, are afraid of death and are obsessed with finding a cure for their fear. Their lives are disrupted by an airborne toxic event, which forces them to confront their mortality and the toxic effects of modern life.
The 364th greatest book of all time
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Total Points: 934
This book was first published in 1985
30 Lists
- score: 132 -- The 50 best books of the past 100 years - 2022 (Weight: 167)
- score: 102 -- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die - 2006 (Weight: 180)
- score: 86 -- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read - 2009 (Weight: 140)
- score: 75 -- What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years? - 2006 (Weight: 140)
- score: 66 -- TrueLit's Top 100 Favorite Books (2023) - 2023 (Weight: 80)
- score: 63 -- Books Of The Century - 1999 (Weight: 150)
- score: 61 -- As if You Don't Have Enough to Read, Fiction Edition - 2011 (Weight: 100)
- score: 54 -- The 100 Best Novels Of All Time (Runners-Up) - 2026 (Weight: 60)
- score: 41 -- 4chan’s Literature Board’s Aggregate Top 100 Books for the Decade 2014 - 2024 - 2024 (Weight: 50)
- score: 38 -- Koen Book Distributors Top 100 Books of the Past Century - 1999 (Weight: 89)
- score: 35 -- A Century of World Literature 1925 - 2025 - 2025 (Weight: 40)
- score: 32 -- Radcliffe's 100 Best Novels - 1998 (Weight: 80)
- score: 27 -- "Our Readable Century", The Best Books of the 20th Century -- Honorable Mention - 2000 (Weight: 60)
- score: 22 -- Harvard Book Store Staff's Favorite 100 Books - 2011 (Weight: 33)
- score: 21 -- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon - 1994 (Weight: 60)
- score: 19 -- 50 Books to Read Before You Die - 2012 (Weight: 26)
- score: 13 -- 100 Best 20th-Century American Books - 1999 (Weight: 31)
- score: 8 -- TIME Magazine All Time 100 Novels - 2005 (Weight: 16)
- score: 8 -- Jennifer Egan's Book Choices from "The Writer's Library" - 2020 (Weight: 10)
- score: 7 -- David Bowie's Top 100 Favorite Books - 2016 (Weight: 10)
- score: 5 -- National Book Award - Fiction - Yearly Book Award (Weight: 27)
- score: 1 -- Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 25 Books to Read Before You Turn 25 - 2026 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 125 Books We Love for Adults - 2020 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- One Hundred Best American Novels, 1770 to 1985 - 2014 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- 500 Must Read Books - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The Well-Educated Mind - 2003 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- The 100 Greatest American Novels, 1893 – 1993 - 2013 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- PEOPLE Picks the Best Books From the 1980s - 2024 (Weight: 1)
- score: 1 -- A Century of Reading - 2018 (Weight: 1)