White NoiseWhite Noise
Score Classic
What it's about
Jack Gladney is a professor of Hitler Studies at a small college in middle America, living with his fourth wife, Babette, and their blended children. Both are secretly terrified of death. When a chemical spill creates a toxic cloud over the town, Jack is exposed, and he discovers that Babette has been taking an experimental drug to cure her fear.
Why it's worth reading
It won the National Book Award and is on TIME's list of the best novels. It's a darkly funny satire of consumer culture, media and fear.
You'll love it if you liked
The Corrections
Breakfast of Champions
The Denial of DeathGood to know
It's more about ideas and conversations than plot. Noah Baumbach's 2022 film stars Adam Driver.
By the numbers
- Readers19 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics89 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller29 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #150 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #372 of the 762 classics we rank
- #1276 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, Moving, Dark
More by Don DeLillo
If you like this, read next
Gravity's Rainbow
Cat's Cradle
Franny and Zooey
Gormenghast
The Castle
Infinite JestExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is White Noise worth reading?
Yes. It won the National Book Award and is on TIME's list of the best novels. It ranks #1,276 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 70.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is White Noise about?
Jack Gladney is a professor of Hitler Studies at a small college in middle America, living with his fourth wife, Babette, and their blended children. Both are secretly terrified of death. When a chemical spill creates a toxic cloud over the town, Jack is exposed, and he discovers that Babette has been taking an experimental drug to cure her fear.
How long does it take to read White Noise?
About 8 hours (337 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has White Noise won?
National Book Award (Fiction) winner (1985).
What should I read after White Noise?
If you liked it, try The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut or The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker.