My $0.02

I've been finished with White Noise and have been thinking about what to post. I agree with Jennifer that while many of the major themes are at times overstated and slightly tedious, the writing is amazing. It took me a little while to become acclimated to Delillo's style - as Craig said, you spend the first chapter or two just trying to figure out what is going on and who is who - but I think what really helped get me going was simply "reading through." Not stopping if something didn't completely make sense or fit in. The result was a really neat sense of this story happening, but with a constant background of white noise - "Corolla, Acura, Celica", and other such stuff (there is always a TV on in the background). I am wondering though, if the themes may have seemed less cliche and overdone in 1985? I don't know. The ridiculousness of Jack's chosen field (and his academic "armor" - the robe and dark glasses) and the fields of his colleagues is hilarious, though, and just as true today in academia as I'm sure it was in 1985. In order to create a niche for themselves, people go into the most ridiculous specializations. "Hitler Studies" is especially funny, given that he didn't even speak German! His friend Murray's was pretty ridiculous too - basically his area was modern life. Go figure.
However, while the ridiculous and cynical are amusing, the most enjoyable element of this book I thought was the characters, especially the Gladney family. Craig mentioned that they were neurotic, but I disagree (at least I disagree that they were any more neurotic than anyone typically is). I appreciated that none of them were perfect or too cliche - they were all very realistic and complex people, with realistic strengths and weaknesses. This made me really want to root for them, especially Babette when she is having a tough time of it. My favorite passage by far is when they are "jammed into the car on our way to the Mid-Village Mall" having a conversation (beginning of chapter 17). I think this passage is hilarious; it makes me laugh every time. "The family is the cradle of the world's misinformation." I just think back to being a kid and having dinner as a family with conversations not altogether unlike this one.
Anyway, I am really looking forward to our next book!
Melanie