Understanding Don DeLillo

"This is a terrific introduction to DeLillo's fiction."—Choice

"Deftly, confidently, Henry Veggian offers a highly readable theoretical and thematic narrative through the notoriously intimidating works of America's finest novelist of the fin-de-millennium. Informed by but not compelled by the critical commentary already on DeLillo, Veggian offers an engaging new way into DeLillo's cultural vision and into the evolution of his formal experimentations , especially the dense texts of the post- 9-11 work and the short fiction. A significant introduction to DeLillo's fiction."—Joseph Dewey, Beyond Grief and Nothing: A Reading of Don DeLilllo

"Henry Veggian's study merits a place on every shelf devoted to first-rate literary criticism. A remarkable combination of succinctness and depth, it accounts comprehensively for the DeLillo chapter in the larger book of American literature. Veggian offers perspicacious readings of individual fictions without losing sight of the bigger picture: the shape of a literary career of immense importance to contemporary letters."—David Cowart, Louise Fry Scudder Professor of Humanities, University of South Carolina

"With learning, imagination, and an attractive prose style, Henry Veggian opens an informative and accessible path into the world of Don DeLillo. Veggian's alert intelligence meets the challenge posed by DeLillo's important, fascinating, but difficult books. A major novelist calls forth a strong performance by a new critical voice."—Jonathan Arac, Andrew W. Mellon Professor of English, University of Pittsburgh

"Understanding Don DeLillo represents a very useful tool with which both neophytes and researchers can approach the work of one of the most refined and compelling writers of the contemporary scene Veggian offers a 360-degree view on DeLillo's writing, including those parts generally overlooked by both critics and readers."—Orbit: A Journal of American Literature

"An outstanding brief introduction to the fiction of American novelist Don DeLillo. Veggian presents insightful, concise discussions of eight of DeLillo's major novels [his] readings are rigorous and thoughtful, and he is particularly excellent in his discussions of the novels White Noise and Mao II."—J. Bishoff, University of Minnesota, Choice