Rating: ★★★☆☆
GOODREADS
FIVE MOST IMPORTANT POINTS
1. Unlike any other read
2. Dystopian
3. Confusing
4. Short, easy language that carries a punch
5. Makes you think for day after
Let me introduce myself: my name is Emma and I'm the last person on this planet to hear about Don DeLillo. When the release of Zero K was announced, the press jumped on the book of this amazing 'best American author ever', and I was clueless who he was. And I hate that. So the first thing I did was pick up Zero K when I could and read through it so I finally also know who Don DeLillo is.
Jeffrey Lockhart is called to a compound in the middle of nowhere to witness his stepmother dying. But not just ordinarily dying - Artis is incurably ill and instead of waiting out her days, she wants to be frozen and preserved until medicine can save her. Jeffrey and his father Ross are there to support. Though Jeffrey understand and supports Artis decision, his father then tells him he wants to do the same, because he hates the world he has to live in. But how much can we humans decide about life and death?
Zero K is the perfect read for this day and age. We live in a world where every day we wake up to some horrible news story about murder, rape and unhappiness. It's not a big jump to be in Don DeLillo's world and to see Ross' point of view: this day and age can be tough at best. That's what I so loved reading this novel. Though I felt like it took place in a more future period of time, solely because of the writing, it could take place right now. We have technology, we have war, we have people looking for a way out. This book raises so many interesting questions about life and I bet not one reader will walk away not asking themselves if they agree with Ross.
However, this book is really a more mental game. Not a whole lot actually happens plot-wise. As a reader, it's a lot about putting your own experiences in there and really reading between the lines at what the meaning of this novel is. While I enjoyed the writing, it was really fast-paced and I finished it in a day, there just wasn't enough in there for me. I left this book feeling kinda 'so what?' about all the characters. Because of the minimalist style of Don DeLillo's writing, I didn't get to connect with anyone well enough to truly enjoy this story.
Overall, I would compare this book to a meal at a really fancy restaurant. You are awed by the beauty of the food and will think for days about what exactly was put on your plate and how it was achieved. However, you also won't really be full, because there was barely any food. The writing was great, the plot was original; there just wasn't enough in this story to drive me crazy about it. I can see why Don DeLillo is praised so much, but he might just not be the writer for me.