[skyechurch]

The opening chapter of Underworld is one of the greatest things I have read, I can't even explain it because there's almost nothing like it, it's the literary equivalent of a spectacular movie chase scene. Iirc it was excerpted in the New Yorker years ago, I can't find it now there or anywhere, but it made me buy the book despite having sworn off 800 page American novels. The first chapter was still great, but I gave up in boredom ~30 pages later in boredom and have not read another word by him.

It would probably be beneficial if someone could explain what I am missing, or what I should read by him instead, because it just can't end like this.

... You can read most of it here[1], probably doesn't have the same impact missing the first few pages, but maybe get a flavor of what he's doing it. I don't know what the correct analogy is, but it's definitely something cinematic.

[1] https://books.google.com/books?id=Ug3ArDMHLnQC&printsec=fron...

[jraines]

Like others downthread I recommend White Noise. But I highly recommend the Viking Critical Edition — which will explain what you’re missing. (I mean, skip if you loathe postmodern litcrit; but I found the batch of essays/analyses well-chosen and accessible rather than the inscrutable academic katas such things can be)

[abathur]

Ditto (though I didn't have the viking critical). I left a bit more context on this rec in a peer thread.