Don DeLillo's Underworld Chapter by Chapter

This week my American Literature and Culture class ("Significant Connections: Making Sense in Postmodern American Literature") begins reading Don DeLillo's mega novel Underworld.

From each class from Sept. 28 through Oct. 28, students will present short responses to the daily readings. Two people will be assigned to cover each chapter of the novel. Each person will write a short response about the chapter that he or she has been assigned and will post this response on the Blackboard course website. Responses will be due (posted on the Blackboad) the day before their section is covered in class.

To help students decide which chapters they want to sign up for, I've posted the following chapter-by-chapter breakdown of Underworld.

PROLOGUE: THE TRIUMPH OF DEATH (pp. 9–60)

PART 1—LONG TALL SALLY: SPRING–SUMMER 1992 (pp. 61–134)
Ch. 1 (pp. 63–84)
Ch. 2 (pp. 85–90)
Ch. 3 (pp. 91–100)
Ch. 4 (pp. 101–7)
Ch. 5 (pp. 108–17)
Ch. 6 (pp. 118–22)
Ch. 7 (pp. 123–34)

MANX MARTIN 1 (pp. 137–50)

PART 2—ELEGY FOR LEFT HAND ALONE: MID-1980S–EARLY 1990s (pp. 153–272)
Ch. 1 (pp. 155–60)
Ch. 2 (pp. 161–6)
Ch. 3 (pp. 167–86)
Ch. 4 (pp. 187–93)
Ch. 5 (pp. 194–209)
Ch. 6 (pp. 210–21)
Ch. 7 (pp. 222–36)
Ch. 8 (pp. 237–51)
Ch. 9 (pp. 252–61)
Ch. 10 (pp. 262–72)

PART 3—THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING: SPRING 1978 (pp. 273–345)
Ch. 1 (pp. 275–304)
Ch. 2 (pp. 305–324)
Ch. 3 (pp. 325–45)

MANX MARTIN 2 (pp. 349–66)

PART 4—COCKSUCKER BLUES: SUMMER 1974 (pp. 369–498)
Ch. 1 (pp. 373–400)
Ch. 2 (pp. 401–22)
Ch. 3 (pp. 423–45)
Ch. 4 (pp. 446–68)
Ch. 5 (pp. 469–98)

PART 5—BETTER THINGS FOR BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY: SELECTED FRAGMENTS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE IN THE 1950s AND 1960s (pp. 499–638)
Ch. 1 (pp. 501–12)
Ch. 2 (pp. 513–635
Ch. 3 (pp. 536–54)
Ch. 4 (pp. 555–79)
Ch. 5 (pp. 580–95)
Ch. 6 (pp. 596–616)
Ch. 7 (pp. 617–37)

MANX MARTIN 3 (pp. 641–56)

PART 6—ARRANGEMENT IN GRAY AND BLACK: FALL 1951–SUMMER 1952 (pp. 659–781)
Ch. 1 (pp. 661–83)
Ch. 2 (pp. 684–95)
Ch. 3 (pp. 696–710)
Ch. 4 (pp. 711–29)
Ch. 5 (pp. 730–42)
Ch. 6 (pp. 743–52)
Ch. 7 (pp. 753–70)
Ch. 8 (pp. 771–81)

EPILOGUE: DAS KAPITAL (783–827)