“All plots have a tendency towards death.”

Desperation grips those who strive to find their place in the world and in history. Sadly, one can neither pursue nor flee from what fate has already ordained.

This is an incredibly profound and lyrical account of a story that is familiar to many, yet it is rarely seen through a humanistic prism as it is here. Oswald, at least as depicted by Delillo, is a tragic figure. He is a confused and misled man who, due to circumstance and happenstance, becomes a catalyst for change in a world that he feels has failed him. He is so desperate to be noticed, to be remembered, for all his struggles to have meaning, but he simply doesn't belong anywhere. Some people are just born outsiders.

“We lead more interesting lives than we think. We are characters in plots, without the compression and numinous sheen. Our lives, examined carefully in all their affinities and links, abound with suggestive meaning, with themes and involute turnings we have not allowed ourselves to see completely.”

Delillo demonstrates complete control in this work. The way he deftly jumps between timelines and shifts perspectives is truly masterful. His approach is complex and convoluted, navigating through countless layers of miscommunication, deception, personal motives, origin, and predestination. There is a world within the world.

This was an outstanding fictionalized account of the JFK assassination.

First, having read the exhaustive and yet amazing "Oswald's Tale" by Norman Mailer, I was quite impressed with how much nuance and detail DeLillo managed to stitch into a much shorter novel.

It took me far longer to read than it perhaps should have. This was because I had just moved and was rather busy, so I didn't have much time to finish it. However, this allowed me to dwell on the story for some time between reading sessions.

My area of expertise is in the psychology of conspiracy theories, and my research uses the JFK assassination as a backdrop for my experiments. I mention all of this to emphasize that this fictional account of the assassination carried with it sufficient fervor and facts to make me reevaluate my own opinions on the matter.

This narrative has shifted the needle, even if only slightly, for me away from my stance that LHO most likely acted alone. I had previously estimated it at 80% likely, but now I'm probably closer to 70%. Mailer presents some scenarios of simultaneous plots to kill JFK, while still allowing for LHO as the lone assassin. "Libra" is somewhere between these postulations and a full-blown conspiracy.

Truly, it is a poetic and knowledgeable work that is as much art as it is history. It is often lauded as a page-turner, and I would have to concur.

**Expanded Article**

Libra is a captivating exploration that delves deep into the life of Lee Harvey Oswald. The story begins with a simple question about his birthday, revealing his astrological sign, Libra. This sign is associated with balance, but as we learn more about Oswald, we see that his life is far from balanced. He is a complex character, with both positive and negative traits. Some may view him as an instable and impulsive individual, while others may see him as a victim of circumstances.

The book takes us through Oswald's life, from his childhood to his assassination of President Kennedy. We learn about his troubled upbringing, his time in the military, and his brief stay in the Soviet Union. We also see how he became involved in a web of conspiracy and was ultimately made the scapegoat for the president's death.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the way DeLillo weaves together fact and fiction. He creates a world that is both realistic and imaginative, blurring the lines between what is real and what is not. This makes it difficult for the reader to know what to believe and adds to the overall mystery and intrigue of the story.

Another important theme in the book is the idea of balance. Oswald's life is constantly in a state of flux, and he struggles to find equilibrium. This is also true of the world around him, which is filled with political and social unrest. The book seems to suggest that in order to find peace and stability, we must first find balance within ourselves.

Overall, Libra is a thought-provoking and engaging read that will leave you with a new perspective on one of the most controversial events in American history. It is a book that will make you question what you know and what you believe, and it is sure to spark lively discussions among readers.

4.5

I'm finally convinced that DeLillo is a genius.

His work has such depth and complexity that it truly astounds me.

The way he weaves together various themes and ideas is simply masterful.

And I'm also convinced that everything in this novel is factually accurate.

It's as if he has done an incredible amount of research to ensure the authenticity of every detail.

Don't be modest, Don.

Your talent is undeniable, and this novel is a testament to your brilliance.

I can't wait to see what else you have in store for us in the future.

Your writing has the power to captivate and inspire, and I'm sure that many more people will come to appreciate your work as much as I do.

Keep up the great work, Don!

UPDATE: Now I am reading for a third time as part of a publication-order re-read of all DeLillo's books. Well, I say all, but I did skip Ratner's Star because I really didn't like it when I re-read it a couple of years ago. Libra, however, is now confirmed, again, as my favourite DeLillo book. Hopefully, the review below from last time I read it will explain why...

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"Think of two parallel lines," he said. "One is the life of Lee H. Oswald. One is the conspiracy to kill the President. What bridges the space between them? What makes a connection inevitable? There is a third line. It comes out of dreams, visions, intuitions, prayers, out of the deepest levels of the self. It is not generated by cause and effect like the other two lines. It is a line that cuts across causality, cuts across time. It has no history that we can recognize or understand. But it forces a connection. It puts a man on the path of his destiny."

I am re-reading my way through what I consider to be Don Delillo's "purple patch". I've re-read The Names and White Noise and soon I will re-read Mao II and Underworld. In essence, this is Delillo's output in the 1980s and 1990s. So now this - Libra, the story of Lee Harvey Oswald and the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

The central event of this novel is such a significant event that it is hard to know where to start. Perhaps it is important that there isn’t an agreed factual history of the assassination but there is such a multitude of facts and theories. One of the (possibly underplayed) key strands of the novel is set in a time well beyond 1963 as an analyst attempts to write a definitive history but is overwhelmed by the quantity of data he is sent. Is there any other historical event that has generated such a plethora of facts and theories for such a short duration. DeLillo refers to it as "…the seven seconds that broke the back of the American century" which is such a wonderful phrase because it says firstly that it was a very brief period of time but secondly that it was such a major event. When I was growing up, people used to say that everyone knew where they were at the moment Kennedy was shot (I was only 2 years old, so could make a guess but not be 100% sure).

DeLillo does not set out to invent a new conspiracy theory in this novel. As in the quote at the start of my review, he presents us with two strands (plus the later analyst). In one, a well-established conspiracy theory, some CIA agents who are appalled at the failure of The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba realise that they cannot any longer directly attack Castro. So they launch a plot to fake an assassination attempt on the President of the USA with a manufactured trail of evidence that will point to Cuba and open up the door to have another attempt at removing Castro. Somehow (and this is possibly one of the key points of the book), that plot transmutes into one where the plan to shoot at Kennedy but miss becomes a conspiracy to kill him. They need a central person who can take the fall and Lee Harvey Oswald becomes their choice. In the second strand, which starts much earlier, we trace the life story of Lee Oswald. This story starts many years before 1963 and gradually catches up until the two strands merge.

Reading the book with the benefit of hindsight, which all readers must do as it was written 30 years after the events it depicts, adds a huge sense of anticipation to the book. The CIA plot chapters are dated and gradually head towards 22 November and the tension builds for the reader who knows what that date means. Oswald’s chapters are named according to the places he lived. As readers with knowledge of what is going to happen, we can appreciate the irony of statements like this that come as Oswald returns to the USA from Russia:

"If they could only make it Texas, things would be all right."

The book is called Libra because that was Oswald’s star sign and this is important to the book. Libra is represented by scales and the subject of balance is key. Oswald vacillates between the USA and Russia/Cuba, searching for stability and balance. He becomes the factor that tips the balance in the conspiracy.

There is a dreamlike quality to much of the narrative. The overall chronology jumps between the stories which is slightly unsettling (the biggest example of this is Oswald’s attempt to assassinate General Walker: in the CIA timeline, it happens very early on in the book, but we get to it about 200 pages later in Oswald’s personal story). But the narrative chapter by chapter is also dreamlike with ideas thrown out and then re-referenced paragraphs, pages or chapters later but without warning or context. There are apparently random thoughts, like a stream of consciousness.

For me, this is a masterpiece of fictionalised history. It mixes real and imagined people seamlessly. It fleshes out a possible background for Oswald and for the assassination plot that incorporates known documents and facts but also imagines things no one could actually know. The narrative and the dialogue is captivating. And all along, we wonder what it is that actually linked Oswald to the conspiracy - was it the "third line" that “comes out of dreams, visions, intuitions, prayers…”

Coincidence. He learned in the bayou, from Raymo, that Castro’s guerrilla name was Alex, derived from his middle name, Alejandro. Lee used to be known as Alek.

Coincidence. Banister was trying to find him, not knowing what city or state or country he was in, and he walked in the door at 544 and asked for and undercover job.

Coincidence. He ordered the revolver and the carbine six weeks apart. They arrived the same day.

Coincidence. Lee was always reading two or three books, like Kennedy. Did military service in the Pacific, like Kennedy. Poor handwriting, terrible speller, like Kennedy. Wives pregnant at the same time. Brothers named Robert.

Completely engrossing.

For someone like Delillo, who has a penchant for inserting tangents within the same paragraph, attempting to resist doing so in a context where the subject matter is more tangential than perhaps feasible is, to say the least, a rather curious endeavor.

It might have required an extraordinary level of commitment and self-restraint on his part to not meander all over the place.

Admittedly, there are certain dull spots in the narrative, but what sets it apart is that everything manages to come together neatly at the end, in stark contrast to the real assassination.

This cohesion makes the entire experience worthwhile.

Without the necessary context, one might have been inclined to label the book as boring, even though it is the creation of the renowned Delillo.

However, thanks to the insights and discussions available on YouTube, a new perspective has emerged, leading to a more favorable assessment.

All in all, it earns a solid 5/5 rating.

My first encounter with Don DeLillo's work was through "White Noise," and I found it to be quite enjoyable. However, "Libra" was an entirely different and remarkable experience.

The author's masterful framing of the Kennedy assassination as a Shakespearean tragedy, skillfully weaving together facts and imaginings, is truly astounding. The dialogue in the novel is superb, reaching a level that can be compared to Cormac McCarthy's best works. Each of the countless characters seems to leap off the page and come to life.

I was completely engrossed in the story and couldn't quite distinguish where the real events ended and the fictional elements began, but curiously, I didn't really care. The very possibility of what might have happened during that fateful event is so compelling that it holds the reader's attention captive.

The ultimate takeaway from "Libra" is that everyone involved in this tragic affair was a loser. Chiefly, it was America that suffered, along with Oswald's mother, who was left alone at her son's grave, perhaps with a thousand questions that are likely never to be answered. This is a read that I cannot recommend highly enough. It is a work of art that delves deep into the mysteries and tragedies of history, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

I take it this book is quite intriguing;

however, I cannot stand this author. I have a handful of authors that belong on my "good lord I hate all of your books" authors list, and this guy is one of them. I thought maybe this book would change my mind because of the subject matter but no.

I wonder though if his books are just unfortunate to have bad narrators? Maybe that's part of the reason I don't like them. But deep down, I still have the feeling I just would not enjoy his writing.

The good news is this was his last on my THE LISTS challenge. I'm so excited about that. Now I can move on to other authors and hopefully find some real gems. Maybe there are some amazing books out there waiting for me to discover, and I can finally escape from the clutches of this author I don't like.

Libra was my very first encounter with the works of Don DeLillo, and I must say it was an incredibly captivating experience.

The initial few hundred pages of the book seem to meander in a menacing fashion, much like a slow movement in a Shostacovich symphony. There is an utter lack of humor, and nowhere does the pulse quicken. Instead, what we are presented with is a bleak landscape. We can almost feel the oppressing humidity of the South and bear witness to the claustrophobic plotting of 'men in small rooms'.

At the outset, I was perhaps less enamored with DeLillo's montage technique. However, upon further reflection, I truly cannot fathom how else he could have managed to weave such a dense matrix from which fate suddenly leaps forth. This is precisely what makes this book so absolutely impressive. As the story unfolds, the assassination plot begins to develop its own internal logic, with those who initially conceived it now standing helplessly on the sidelines.

The great engine of Fate continues to grind its way through the annals of History, sweeping along the lives of minute individuals and the collective consciousness of a nation. DeLillo masterfully allows the story to take its own natural course, resulting in a novel that truly gets under your skin and leaves a lasting impression.

Preamble.

A few days after finishing Libra, I went out for drinks with a good friend who is a DeLillo-aficionado. Naturally, a heated discussion ensued. What follows is largely the result of this conversation.


Review.

In her (or his) first-ever interview, the artist generally known as "Elena Ferrante" attempted to articulate the literary relationship between truth and style. Ferrante said, "Literary truth is not the truth of the biographer or the reports, it's not a police report or a sentence handed down by a court. It's not even the plausibility of a well-constructed narrative. Literary truth is entirely a matter of wording and is directly proportional to the energy that one is able to impress on the sentence." In this brief paragraph, Ferrante perfectly encapsulates the issue I had with Libra. I don't in any way wish to question Don DeLillo's acumen as a writer. Far from it. And Libra, the American author's elaborate and painstakingly researched speculative account of the Kennedy assassination, must have been quite the challenge to write.

And yet, I found myself struggling to be drawn in by the narrative, struggling to feel engaged. Part of the reason is probably subjective. As my DeLillo-loving friend pointed out to me, I generally prefer poetry and philosophy to fiction. Yet I doubt this is the whole story. Sure, some books simply don't resonate with you. But I believe that the failure of Libra was—at least in part—objective in nature. Here's why:


(1) It reads kind of like a synopsis.

I understand that DeLillo likes the plain prose-style. But with several exceptions (such as the somewhat overwrought soliloquies of Ms. Marguerite Oswald), Libra takes things a little too far. Mr. D. will often avoid using figurative language for pages at a time. There are no similes, no metaphors. (Not even dead ones.) When combined with his lengthy, even sentences and sober syntax, the result is not too dissimilar from a dry academic history—but without the factual rigor.


(2) At least some readers of this book aren't American.

As I was getting close to the end of the book, I decided to watch a YouTube video of Lee (Harvey) Oswald's death. Almost immediately, the grey and amorphous world of Libra came to vivid life. If DeLillo wrote the novel for a primarily American audience—which I suspect was the case—he would've been able to rely on a certain set of common beliefs and experiences with regard to his readers. In other words, he could effectively point to a preexisting world, rather than having to create one from scratch. The downside is that for those approaching his book from the "outside," there will always be something missing.

\\n  “Facts are lonely things.”\\n

American history is a complex and often dark tapestry. From the tragic fate of the Native Americans to the fateful events of 9/11, it has been a journey filled with challenges and struggles. This history is not only interesting but also relatable on an international level, thanks to the ancestral voyages that shaped the nation. In Libra, American writer Don DeLillo takes a unique approach to exploring this history. He examines the events surrounding the assassination of JFK in a way that is both artistic and thought-provoking.

DeLillo's writing style is stylish and engaging, making Libra a thrilling read. He blurs the lines between fact and fiction, creating a postmodern odyssey that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The book is not just about Lee Harvey Oswald; it is a reflection on America in the 50's and 60's, and a commentary on the present. Despite being written in 1988, its messages still resonate in our post 9/11 world.

DeLillo places Oswald at the center of the story, portraying him as a complex and troubled individual. We follow his life from a young boy to his involvement in the assassination. The author's attention to detail is remarkable, and he recreates historical events with such authenticity that it feels as if we are there. The scene with Francis Gary Powers being interrogated by the Russians is particularly chilling.

As the story unfolds, DeLillo challenges our perception of reality. He questions the nature of truth and the reliability of our memories. In a postmodern fashion, he bombards us with information, conspiracy theories, and philosophical insights. The result is a book that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally engaging.

\\n  “He questions everything, including the basic suppositions we make about our world of light and shadow, solid objects and ordinary sounds, and our ability to measure such things, to determine weight, mass and direction, to see things as they are, recall them clearly, be able to say what happened.”\\n

Each page of Libra has the power to unsettle the reader. It is a book that demands to be read slowly and carefully, as every sentence counts. The final part is especially impressive, with its evocative nostalgia and powerful sense of truth. Libra is not for the faint of heart, but for those who are willing to engage with its ideas, it is a rewarding and unforgettable experience.

\\n  “The truth of the world is exhausting…”\\n

The best Delillo work I have read to date is a toss-up between "White Noise" and "Zero K". Conspiracy theories are always fascinating, but the JFK assassination is truly in a league of its own. And Delillo manages to bring this historical event to life in a beautifully vivid way.

In his other novels that I have read, I have noticed that Delillo has a unique penchant for spending an extraordinary amount of time delving deep inside his characters’ minds. This is once again the case in "Libra". While this approach might not be suitable for most writers, it is undoubtedly Delillo’s signature style, and I absolutely love it. No one else can so skillfully pry open the minds of his characters and lay bare their innermost thoughts and desires quite like Delillo. I found myself nodding in silent appreciation when Delillo reveals the source of the novel's title. It is just another shining example of his brilliance in character study. The writing in "Libra" is not overly elegant, but it is smooth and highly effective nonetheless.

All in all, I found myself loving a great many things about this novel. So, I reserve the right to upgrade my rating to five stars once I have had more time to fully digest and reflect upon it.