SOURCE: A review of Underworld, in National Review, Vol. 49, No. 22, November 24, 1997, pp. 60–61.

In the following review, Gardner summarizes the plot and themes of Underworld, faulting the scope and length of the novel.

The problem with the New York Mets is that, instead of just trying to get to first base, which is a worthy and attainable goal, they always go for the home run and all too often strike out. The problem with much recent American fiction is that, instead of crafting a simple and compelling tale, many of our most respected authors aspire to write the Great American Novel—and they fall on their faces.

This baseball analogy is apt in the context of Don DeLillo’s latest novel, which begins at a baseball game and is shot through with meditations on our national pastime. Like his friend Thomas Pynchon, Mr. DeLillo has just come out with...