Reviews

Tour de force that is brilliant literary fiction. Were I teaching it, there would be plenty of passages to unpack and multiple approaches would be appropriate. I see why quasi-feminists of the chick-lit variety are offended that critics salivate over Franzen, but they should stop--it's unattractive and reminds me of the old joke: Guy enters feminist bookstore and asks, "Where's the humor section?" Clerk frowns and answers with hostility, "There isn't one." Franzen has a wry dark sense of humor and his work displays a profound commitment to exposing the ugly underbelly--and sometimes just the plain old belly in which so much goes undigested--of not just American but also in some part global life (or would that be multiple levels of survival?). The text is a testament to the axiom: "If you're not outraged, you can't be paying attention." Yet, outrage with a pleasurable consumption of words tantalizes ... whether it subverts a society based on consumption is another question, but a literary question that would be so much fun to explore at greater length.

diadorim's review against another edition

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3.0

The sharp writing gives life to that suburban sense of dread and repression in a very unique way, but it does border on caricature at times, and aspects of the narrative and characters lack subtlety. A good read overall.

dukegregory's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5

Pychon/Delillo-lite (aka without the esotericism) that has an amazing start and end and a ton of filler that left me deeply bored regardless of Franzen's clear immensity of talent. I'm more excited to read his other work to be honest. Less hype to pervert my expectations.

nickknackers's review against another edition

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4.0

I will always be a big fan of well articulated dysfunction, especially when it involves families.

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