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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
inspiring
reflective
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
DNF at 49%
I really enjoyed the first section of the book but the characters got more depressing and the writing kept feeling more self-consciously writerly. Reminded me a bit of David Foster Wallace at his more insufferable moments.
I really enjoyed the first section of the book but the characters got more depressing and the writing kept feeling more self-consciously writerly. Reminded me a bit of David Foster Wallace at his more insufferable moments.
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Brutal but excellent. I get strong Shteyngart vibes from this book.
Ugggggghhhh. Jesus, what a slog that was.
The only reason I'm giving this 2 stars instead of 1 is that I did quite like the very last section. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't welling up with tears toward the end.
But I really mean it. ONLY the last section.
I don't think the extensive backstories for these characters really serve any purpose. If they really explained how the characters got to where they are in the present storyline, well then that would make sense. But I don't think Franzen achieves this. Each backstory comes off as: "hey! Here's a fucked up thing that happened to this character!" with no greater narrative function than that.
The bit where Chip and Gary are children and Chip is left at the kitchen table to finish his meal for hours was pretty great. Definitely Wallace-esque there.
Anyway. The fact that I laughed out loud when Alfred fell off the cruise ship should tell you how much Franzen really gets the reader to care about his characters: not much. I tried this book out to see what all the Franzen fuss was about, and I don't think I'll read anything else by him any time soon.
The only reason I'm giving this 2 stars instead of 1 is that I did quite like the very last section. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't welling up with tears toward the end.
But I really mean it. ONLY the last section.
I don't think the extensive backstories for these characters really serve any purpose. If they really explained how the characters got to where they are in the present storyline, well then that would make sense. But I don't think Franzen achieves this. Each backstory comes off as: "hey! Here's a fucked up thing that happened to this character!" with no greater narrative function than that.
The bit where Chip and Gary are children and Chip is left at the kitchen table to finish his meal for hours was pretty great. Definitely Wallace-esque there.
Anyway. The fact that I laughed out loud when Alfred fell off the cruise ship should tell you how much Franzen really gets the reader to care about his characters: not much. I tried this book out to see what all the Franzen fuss was about, and I don't think I'll read anything else by him any time soon.
Despite there being some interesting sections and illuminating insights, I just did not enjoy this. The characters were all so insufferable and mean to each other. I don't think I vibes with the themes. And some of the smugness of the author shone through too. I can see the draw for others but this wasn't for me.
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Overwritten and boring, with totally unlikable characters and a plot that was difficult to find amongst all the extraneous detail..
My feelings on The Corrections were very mixed. I loved the style and found myself very immersed in the book while reading it, but at the same time there were aspects of it I hated. In particular I found the characters to be unsympathetic to the point where it affected how much I enjoyed the book; I love anti-heros as much as the next person but I usually find that even when a character is a terrible person I'm still interested in what happens to them, whereas with The Corrections the characters were not just characters I didn't like but characters I couldn't really bring myself to care about. Also, even though I'll admit that the plot is not as important in books like this than other books, I was unhappy with some elements of the plot. It felt somewhat unoriginal in places, and the ending felt rushed. Still, the parts of it that I liked (such as the way that every character's storyline was engaging enough that it could have been a short story in itself) I would definitely describe it as a book I had mixed feelings about rather than one I outright disliked.