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jenknox's review against another edition
3.0
OK. I loved The Corrections, but when narrating his own life, Franzen seems overly censored and restrained, almost the opposite of his fiction.
literarytranquillity's review
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Rendkívül hasznos, hogy az olvasott gondolatfolyamok által Franzen életébe, világnézetébe, személyiségének kialakulásába, íróvá válásának meghatározó vagy kevésbé meghatározó tényezőibe belátást lehet nyerni. Mindegyik szövegben volt valami izgalmas, még akkor is, ha az elején úgy gondoltam, unalmasabb lesz vagy nem fog érdekelni. Biztos vagyok benne, hogy visszatérek majd ehhez a kötethez, amikor regényeit vagy más szövegeit olvasom. ❤️
tracyreally's review against another edition
I don't think I'm ever going to pick this book back up, but it has a cool cover. I just don't think I can forgive Franzen for that business with the turd in The Corrections. However, I got this at the Dollar Tree, which is like getting it for free.
chiliramon's review against another edition
2.0
Jonathan Franzen sounds like someone I could've gone to college with. He is clearly sharp, talented, and high-minded. But he probably thinks his honesty and self-awareness absolve him, when they don't. He remains charmless, self-righteous, and grating even as he admits to his faults. Mostly because he doesn't sound sorry for them.
The two stars are for the first two essays about selling his childhood home and his enduring love for Peanuts -- they felt grounded and were pretty enjoyable.
The two stars are for the first two essays about selling his childhood home and his enduring love for Peanuts -- they felt grounded and were pretty enjoyable.
shinheiba_sm's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
iwnbh's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely didn't mean to read all of this in one sitting, but as soon as I saw the essay that had clearly inspired Crossroads, it was over for me. I really love seeing how he has weaved parts of his own life into his novels. Even the small detail of Franzen's brother (who, after having a huge fight with his parents, starts work at a fried-chicken joint hundreds of miles away) is almost a play-by-play of what happened with Clem. Really a nice memoir, I enjoyed it more than his other collection of essays, How To Be Alone.
adrireism's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
tbchic's review against another edition
4.0
I've only recently become aware that Jonathan Franzen exists, so when I saw this book at my local bookstore for the price of a meagre 3 euros, I sort of had to buy it. Tbh, I wouldn't have minded paying a bit more now that I've read it.
It's a great book all in all. Franzen gives us a relatable look at his early life; he explores and portrays the Franzen family dynamics, proclaims his love for the Peanuts (esp. Snoopy), recalls his boyhood antics, talks about his non-existent sex life as a young adult and yes, there is even a section dedicated to his love of German literature (every German lit major should read that part, tbh). The style is amazing and the story flows seamlessly, although the changes in the timeline can sometimes be quite abrupt. I loved reading it and I would have given it 5 stars if it were not for the last 20-30 pages. I was really engrossed in reading about his personal life, yet in the end he basically (more or less) just talks about observing birds in probably every US state and he becomes so obsessed with watching them that he secretly takes time off his work to continue this peculiar hobby. God, I wasn't ever a big fan of birds, but now I feel like I hate them with a passion.
Maybe I'm overreacting, but that part really bugged me. I would still recommend it tho.
It's a great book all in all. Franzen gives us a relatable look at his early life; he explores and portrays the Franzen family dynamics, proclaims his love for the Peanuts (esp. Snoopy), recalls his boyhood antics, talks about his non-existent sex life as a young adult and yes, there is even a section dedicated to his love of German literature (every German lit major should read that part, tbh). The style is amazing and the story flows seamlessly, although the changes in the timeline can sometimes be quite abrupt. I loved reading it and I would have given it 5 stars if it were not for the last 20-30 pages. I was really engrossed in reading about his personal life, yet in the end he basically (more or less) just talks about observing birds in probably every US state and he becomes so obsessed with watching them that he secretly takes time off his work to continue this peculiar hobby. God, I wasn't ever a big fan of birds, but now I feel like I hate them with a passion.
Maybe I'm overreacting, but that part really bugged me. I would still recommend it tho.