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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
Overhyped!!! A decent read overall, but not one character is believable. This style of novel is done SO much better by Franzen himself (in "The Corrections"), Jennifer Egan ("A Visit from the Goon Squad"), and McCann ("Let the Great World Spin").
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm not sure if I'd rather applaud Franzen for his skill in breathing life and believability into so many characters or send his wife (ex, I'd have to assume?) a batch of condolence cookies. As a relatively young and optimistic pre-married person, I may have chosen the wrong time in my life to read this. Still, the writing is excellent as are the realistic webs of relationships and their effects on personalities and flaws. Overall, I'd recommend this book, just be prepared for a skilled dose of cynicism!
Given that I relished this book and read it voraciously, perhaps a 5 star rating is more accurate. Franzen gives us an intimate portrait of the main characters, Walter and Patty, from the time of their meeting at college and throughout two decades of marriage. Their two children,Walter's best friend, a charismatic rocker, and Walter's beautiful, exotic assistant are all portrayed with insightful realism.
This is a book about the inner lives of people, maybe more so than the outer, and Franzen goes deep into the family history and childhood upbringing of his main characters. Their pasts are fraught with the skeletons found in many closets- alcoholism, deep resentment, date rape, codependence, disconnection.
One of my favorite lines in the book was, in talking about Walter's grandfather, who came to America from Sweden- "He became another data point in the American experiment of self-government, an experiment statistically skewed from the outset, because it wasn't the people with sociable genes who fled the crowded Old World for the new continent; it was the people who didn't get along well with others."
That got me thinking about our ancestors and the things they've passed on to us, here in America.
Family systems, family behaviors all woven in a story of one marriage, two people and all their complexities. Interspersed in the telling is the idea of longing and lust within a troubled marriage, the idealization and fantasy of forbidden fruit, the decimation of rainforests and mountaintops in the greed for oil, the obscene greed of those who deal in war, the nonexistent WMDs that led us to war, the hypocrisy of many so-called environmental groups, and on and on.
I have not told you the plot, nor will I. But by the end of this fairly long novel (562 pages) there is healing and redemption. Two of my personal favorite themes. Read this book.
This is a book about the inner lives of people, maybe more so than the outer, and Franzen goes deep into the family history and childhood upbringing of his main characters. Their pasts are fraught with the skeletons found in many closets- alcoholism, deep resentment, date rape, codependence, disconnection.
One of my favorite lines in the book was, in talking about Walter's grandfather, who came to America from Sweden- "He became another data point in the American experiment of self-government, an experiment statistically skewed from the outset, because it wasn't the people with sociable genes who fled the crowded Old World for the new continent; it was the people who didn't get along well with others."
That got me thinking about our ancestors and the things they've passed on to us, here in America.
Family systems, family behaviors all woven in a story of one marriage, two people and all their complexities. Interspersed in the telling is the idea of longing and lust within a troubled marriage, the idealization and fantasy of forbidden fruit, the decimation of rainforests and mountaintops in the greed for oil, the obscene greed of those who deal in war, the nonexistent WMDs that led us to war, the hypocrisy of many so-called environmental groups, and on and on.
I have not told you the plot, nor will I. But by the end of this fairly long novel (562 pages) there is healing and redemption. Two of my personal favorite themes. Read this book.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So far so good. Entertaining, but a bit trying to achieve John Irving's level (and not getting there).
David Foster Wallace + old Russian classics + modern trashiness + 9/11 = ?
Overall, the book was decent. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. It's lengthy and about a quarter of the way through I was wondering what else there was to talk about. The characters are easy to dislike and also understand. You know why you dislike them, but you can also understand why they are acting the way they do. The central theme of the book is Freedom, clearly evidenced by the title, but it's also the source of pain, happiness, sadness, and more throughout the book.
Not sure I recommend the book to others, but it's a decent read.
Not sure I recommend the book to others, but it's a decent read.
Me after reading this book and recommeding it my mom:
The second Frazen novel I've read and wow, does this author know how to write! Which is good, considering it's his profession but it's always nice to be reassured that there are some high quality authors living and writing among us. Anyway, this is the kind of the book that I just really responded to- until the last 100 pages or so.
The complicated lives of Patty and Walter and Richard were engrossing as you found yourself both hating and empathizing with them. Their family structure and struggles along with the underlying environmental and conservation messages made this a really powerful novel. The style of the book was interesting with Patty's reflections giving the readers a peek into that character's very interesting life and choices.
The subplot with Joey and his shady job didn't really work for me nor did the somewhat sloppy reunion at the end. It felt a little rushed, but I do like when things tie up (at least somewhat) nicely).
I felt the first half of Walter and Patty's lives were the most compelling with the dive into their notable relationships, not only with each other, but with Richard and Eliza as well. This seems like this could have been a seriously good book club book or college class discussion, just has lots to unpack.
The second Frazen novel I've read and wow, does this author know how to write! Which is good, considering it's his profession but it's always nice to be reassured that there are some high quality authors living and writing among us. Anyway, this is the kind of the book that I just really responded to- until the last 100 pages or so.
The complicated lives of Patty and Walter and Richard were engrossing as you found yourself both hating and empathizing with them. Their family structure and struggles along with the underlying environmental and conservation messages made this a really powerful novel. The style of the book was interesting with Patty's reflections giving the readers a peek into that character's very interesting life and choices.
The subplot with Joey and his shady job didn't really work for me nor did the somewhat sloppy reunion at the end. It felt a little rushed, but I do like when things tie up (at least somewhat) nicely).
I felt the first half of Walter and Patty's lives were the most compelling with the dive into their notable relationships, not only with each other, but with Richard and Eliza as well. This seems like this could have been a seriously good book club book or college class discussion, just has lots to unpack.
I finished reading Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. I would describe this book as an indictment of America. It deals heavily in the environment and how we treat the Earth and many American ideals. And, while I agree with a lot of it, I would say the book is a little heavy handed with the subject. And, at times, though I consider myself a person who takes numerous green measures and cares greatly about the environment, this book made me feel guilty. The main thing making me feel guilty was the talk of population growth and the suggestion in the book of a movement to encourage young people not to have children. It kept referencing 13 million people being born a day, I think. But, it never mentioned how many people die a day. And, I don't think it's fair to mention one without the other, though I am aware that over-populating the Earth is problematic. All the characters had deep faults and though there were moments of redemption, these are definitely not characters you fall in love with. And, though I wouldn't say I mind sex in books, there were moments where this book was a little too graphic for me. If you consider yourself Republican/conservative, do not read this book. I'm pretty sure you will hate it. Overall, I would say this book was very interesting and it was a page turner for me, but in the end, I would say it was really just okay mostly because of how heavy handed the message was.