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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I don't like novels, so I didn't love this, but the writing is very good, and the characters are very well developed (a friend of mine said that there was no plot, just character development, with which I agree).
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. The characters are deeply drawn, and quite human, but I felt that not one of the characters had much in the way of redeeming qualities. They were not really the sort of people that inspire me, and they are not the sort of people that I want to root for. The book was more like a car wreck: I kept reading only to see how much worse these miserable people were going to make things for one another. I do enjoy Franzen's writing style, but I'm not sure I can recommend the book to anyone in good conscience.
When I read this book, I was interested while reading it to find out what was going to happen to the characters. But, I remember when I was done I thought, "Well, why did I just read that?"
Non riesco ad appassionarmi alla letteratura americana, nonostante il libro di per sè sia scritto bene.
Very engrossing.... characters quite dysfunctional, but interesting how they develop and change with lots of brutality! I liked the beginning and end sections more than (some of the dysfunctionality) in the middle. Well written.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A compelling love story / family drama / ironical chronicle about Walter, Patty and Richard living through multiple decades of life in various proximities to each other. I was reminded of another author I have enjoyed, John Irving, more than once. Franzen is a fantastic writer who knows his voice and how to use it. Looking forward to reading more of his works.
So I've heard a lot said about the type of person who likes Franzen novels, and they kind of sound like adult hipsters, but I am enjoying this book. At times it seems almost a little too glib in just how yuppie some of the characters are, but that is one of the few faults in my mind. It's a character driven book, one where you find yourself sympathizing with someone one minute and reviling them the next. I think it says a lot about our relationships in this day and age, and it paints life in this modern era with a brush that is neither flattering nor fake. I'm enjoying this one.
gave me the biggest headache. i’ve never seen an author dislike their own characters this much. franzen is like the opposite of dostoevsky in optimism of the human spirit, which fits very nicely with the whole pessimistic attitude he has towards americans and the overwhelming amount of freedom they believe they have to ruin their own lives……. i didn’t find the characters all that dislikeable, and i actively enjoyed how franzen writes about their relationships, even if it’s freudian at times— white suburbian families are a world that i haven’t deeply encountered but is compelling enough for me to believe is out there. it’s very gripping but also incredibly anxiety inducing. i think my frown lines became deeper by 3mm.
