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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
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.
emotional
slow-paced
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My feeling when I finished this book: IMMENSE RELIEF. I'm free. Thank goodness Franzen writes a good story because otherwise I wouldn't have gotten through this book. All of the characters were extremely annoying supremely flawed and for the most part I disliked them all and felt sorry for them at the same time. UGH! I don't expect to relate to or like all characters but usually there is some back and forth between narration by a rotten character and someone you like.
Jonathan Franzen has a way with words that not many contemporary writers do; it is rare that an author can deftly string together a sentence with such craft.
Wonderful writing aside, Franzen's novel depicts that in today's society, the number of freedoms we have are almost dizzying, and surely the feeling of security in that we have made the "right" decision is not easily reached. Nearly all of the characters in Freedom venture down a path only to decide they've made a poor choice and haul ass, in a U-turn fashion. But unlike the migratory birds that Walter is so fond of, people cannot turn around and around again, at least not without considerable consequences.
Wonderful writing aside, Franzen's novel depicts that in today's society, the number of freedoms we have are almost dizzying, and surely the feeling of security in that we have made the "right" decision is not easily reached. Nearly all of the characters in Freedom venture down a path only to decide they've made a poor choice and haul ass, in a U-turn fashion. But unlike the migratory birds that Walter is so fond of, people cannot turn around and around again, at least not without considerable consequences.
Excellent. The characters were exquisitely crafted, I really felt like I knew them. A superb author.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes