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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
A book about the perils of freedom. When Walter killed the cat, I lost the sympathy I had for him. Although, as someone who is getting married soon, I was very happy with the ending. Eased my fear of middle age a bit.
Good, quick read. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Sometimes I wasn't sure this would live up to The Corrections, and sometimes I thought it would end up being a little too much like it -- but in the end, it's better. It really is that good.
2012- 5 stars- page turner, loved it.
2020- 2 stars- well written but: annoying & couldn’t finish it.
2020- 2 stars- well written but: annoying & couldn’t finish it.
I have studiously avoided reviews of this novel. I didn't want to read it with any preconceptions greater or more insidious than those formed by reading The Corrections. I didn't love that book, felt a little dirty after reading it, yet was impressed by the cold, technical writing of Franzen (who reminds me of Nicholas Barker).
Freedom was more technical, more clinical, and yet more real. An agonizing study of human nature, marriage, betrayal and the forgiving comfort of relationships that span lifetimes, this is a masterpiece.
Just as War and Peace is referenced, this is also a novel that will stand the test of time. Brilliant. Now I have to read other reviews.
Freedom was more technical, more clinical, and yet more real. An agonizing study of human nature, marriage, betrayal and the forgiving comfort of relationships that span lifetimes, this is a masterpiece.
Just as War and Peace is referenced, this is also a novel that will stand the test of time. Brilliant. Now I have to read other reviews.
Interesting article from yesterday's PG about this author and more.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10321/1103775-44.stm (March 2012)
This book got a lot of hype which kind of made me want to read it, though I was not crazy about The Corrections. Then my friend lent me her copy, so I read it despite my reservations.
Like many books that I have read lately, I was not crazy about this book either, but the somewhat "happy ending" kind of redeemed Freedom. As with The Corrections, Freedom is about a dysfunctional, unlikable family. Given that the book seemed sooo long to me; much of the time I could not wait to finish the book. Franzen is a gifted writer; I just don't like his stories.
By the end I realized that maybe I didn't like the Berglunds because I recognized certain aspects of myself and those I love. Thankfully I and my family do have redeeming qualities.
"And TV: TV was like radio, only ten times worse. The country that minutely followed every phony turn of American Idol while the world went up in flames seemed to Walter fully deserving of whatever nightmare future awaited it." (334)
"He and his wife loved each other and brought each other daily pain...Each time he thought they'd reached the unbearable breaking point, it turned out that there was still further they could go without breaking." (345)
"...He thought about the heroism of his parents' having stayed together all those years, the mutual need that underlay even the worst of their fighting. He saw his mother's deference to his father in a new light, and forgave her a little bit. It was unfortunate to have to need somebody, it was evidence of grievous softness, but his self was now seeming to him, for the first time, less than infinitely capable of anything, less than one-hundred-percent bendable to whatever goals he'd set his sights on." (457)
Does anyone really have "Freedom" or are we all doomed to the same lives and mistakes as our parents?
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10321/1103775-44.stm (March 2012)
This book got a lot of hype which kind of made me want to read it, though I was not crazy about The Corrections. Then my friend lent me her copy, so I read it despite my reservations.
Like many books that I have read lately, I was not crazy about this book either, but the somewhat "happy ending" kind of redeemed Freedom. As with The Corrections, Freedom is about a dysfunctional, unlikable family. Given that the book seemed sooo long to me; much of the time I could not wait to finish the book. Franzen is a gifted writer; I just don't like his stories.
By the end I realized that maybe I didn't like the Berglunds because I recognized certain aspects of myself and those I love. Thankfully I and my family do have redeeming qualities.
"And TV: TV was like radio, only ten times worse. The country that minutely followed every phony turn of American Idol while the world went up in flames seemed to Walter fully deserving of whatever nightmare future awaited it." (334)
"He and his wife loved each other and brought each other daily pain...Each time he thought they'd reached the unbearable breaking point, it turned out that there was still further they could go without breaking." (345)
"...He thought about the heroism of his parents' having stayed together all those years, the mutual need that underlay even the worst of their fighting. He saw his mother's deference to his father in a new light, and forgave her a little bit. It was unfortunate to have to need somebody, it was evidence of grievous softness, but his self was now seeming to him, for the first time, less than infinitely capable of anything, less than one-hundred-percent bendable to whatever goals he'd set his sights on." (457)
Does anyone really have "Freedom" or are we all doomed to the same lives and mistakes as our parents?
I had forgotten to mark this one “Read” yet it was a notable reading experience that I remember vividly and will not repeat.
Franzen is an amazing writer. His skill is undeniable yet I really hated the book, it’s characters, and the fact that I hung in to the end. Why did I spend so much time with it? It’s perfectly descriptive prose. He’s an astute cultural critic. The voice of the characters never made any sense to me; they are simply excellently-wrought collages of behaviors and motivations pieced together to a thoroughly unsatisfying and inauthentic whole.
My favorite part was the curious essay on the plight of songbirds he plopped in the middle.
Franzen is an amazing writer. His skill is undeniable yet I really hated the book, it’s characters, and the fact that I hung in to the end. Why did I spend so much time with it? It’s perfectly descriptive prose. He’s an astute cultural critic. The voice of the characters never made any sense to me; they are simply excellently-wrought collages of behaviors and motivations pieced together to a thoroughly unsatisfying and inauthentic whole.
My favorite part was the curious essay on the plight of songbirds he plopped in the middle.
Finished reading Freedom in a marathon reading session this Labor Day weekend. Loved it. Shallow observations of petty suburban life bookend a breathless fall into the complex lives of family and friends. I wanted to stop but was too caught up in the sweaty, tangled sheets of the story to stop. However, I can do without Franzen’s preoccupation with shit; I can definitely do without that.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
Take a break from whatever you're reading, and pick this one up... even if it *is* an Oprah book now. Unbelievably good.