I first heard about Freedom when I saw it on NPR's "Best of 2010" list. I made a mental note, added it to my ever-growing "to read" list, and promptly forgot about it. Then I saw it again, listed as Amazon.com's "Book of the Month." The New York Times liked it. Even Oprah liked it. This book was everywhere, and everywhere people seemed to love it. I downloaded it on Ben's kindle, and started reading.
The verdict? It was okay-- but I certainly wouldn't recommend it.
Franzen's style is both beautiful and readable, his characters have nice depth, and as a whole, he told his story very, very well. The problem? His story wasn't one I was particularly enjoyed reading.
Freedom chronicles the story of a modern, middle-class American family. Without giving anything away, they're an extremely unlikable bunch. They mess up a lot, they say things that make you cringe, and they leave you constantly hoping for some sort of drastic character redemption. What really irked me, however, was Franzen's overall attitude towards the story: disdain. Not only did I not like the characters, but I don't think the author did, either. When I finally closed the book (er...turned of the Kindle) I was left simply thinking: this guy doesn't really like people, does he?
Sorry folks, but I'm just not on board with this one.
2/5.
hmmm you know it's always so difficult for me to find a good book. It's too bad that this one didn't meet expectations.
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