I didn’t know about the controversy surrounding one of Jonathan Franzen’s interviews before I read this The Corrections, I didn’t even find out about it until I was googling his name to find the image of the book cover. I didn’t even bother reading up on the ‘drama’ because in my opinion, if a book is enjoyable, that’s all that matters. Some may beg to differ, but that’s my philosophy.
After the disappointment that was ‘The Body Artist’, I was hoping to have a good rebound book, and I’m glad this is the one I chose. My family is pretty normal, so I do enjoy dysfunctional ones, whether they be on television (the Bluths come to mind), or in print. The Lamberts aren’t all that dysfunctional, actually, when you break down their core personalities and how they interact as a unit. The younger daughter is struggling for an identity, the middle brother has hit rock bottom and just needs a way out, and the eldest is the stereotypical unhappy husband. And mom just wants them all home for Christmas.
I love living in New York, and suburbia, so I had a hard time connecting with Enid’s intense love for all things Kansas and rural, but that didn’t take away from the experience for me. I was able to appreciate her excessive collection of chatchkas in an attempt to make her humble abode more sophisticated (my sister loves chatchkas like you wouldn’t believe).
Each of her children had their own unique struggles and at times I both liked and disliked them, but I suppose any great character makes you hate them just a little bit sometimes. Gary’s paranoia, Denise’s ability to ruin any good situation she’s in, and Chip’s general disregard for his own personal health were a bit bothersome, but they didn’t suffocate the redeeming qualities of the characters.
The end of the book is nicely done, and I enjoyed the distinction between characters by section, it allowed me to become fully engrossed in one person before hopping to the next.
Regardless of Franzen’s comments (I never took the time to read what was ‘controversial’ about what he said, or whom he said it to, for that matter), the book is a great read. Not one I could finish in one session, but it definitely made several trip on the train fly by, and that’s quite a feat.
1 Comment
August 16, 2008 at 8:27 am
Your blog is interesting!
Keep up the good work!