This is a long rambling blog, but this time I promise that the picture has something to do with the blog – it’s supposed to “capture the absurdities of contemporary life”

It’s funny. Even though I am constantly thinking and talking about books I hate reading reviews. I generally scan over them to see what is getting the press. I may skim the ones about the books I have read or plan to read to see if they are favorable, but I rarely actually read a review. You would think that it would help me at work to read them (you know – so I can sell the books) but I really don’t think it does help. For one thing – and I don’t think this is a revelation – but, they generally ruin the plot of the book for the reader. Or at least they effect the way you read a book. You know, this one is about a family, or this one is about terrorism – when in fact the reviewer may have missed the point. And of course sometimes the plot of a book isn’t really the point, but still…

I’ve been watching the reviews of Jonathan Franzen’s new book Freedom though and I think I’ve been interested for a couple of reasons: First, the media buzz around The Corrections in 2001 was such a big deal that everyone seemed to have an opinion about Franzen – you know, he’s the one that snubbed Oprah. I personally thought that it was a good idea to snub Oprah, but the novel itself fell flat. But he made such a bang that you couldn’t help but watch. After all, what else in the literary world does anyone other than us care about. (I liked his essay from Harper’s) The second reason that I have been watching for reviews of Freedom is that I actually really liked the book. I read it on vacation and just ate it up. I liked it, but I’m not really sure why – maybe some of these smart people who get paid to write reviews can help me out, right? Well, the first one I heard was on NPR one day – the reviewer said that he didn’t like the book because of Franzen’s disdain for his characters. I’m not sure if I like that as a reason to give a book a negative review, but I guess I see his point. I’m not sure I agree – the characters are definitely imperfect but I’m not sure that I think Franzen himself dislikes them.

This week the print reviews hit in the New York Times and the cover of Time. The Time piece describes Franzen’s self consciousness  – I happen to suspect that it’s a bit of an act – he’s just the to perfect nerd hero. (nerdy glassed, mussed hair, professor jacket, memoir about birding)

Here’s a quote from the NYT’s review: “it felt, at times, as if he were self-importantly inflating the symbolic meaning of his characters experiences”. Interesting and I guess I agree but don’t really mind. I think one of the most helpful thing I’ve read is that Franzen is trying to write the big American novel. It’s big and sprawling and covers a lot of ground. Again from the NYT’s review – Franzen’s characters capture “the absurdities of contemporary life”. Maybe it’s as simple as that – I like this book because I can relate. I’ve often suspected that a big part of the reason that I like books so much is a simple curiosity about other people.

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