Jonathan Franzen Freedom

The long-awaited follow-up to Franzen’s novel The Corrections does not disappoint. While it nears 600 pages, Freedom’s well-drawn conflicts and long stretches of inspired dialogue make it unlikely to become a doorstop. The book tells the story of Walter and Patty Berglund, an idealistic couple living in Saint Paul, Minnesota, who find their marriage strained by their son Joey’s decision to divorce them in favor of a shockingly different family next door and the encroachment of Richard Katz, a purposely obscure rock musician and longtime friend of Walter’s, on their relationship.

John