Freedom: A Novel. By Jonathan Franzen.
Another bestseller I've been avoiding, largely because of the vague description on the book cover and acerbic cover itself (I do judge books by their covers). In truth, this book is hard to describe, but revolves around a family and their branching, beautifully odd relationships. Normally, the theme of suburban discontent makes me want to yawn and NOT contemplate the lame tragedy of SUV driving, resource abusing white people, but Franzen's crispy fresh writing style managed to suck me in. He has an inventive way with words and uncannily captures the roving, self-deprecating female stream of consciousness. I wondered if 'Jonathan' was a nom de plume disguising a woman, but the picture on the book jacket is convincingly male. Undercurrents of this book explore ecological conservation, rockstarism, politically incorrect political activism, alcoholism, and exploitative relationships. Caution: this is a thick book, and the middle third felt like a marathon, mostly because I was under the gun to get it back to the library, and the book remained engaging throughout. Bottom Line: Read it if you have some extra time.
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