Freedom by Jonathan Franzen

[Gregory Samsa]

The Guardian called it a "modern classic" and "the novel of the century". Obama read it on his vacation and Franzen became the first American author to appear on the Time Magazine cover in 10 years. The last, in 2000, was Stephen King.

So my expectations are very high. Has anyone here read Franzen and can tell me what makes him so good? I have never heard of him until now!

[JZD]

Crazy hype for this book. I still haven't read The Corrections, which is supposedly his masterpiece, so I can't really speak on him much. His novels are rather long so I'm deciding if I really want to jump in. I think his thing is that he's really good at portraying the modern American family in an incredibly realistic way. I have a hunch it might be more geared toward middle-aged Americans than people in their 20s, but I could be wrong about that.

[Gregory Samsa]

I think his thing is that he's really good at portraying the modern American family in an incredibly realistic way. I have a hunch it might be more geared toward middle-aged Americans than people in their 20s, but I could be wrong about that.

Thanks for the answer. Maybe the book is nothing for me. I am in my 20s and not from America. :/

[dfloyd]

so I'm going to find out about all the hype. The same thing was said about Don Delillo whose long novels I have found to be incredibly boring. If you are from Sweden, Samsa, you should be reading the three Stieg Larsson "The Girl ...." books. Not great literature, but enjoyable thrillers with no boring parts. I have read all three and watched the first movie, the highest grossing Swedish film ever. The actress who plays Lisbeth Solander, when rid of her punk makeup, is a really pretty young girl.

[Gregory Samsa]

If you are from Sweden, Samsa, you should be reading the three Stieg Larsson "The Girl ...." books. Not great literature, but enjoyable thrillers with no boring parts. I have read all three and watched the first movie, the highest grossing Swedish film ever. The actress who plays Lisbeth Solander, when rid of her punk makeup, is a really pretty young girl.

I have, and I don't understand the hype. Do you find it exotic? If you want to see a really good swedish movie, you should watch "Let the Right One In" (Låt den rätte komma in).

I have ordered Freedom now, hope is good.

[dfloyd]

they are just well written thrillers. Most so called thrillers are not suspenseful, but are, in fact, boring. I listened to unabridged CDs of all three novels and watched the first movie on dvd with English subtitles. Not great literature by any means, but entertaining.

There are less than a half dozen American writers of this mystery genre that are worth reading: Michael Connolly, Nelson DeMille, Daniel Silva, Alan Furst, and a couple more whose names a can't recall, but are on the distaff side. Too bad Stieg Larsson passed away. He might have become superior as a mystery writer.

[OrphanPip]

I have, and I don't understand the hype. Do you find it exotic? If you want to see a really good swedish movie, you should watch "Let the Right One In" (Låt den rätte komma in).


That was a pretty good movie, I saw a trailer for an American adaptation of the film, it's called Let Me In.

I'm amazed that they are remaking a foreign film that is only a couple years old.

[mortalterror]

That was a pretty good movie, I saw a trailer for an American adaptation of the film, it's called Let Me In.

I'm amazed that they are remaking a foreign film that is only a couple years old.

They do that all the time now. There was only a four year lag between Infernal Affairs and Scorsese's remake The Departed, and trust me the original is way better.

[Drkshadow03]

They do that all the time now. There was only a four year lag between Infernal Affairs and Scorsese's remake The Departed, and trust me the original is way better.

I thought The Departed was pretty good actually, although I haven't seen the original foreign film.

[mortalterror]

I thought The Departed was pretty good actually, although I haven't seen the original foreign film.

It had good elements, though it wasn't up to Scorsese's finest films like Goodfellas or Raging Bull. But Infernal Affairs did everything better with the same elements. It was like watching perfection. You know how it is when you watch a movie or read a book and even though you can think of better movies or books, that one you are watching got the absolute maximum out of it's material and you are aware that this cannot be done better than the way it is being done right now? Infernal Affairs is a slicker movie, with better pacing, better dialogue, better acting, better editing, better atmosphere, and better direction. It just feels realer, whereas wherever The Departed altered the script there is a lessening of effect. There's a whole extra character in The Departed which leaves all sorts of plot holes, and changes the ending of the film. Infernal Affairs is the best action movie I've seen since films like Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, or The Fugitive and I wish it had gotten the kudos it deserved.

[JZD]

I now have it and I've started it. I have to say I'm pretty drawn in by the first 20 pages or so. I hope it comes through.

[Sancho]

I just bought my copy today and I'm looking forward to getting started, but who knows when I'll find the time. Busy-busy-busy. And that's a cool thing about a book: it'll be just sitting there, waiting for me, on that little table with the reading lamp, a coaster, and a pair of cheaters, right next to the wing-back chair. Who needs a flat-screen?