Book Eight: Freedom

Freedom, Jonathan Franzen

I have so much and so little to say about this book. So much because, honestly, there's so much to talk about. But also so little in that I just want to say that I liked it and leave it at that. Because all of the qualifications and all of the explaining one might have to do to really convey how terrific it is could easily be misconstrued. And I tend to be just a little defensive about books I really like. I'll be honest, though, I kind of hated this book during the middle third. But it had me at the beginning and then it really got me in the end.

I suppose if you're the kind of person who passionately dislikes books packed with characters who are unlikeable, then this is clearly not for you. But I think it's good enough to rise above that. Sure, it's hard not to want to scream at these people, "Oh my god, stop what you're doing right now! What the eff is wrong with you???!!!!" But I like that it captured the complex nature of human beings.