Friday, 11 September 2015

The Corrections – Jonathan Franzen

A book that a student in the university hall where I used to work left behind (unread) when he left. Random stranger: thank you very much.

I hate myself when I love best-sellers, but again I couldn’t resist the pull of epic family stories, sub-urban American life and, ironically, its dullness. Much like Alfred, I am despotic and obsessive compulsive, and I am quite worried about what might happen to me (will happen to me?) once/if my mind starts to go.

And, with my grandparents in a similar situation to that of Enid and Alfred, I kind of wish their stories will have similar endings soon. Maybe that means I’m an evil and ungrateful grandson, but I’d love to actually think of myself as very loving and caring in this situation.

Despite the fact that I ultimately don’t really care about these characters, their frantic lives are between intriguingly absurd (in my favourite parts) and hilarious (although this can get to be a bit much at times). Also, never has falling off a cruise ship been so funny. 

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