One of those books that have been with me for
quite some time – to be precise since June 2011, when a student living in my
dorm left it behind.
Much like with The Corrections,
Franzen does life in Minnesota (in particular the life of frantic women in
Minnesota) oh so very well. The problem for me, however, is that I somewhat
feel like he doesn’t do life in NY for a cool musician or life in DC for an
environmentalist nearly as well.
The chapters authored by Patty are wonderful,
the others slightly less so. But going back to Minnesota, the clash between
most of the locals and the Berglunds reminded me of the Brexit debates that we
are seeing pretty much all over England right now (except in London, because,
you know, people kind of like us continentals over here!).
Maybe I wouldn’t have enjoyed reading about
Patty so much had she not been a basketball player, but the hypothermia trick
is pure genius and is something that I should definitely try out if I ever
screw up quite badly with my adored wife.
