Freedom Book Reviews

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Lovely book, hated for it to end. This is a book I wish would have many sequels. I started to deliberately slow down my reading of it because I didn’t want to lose the characters.

Extremely well written tripe. This is the first Jonathan Franzen anything I have read. His skill as a writer, a novelist, is incredible. "Freedom" is simply not something I enjoyed. It is voyeurism into a fairly mundane American family's life. That is all.

Wonderful. I loved the dynamism of the characters. Each showed elements of realism and evolution as the story progressed. The narrative was enjoyable as well. A great book with a great ending

Wade through to get rewarded. It does take awhile to get into this book. Hang in there - slowly, the characters will take over and the fabric of the story reveals itself. Interesting social commentary, as Franzen is known for.

the real thing. A story for our times, involving, clear-eyed and, in the best sense, plainly written.

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen. Self-indulgent. boring. Depressing. However, the characters were well developed.

Freedom is fantastic!. A masterful, multidimensional story that is well-told. Great insights into the complexities of everyday relationships. Really enjoyed the fabulous vocabulary. A fun read that also has meaning.

Great novel, great writer. I devoured 'The Corrections' and like that novel 'Freedom', is just a novel about a family. But I find the writing just exquisite. Franzen's ability to limn emotions and interpersonal relationships with grace and power is just a joy to experience.

Free from Freedom. What a long book! At times it felt like reading a politically correct, intellectualized version of every season of Desperate Housewives rolled into one. At other times, it was very engaging, although I can't say that much really happened in the story, just a lot of heterosexual mooning and moaning. I found myself thinking things I thought I'd never think about a book: why does this have to be so depressing?, why are the sex scenes so graphic?, why are these characters so unlikeable? Usually I love books about which other people think these things. Maybe I'm getting older, maybe something just didn't gel right in this book for me. It was readable, it covered a lot of ground, but I didn't like it as much as The Corrections.

Interesting and thoughtful. I didn't expect to find this book so complex but still it's good and it will take some time to absorb. Good book for discussion groups too.

Fantastic. A lot of topics to think about. It clear my mind in many of them and make me curious to find more about other topics. Love the book so much! Wonderfull job! Thank you!

A book about forgiveness. I love reading the book. I'm Hispanic and through the book I have learn to understand many things I did not understand about the american families and society. Their values and virtues. loved the characters and the way it is written. And by the way, It's the first English book I read.

Updike and Irving meet Tolstoy. Perhaps, having just finished Freedom, I should wait before heaping it with praise. And yet the kinship that I feel with its author, his grip on the reins of my heart, demands hearing. Bravo!

An Excellent American Story. Thought provoking, sometimes angry, sometimes shallow, always rich in pose. A very enjoyable read about Americans in an America in transition.

Long on Words, Short on Story. This lengthy political diatribe disguised as a novel fails to deliver relatable characters much less an appreciable story. The narrative meanders ad nauseum through contemporary politics before stumbling into its anemic plot, only to get lost again in more political mire. Characters develop tediously, slowly revealed through scarce but weak dialogue, yet warrant nothing more than indifference from their audience. Franzen fails to blend political commentary with rich storytelling, resulting in a painfully dull read.

Just okay. I enjoyed the book but found it a bit turgid at times.

Franzen is like a modern day Steinbeck, a true literary genius. Freedom is a moving novel that explores all ranges of emotion. It tackles issues in today's society in subtle context while still evoking powerful scenes and dialogue. Franzen's characters are complex and relatable, to the point where they become friends you want to console, and enemies you want to harm. The inner-workings of the story's plot (from ironic situations to emotional intrigue) reveal views of the freedoms of present day Americans, and how those freedoms can wash away lesser liberties in their wake.

Captivating Second Place. Franzen writes clearly and it makes for good storytelling, especially when the characters seem to be constantly unveiling darker shades of themselves. For the most part, it's hard as a reader to choose a character to root for - so you keep reading, hoping someone will relieve you of the frustrations building. But the title really carries through, as each new freedom seems to expand the landscape and yet, at the same time, confines the character as well. The richness of each Berglund family member, albeit selfish most of the time, really draws a confounding family picture. And this portrait is fascinating and full of hidden skeletons and emotional turmoil. Pick it up and read it with a group - the ensuing discussions will bring out the many layers within the novel.

Freedom. Love this book!

Finish this book!. Quit whining and read. This book is so good. Those who dislike this kind of novel will simply not want to finish it....but in finishing the book, you will see that it has some very important and human things to say. I loved reading it from start to finish. It's all in the details.

Not sure. It took me a while to get into this book, and even after I finished I can't decide if I liked it. It took a while for the 'Freedom' theme to show itself. The charters felt very bound until the last 100 pages or so. If anything it is a lesson in personalities. Not sure if I could suggest this book to others.. I am left wanting more, or at least something different. It was beautifully written, however. It wasn't the writing that I didn't enjoy, it was the meaning of the words when put together.

Love it... And I am only on the second quarter!. This book , which in fact, has been viewed both in a love or hate Forum. But I believe that this book is pure genius from the hands of Franzen. I mean the first part addresses the questions that Are expressed in the mind only and is usually not to detected by regular and immediate dialogue for one to typically voice out loud. It is thoughts that one had personally and it was refreshing to her somebody else breath life to them on the page. Good work, Mr. Franzen. I can't wait to finish the rest of the book and am anxious to find out what this satire about a typical family in the 21 century is all about. A window of typical life in the Bush administration. People reading this novel find themselves asking the question of " what is the point of this book?". The point is for us as human to take a look at our behavior and identify and recognize ourselves closely . To approve and weed out things for us. To reexamine motives and put to peace about our humanities. I am also looking forward to reading the rest of his books and to enjoy his intellectual reworking of families in and under the Regan administratration. Anybody who has issued a bad review of this book and Franzen's other books, have seriously do not appreciate the undercurrent obvious for special readers to chew on. Got to love this book and yes , it has a point. Try it, and give it a chance and except Franzen's work as is instead of comparing it to a New York Times book. Buy it, digest it and love it! It is worth the investment!

Great reading.. I loved this book. I think it helps to be of a certain age where you can identify with the main characters who have grown children. It was funny, sad and believable enough that I had a tough time putting it down, and keep thinking about it now that I have gotten to the satisfying ending. Highly recommended.

Amazing. Great novel. If you get bored it is because you do not understand the complexity of the story.

Addictive. I couldn't stop reading this book...and yet I found by the end of the book I didn't 'like' a single character! I think in a lot of ways they were just too real, too fallible. This is a fascinating novel and I plan to pick up "The Corrections" next. Enjoy!

I loved this book. It's not what I expected at all. Please ignore any review that tells you this book was boring - I don't know what those people were talking about. I just finished, and I'm so sorry to not be able to return to the this family every night. I came to love them in 829 pages an I'll miss them.

Outstanding. If you have to pick one novel to read at this moment, pick this one. It's insight in American, and human, lives is comparable to the ones of great writers of the past. I read it in my iPhone, it's 8000 pages went with me everywhere I went and made me feel less hopeless because in fact someone had already written a book I would never have the talent and diligence to write myself but wanted to see published.

Book of the times. Meaningful and long guttural journey of life raw and realistic even though fictionalized. It’s a good book to say the least and simply put. Do yourself a favor and read the book. If you don’t see some part of your life intertwined in the narrative then are you really living in the real moment?

Freedom. This book, by an author I'd never heard of, has absolutely no plot to speak of. Just the story of a fairly average middle class family. It's brilliant. totally original. Put into the skilled hands of a novelist like Fransen ( sorry if I misspelled the name) all of our lives are daily dramas. I couldn't put this book down and was sad it had to end.

Freedom. I was romanced by his words. Loved all of it. Thankfully it felt closed. Lately it seems books are left to far open. Take your time and enjoy every word!

The writing is sooooo good!. Jonathan Franzen is one of the best writers today, and Freedom certainly proves that point. As I was reading this, I often paused to marvel and appreciate Franzen's skill. Each of his characters is fully formed and authentic, with a distinct voice. Even when the characters through their actions are revealing their flaws, you never dislike them because Franzen does such a masterful job making them complex beings. You understand their motivations, vulnerabilities, hurts. He expertly takes Walter and Patty through their idealistic college years through middle-age ennui as realism sets in, and they readjust their expectations without changing their core selves. Their lives are symbolic of the times. This book will stay with you long after you have finished it.

Freedom. Very good and familiar story that could be anybody's life. The beginning of the book is. Onetheless a little long and condused, but keep reday it gts much better.

Why liberal?. What about the Berglunds makes them liberal? Nothing. They are just as horrible as the Conservatives they hate so much.

Loved it. This book was well written and hard to put down. I felt like I knew the characters like friends of the family. Can't wait to read another book from this author.

Freedom. Couldn’t wait for it to end

Freedom, by Jonathan Franzen. A “know it all,” cynical and editorializing novel about an American family which feels like it has such an agenda, it borders on the absurd at times. It sweeps too broadly with its tired stereotypes and judgmental rendering of how families work. If one character or one family or one couple were screwed up, ok. But Franzen acts like everyone is dysfunctional, selfish, cruel and predictable. It’s a downer and just wrong.

Freedom. Hated this book more than any other novel I have reading last five years. Pompous, righteous, preachy, boring..........enormous waste of my time and the publisher's paper.

Great read!. This is the first Franzen novel that I've read. I'll be back for more. Great story with imperfect characters told in a unique way. I really enjoyed his style.

Vintage Franzen. Where does he come up with this stuff? Pure genius. I didn't want it to end.

Great novel. I picked up this novel out of curiosity and I'm glad I did. This book is amazing on many different levels. I enjoyed reading the Berglunds growth and there ups and downs as a family and in their personal lives. The dialogue exchanges are purposeful and don't come on as forced. The characters are intriguing and make you wonder what happens to after the end of the novel.

Overrated. This is not a bad book but certainly not a great one. Interesting but way too long so a bit disappointing overall...EAF

Half way through, just can't finish it.. I bought this book based upon the so-called professionals who reviewed it and rated it so highly. I'm so bored with this story, it just goes on and on and on and not in a good way. I'm really starting to dislike the main character which I'm sure was not the authors intention.

Freedom. Great book, well written. Presents many thought provoking issues

Unvarnished Life. The complexity of human beings parsed in remarkable psychological depth each facing life In their own way, in the context of the forces beyond control, is really a masterpiece of realism and redemption through forgiveness. A saga of a family told in detail that astounds with its creativity while at the same time it's familiarIy.

So real. If you have the time, read it.

Didn’t Want it to End. This is a book I read slowly, so it wouldn’t end. The human insights and brilliant prose are impossible to describe well. Not for everyone, but my favorite novel since The Goldfinch.

A modern masterpiece. Loved this book!

Wow. This is nearly a perfect book. Read this.

Loved it. Great character-driven plot. A bit more rambly than The Corrections, but I loved it nonetheless. Well worth the read!!

Amazing portrait of life's unexpected complexities. Like no story I've ever read before. Franzen's clean and concise style seems to articulate even the most complex thoughts and feelings...effortlessly. The characters are so deep and real and diverse, that it is impossible for the reader not to relate (or at least understand), in some deep way, to every one of them. As a 25 year old, it exposed to me obvious truth... That life does not get easier just because you're an adult. It stays as weird and scary and confusing as any other time in your life. No book explains that better than this one. Loved the book.

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