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Katie's Reviews > Freedom
Freedom
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Freedom is Terrible, by Katie G.
(Abridged for your convenience in list form)
Before you think I'm mean, please note that "freedom is terrible" is kind of the point of Franzen's book: Freedom doesn't get you what you want. Uninhibited, it brings a whole slew of problems along with it and, assuming you're not a slave or living in North Korea, the fact that your life is miserable is not due to a lack of freedom.
Ironically, you can also substitute the book Freedom for the word freedom above, and it doesn't change the meaning of anything, which is kind of unintentionally funny on Franzen's part. And thus, we come to my review.
My Reasons for Hating This Book:
A) Every single person in this book is an asshole, a narcissist, or both, and after being around them for 500+ slow-going pages, I now hate humankind. It's no big secret that Franzen isn't particularly fond of humanity, but if he doesn't care about his characters, why should I?
B) Unnecessary storylines and characters. Cutting out Jenna and her DB Goldman boyfriend Nick, Eliza the Sociopath, and Lalitha and the Free Space population-control mission alone would have saved me from 200 pages of non-integral reading. {NB: I understand why Franzen created these characters and found them necessary, but if the pages of your book turn like they're covered in molasses, you don't really want the unabridged version.}
C) The whole thing felt directionless. Books don't need to end tied up in a pretty bow, but I would still like to believe that authors sit down to write a book because they have a story to tell. Otherwise, beginnings, ends, middles--they're all arbitrary. Even Tolstoy had a larger plan, but I'm not convinced Franzen did.
D) The whole thing reeked of American Beauty-esque disenfranchised yuppie-ism. Your problems are not that interesting, important or unique.
As such, I contend that Freedom is terrible.
(Abridged for your convenience in list form)
Before you think I'm mean, please note that "freedom is terrible" is kind of the point of Franzen's book: Freedom doesn't get you what you want. Uninhibited, it brings a whole slew of problems along with it and, assuming you're not a slave or living in North Korea, the fact that your life is miserable is not due to a lack of freedom.
Ironically, you can also substitute the book Freedom for the word freedom above, and it doesn't change the meaning of anything, which is kind of unintentionally funny on Franzen's part. And thus, we come to my review.
My Reasons for Hating This Book:
A) Every single person in this book is an asshole, a narcissist, or both, and after being around them for 500+ slow-going pages, I now hate humankind. It's no big secret that Franzen isn't particularly fond of humanity, but if he doesn't care about his characters, why should I?
B) Unnecessary storylines and characters. Cutting out Jenna and her DB Goldman boyfriend Nick, Eliza the Sociopath, and Lalitha and the Free Space population-control mission alone would have saved me from 200 pages of non-integral reading. {NB: I understand why Franzen created these characters and found them necessary, but if the pages of your book turn like they're covered in molasses, you don't really want the unabridged version.}
C) The whole thing felt directionless. Books don't need to end tied up in a pretty bow, but I would still like to believe that authors sit down to write a book because they have a story to tell. Otherwise, beginnings, ends, middles--they're all arbitrary. Even Tolstoy had a larger plan, but I'm not convinced Franzen did.
D) The whole thing reeked of American Beauty-esque disenfranchised yuppie-ism. Your problems are not that interesting, important or unique.
As such, I contend that Freedom is terrible.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
October 13, 2010
–
Finished Reading
October 14, 2010
– Shelved
October 14, 2010
– Shelved as:
book-club
October 14, 2010
– Shelved as:
boooooring
February 6, 2011
– Shelved as:
never-trust-popular-opinion
Comments Showing 1-9 of 9 (9 new)
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Mark
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rated it 1 star
Aug 19, 2011 11:13AM
Perfect!
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This review made me appreciate the book more. Your initial comment about freedom being terrible and tiresome, and not-really-attainable gives a greater meaning to the book which is seriously lacking in meaning whatsoever. That said, I agree with all of your points. I wish that Oprah did not rant and rave about Freedom so much on television, or else I would have not gone through the trouble to read 500+ pages of slow-moving content.
I wish I had of read your review about a month ago and saved myself the pain of reading this book...I'm on pg 558 and NOTHING has happened!!!!
Having written my own short critical comments, I cruised around to see what other readers were saying. This comment said perfectly what I would have written had I cared enough about the book or its characters to devote the energy to it. Like this reviewer, I despised nearly every person in the book and found a lot of people and events to be totally superfluous. When Joey had to search for his wedding ring in his "detritus," I knew I'd had enough!
I forgot to mention it in my review but I completely agree it smelt like American Beauty...
I read the book in 4 days. I rocketed through this book. I understand what you're saying about some characters being unnecessary but all of them (with the exception of Nick, who is rarely on-screen) serve a purpose in helping understand other characters.
As to it being directionless, not really. It's about the slow disillusion of a marriage and how it affects the two parties (and their family members) afterwards.
Agree with Jenna and her boyfriend being pointless characters, too many pages invested in them. But I did like the inclusions of Lalitha and Eliza, they both have pivotal roles in the novel's development.
so funny ... I absolutely LOVED this book !
„As such, I contend that Freedom is terrible��
� and give it 2 of 5 stars, of course.
