Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

"Freedom," a really special work of fiction, is the story of a marriage, and a family, in early 21st Century America. There is hardly a false note in the book. Forget about the author (see below for a short discourse on people who can't seem to both read the book and ignore the author), and just inhale this book to be with the characters in it, to live with them for a few days. All of the characters are flawed, some deeply so. They learn that freedom always involves a choice, and choice always grants one kind of freedom and takes away others. They are very slow to learn acceptance, but some of them do, slowly and painfully.

Let's just take a moment on public reaction to both "Freedom" and its author: for some reason that, possessed of the facts, I simply cannot fathom, Mr. Franzen is perceived as a difficult, even controversial figure, a polarizing author. He is an independent thinker, that I concede, as well as a serious bird watcher. But beyond that, if you take the time to understand what has given rise to the occasional brouhaha about Franzen, you will see that there is no real basis for it, except that the public likes its bêtes noires, and so the public will have them, even when the public has to make them up.

I think there's no basis for the small furor that Franzen occasionally seems to inspire. Even if there were, put me squarely in the camp that separates the art from the artist. Let us stipulate that Picasso was a jerk; would anyone argue that, as a consequence of his quite unpleasant personality, his art has less merit? (All right, I know some people would. I feel sorry for them.)

As for "Freedom" itself, there are far too many Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ reviewers that seem to dislike the book because readers find the characters difficult or unlikeable or self-absorbed - or that the writer holds them in contempt somehow! Ridiculous! Is that what reviews have come to? Books must be full of happy, resolved, empathic characters or they're not good? This is an idea possibly even stupider than confusing the artist with his art!

I strongly recommend Franzen's "Commitments," "Strong Motion," and "Purity," as well.