Freedom
by Jonathan Franzen, Audiobook Read by David LeDoux, 2010, MacMillan Audio, New York
This book was very disappointing. The author attempted to provide a treatise on individual freedom and where it leads, but, instead, managed only a sad portrayal of some pretty unlikable, dysfunctional individuals. It was difficult form me to connect to any of the characters in this novel, particularly in the first half of the book. Then, when they suddenly seemed to become more likable in the second half, I was at a loss to understand how they manged to undergo the transformation. While each of the characters struggled to deal with their various afflictions, the basic message seemed to get lost. Is freedom a good thing or a bad thing? Is too much freedom good or bad? What are the consequences? All of this seems to get lost as most of the characters, through no effort or fault of their own, seem to overcome all their shortcomings and end up in pretty good situations by the end of the novel.
If all of these individuals lived next door to me all my life, I am not sure I would make any effort to get to know them. They all seemed to be just stereotypes rather than real, interesting individuals.
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