Go, Franzen, Go

December 15, 2004

Booklust asks why Jonathan Franzen’s the author everyone loves to hate. I have no idea. He’s an excellent writer, judging not only by The Corrections, but from his wonderful collection of essays How to Be Alone which was full of pieces that had me nodding my head in agreement. And he spurned Oprah, as so many of his detractors wish they would have the balls to do.

I admire that Franzen lays it on the line with a very personal narrative style. It opens him up to (sometimes fair) ridicule, but it seems to me that some of these “critics” need to unclench their kiesters and pay a little attention to all the good stuff he is writing. And knock it off with the jokes about how he looks too. Who cares? It just makes me completely discount whatever other relevant points the speaker might be making.

Tags: Books and Reading