Review Superbly readable, it is the work of a novelist at the height of his powers ... The skills that have justly placed Franzen in the top rank of American writers are abundantly evident ... This new work by an American master of realism has novelistic pleasures in abundance: characters one believes in and cares about, situations drenched in atmosphere and detail, and, above all, a propulsive current of storytelling verve Sunday Times Purity is just as good as Freedom, if not better by virtue of its greater ambition Independent This novel contains multitudes: love, murder, marital terrorism, embarrassing sex, nasty sex, solo sex, the Stasi, internet leaks, missing nuclear weapons, missing fathers, overbearing mothers and a variety of interesting bowel disorders. What you won t find much of is purity Sunday Telegraph Franzen in an exceptional writer, more skilled than most at producing brutal insights, perfectly evocative turns of phrase, and genuine hilarity ... rich scenes and crackling dialogue ... delicious observations about contemporary life Guardian Franzen writes conversational, enormously intelligent prose that wears its subtlety and precision lightly ... there s something thrilling about Franzen s frenzied but at the sametime self-mocking and capacious seriousness Independent An ingeniously-plotted, intricately-structured narrative that demands that attention is paid ... gripping, often funny and packed with wonderful characters Prospect Franzen is that rare bird: a literary novelist of the highest distinction who has also become one of the bestsellers of the age ... Purity makes the most compelling reading, and Franzen reveals himself here to be even more a master than ever David Sexton, Evening Standard Wonderful Daily Mail Compelling The Times Very readable Good Housekeeping --Good Housekeeping From the Author Jonathan Franzen was born in 1959 and graduated from Swarthmore College. He has lived in Boston, Spain, New York, Colorado Springs and Philadelphia. His other novels are 'The Twenty-Seventh City', 'Strong Motion', and 'The Corrections'. He is also the author of 'How To Be Alone', a collection of non-fiction, and 'The Discomfort Zone', a memoir. His fiction and non-fiction appear frequently in the 'New Yorker' and 'Harper's', and he was named one of the best American novelists under forty by 'Granta' and the 'New Yorker'. He lives in New York City. See all Product description
D**N
Good book... but not as good!
Good book... but not as good as some of his previous work. (No spoilers)It is pretty well written and often captivating and thought provoking at times, though it does seem to go a little deep to the point where it feels like a slog to get through those heavy sections... maybe that says more about me than the book though!The book itself is a nice read most of the time but does have some somewhat implausible characters resulting in the plot becoming unusual and almost unbelievable at times. Yes, I am aware it is a work of fiction, I just like that fiction to have some semblance in reality which I think helps to keeps me on the hook.The characters are at times over the top but still feel unfulfilling when it comes to depth and development, leaving a feeling that a lighter touch might sometimes be better when getting into the more intense psychological nature of the protagonists, while other characters could do with more than a very basic, cursory outline. The story is alluring until midway through when the key plot twist is revealed, in my opinion, a little too early... from there, the story drifts into monotonous, surface scratching insights which combined with a very predictable chain of events mean that the end of the book draws to a lackluster finish. I'm not sure whether the quality of the writing has suffered in comparison to his other books, or whether the attempt at something different has led to a decent book, but something which could have been a lot better.All in all an enjoyable book and I would recommend it, but it's not on the same level as Freedom or The Corrections... which I would highly recommend reading if you enjoyed this book or if you haven't read it yet but are looking for something similar. Unrelatable and stereotyped characters combined with a story with not so much purpose as it has brashness, make it a far cry from his other works which resonated much more with me. Hopefully this will be a platform for Franzen to create more like this, but with a more fine tuned approach. Recommended!Thanks for reading my review!
D**M
Really complex and amazing book.
This is not 'just a book' is a masterpiece of literature. It explores what the condition of youth of the last 50 years: its complexity and contraddictions. As usual, Frenzen gives you extensive insights on his characters biography. Sometimes I thought "tmi" but at the end I was really convinced that these people existed for real, so much that I found myself googling some of their names just in case they were real (of course they were not). Reading Frenzen is not easy, it requires patience but those who endure will duly be rewarded. Loved it!
D**D
I think he gets better and better This is such a meaty novel with ...
I have to confess I'm a big fan of Jonathan Franzen. I think he gets better and better This is such a meaty novel with great characterisation. Allthe main characters have a past which gradually is revealed and comes to influence the present. There is so much truth in here regarding what drives people and why the become what they are.If you enjoyed "Freedom" you won't be disappointed with Purity. Its a brilliant read.
E**H
disappointed
not very funny with no likeable characters. i think we were supposed to like pip but she was a unconvincing persona and it was hard to believe in her. the entire novel lacked conviction although there were redeeming aspects.
M**N
Read it now
This is absolutely magnificent. I recommend that you read it now. It has an amazing structure. The characters are wonderful and the story(ies) are full of insight into the modern world.
M**E
... contemporary American writers and PURITY must surely be his best novel so far
Johnathan Franzen is one of the major contemporary American writers and PURITY must surely be his best novel so far. He directs the complicated intertwining of the lives of his characters, some almost grotesque, many impure, with panache. As he examines the various 'isms' of our time, bores deeply into the most puzzling of human relationships, and maintains the 'Hamlet' theme right to its moving conclusion, he does so with perfect control and warm humor. The examples of his fresh and captivating language are numerous: right now I'm remembering the description of an aging hand and Pip and Jason's delightful and hugely symbolic tennis ball whacking at the end of the novel. This is a work to be taken up again, savored, chuckled over.Why not 5 stars? It could have been shorter!
L**T
Hmmmm
I read this because I loved The Corrections. But I struggled to finish this book. The narrative feels a bit all over the place and I didn't really find any of the characters sympathetic - or even that interesting. I read it through to the end but it was hard work at times.
T**S
Flawed masterpiece
Flawed masterpiece. Not as good as The Corrections or Freedom but still the best book I've read in a long while. It's not written quite as brilliantly as the last two books but theres a more ambitious and far reaching plot seen from multiple points of view. It's also more of a page turner. I'm glad he wrote this book cause if he had done another family from the suburbs book it would have been a big disappointment to me.
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