Alan Cheuse‘s review of Jonathan Franzen‘s much-anticipated new novel, Freedom, appeared on All Things Considered yesterday…and begs the question of what kind of compassion we look for in novels.
NPR Reviews the New Franzen
The Back of the Face
“A neck cannot be modern. A neck is in time, belongs to time, but is not formed by it. My guess is that even photos of Neanderthal necks would not differ significantly… [They are] in a certain sense, pure nature. Something that grows in a certain place, the way tree trunks grow, or mussels, fungi, moss.” Recommended reading: Karl Ove Knausgaard on the sanctity of bodies, the nature of truth, and the back of the neck. The third volume of Knausgaard’s bestselling My Struggle hit American bookshelves last week. (Check out our own review of Knausgaard’s previous volumes.)
“Sunset: bitter orange and almond milk”
Recommended Reading: “Joseph Brodsky in Venice (1981)” by Campbell McGrath, one of the best poets in South Florida.
●
●
Tweeting with Jennifer Egan
Jennifer Egan has a new story, “Black Box,” which is being published in ten installments over the New Yorker Fiction Twitter feed. Beginning last night at 8pm EST, and the story continues tonight at the same time.
2 comments:
Add Your Comment: Cancel reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
The Ice Heats Up
You Must Go and Win author Alina Simone‘s essay “Why Do Russians Hate Ice?” has caused quite an uproar in the comments section.
●
●
“As a man I am difficult. But I would like to be personless.”
Brooklyn Poets caught up with Danniel Schoonebeek in order to discuss one of his poems, hear about his idea of “a good day,” and take his recommendations for places to read, write, and explore in Brooklyn. I’ll tell you this much: the man knows how to pick a good happy hour.
●
●
More Amazon Sales Ranking Crack
Authors now have more Amazon sales ranking data to obsess over. Weekly Nielsen BookScan data is now available to authors for free through their “Author Central” area. (press release)
●
●
I look forward to reading “Freedom,” but with some unease, because Cheuse (and other things I’ve read) make it sound as if Franzen is repeating himself — the new book appears to be very much in the same vein as The Corrections; i.e., another satire of middle-class life. He did it so well the first time, that the second go-round will almost certainly be a disappointment. It’s a safe choice of subject matter, and I hadn’t thought of Franzen as a safe writer up till now.
It’s a horrible review that though – doesn’t really say a great deal. Excited to read this, but agree a little with Tom – sounds like Franzen is in his safety zone here…