by Jonathan Franzen | Sep 27, 2021 | Novel
In “Crossroads,” bad decisions and bad faith weigh down the characters—and propel the novel to startling heights. A rabbi, a preacher, and a drug dealer walk into a Christmas party. This is not the setup to a joke; it is the setup to a pivotal scene in “Crossroads,”...
by Jonathan Franzen | Sep 27, 2021 | Novel
Jonathan Franzen’s ‘Crossroads,’ a Mellow, ’70s-Era Heartbreaker That Starts a Trilogy Jonathan Franzen’s new novel, “Crossroads,” is the first in a projected trilogy, which is reason to be wary. Good trilogies rarely announce themselves as such at the start. And the...
by WILL | Sep 26, 2021 | Novel
The pastor’s family at the heart of Franzen’s sixth novel – a bravura examination of the mores of liberal America in 1971 – are his most sympathetic creation to date The characters in Jonathan Franzen’s sixth novel exist in that much-disputed no man’s land between hip...
by WILL | Sep 25, 2021 | Novel
Jonathan Franzen: ‘I just write it like I see it and that gets me in trouble’ It is 11AM Pacific time and Jonathan Franzen has just turned on the light. “Special occasion,” he says drily of our video call. A sliver of sunshine dares to creep under the venetian blind...
by WILL | Sep 21, 2021 | Novel
The bestselling novelist talks about his latest book, ‘Crossroads,’ and taking a more compassionate stance toward his characters—and himself. Jonathan Franzen’s mother knew how to wound him in just the right way. “It requires a high level of subtlety,” says the...
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