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wesketchum's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
blueberry31's review
4.0
I loved this book. I think Jonathan Franzen is a master at bringing characters to life: I already had this impression of having met and know all the characters in Freedom, and Purity is no different. Each person's life is explored in all of its complexity and nuances: Franzen is not "lazy", he takes you through the past and present in such amazing detail that you feel as if these are real people you have met.
The story is somehow believable though it is also quite improbable... And this is thanks to very good storytelling, and again: brilliantly developped characters. Regarding the plot/end: I sort of saw it coming, but I was still captivated enough to keep reading.
I really recommend this book, I think I just love it when characters in a book are dissected almost to the point of psychological analysis. In this case it's credible (probably very well researched) and it makes it fascinating with realism. Can't wait to read more Franzen!
The story is somehow believable though it is also quite improbable... And this is thanks to very good storytelling, and again: brilliantly developped characters. Regarding the plot/end: I sort of saw it coming, but I was still captivated enough to keep reading.
I really recommend this book, I think I just love it when characters in a book are dissected almost to the point of psychological analysis. In this case it's credible (probably very well researched) and it makes it fascinating with realism. Can't wait to read more Franzen!
skynet666's review
3.0
There is brilliant writing and wonderful character portrayal in parts of this book, and there are parts that dragged on and were so unnecessary. It took me forever to get through this book and I almost gave up.
mcleary's review
1.0
This is the kind of novel that inspires people to decry the death of the novel, not because it's bad, though it is bad, but because it does absolutely nothing new with the form. It's tired, staid, boring. The writing is bland and unremarkable, full of unnecessary over-explanation, full of endless backstory. There's a sentence about dogs loving tennis balls that is amazingly stupid. And what kind of serious writer uses the phrase 'food for thought'? I should've known better after reading Freedom to not go back to Franzen. Was The Corrections just a fluke?
sarah_nera's review
3.0
Oh, FRANZEN. The beginning of this book was SO GOOD. I liked the main character! I liked the mystery of the Sunshine Project! I liked the journey toward learning about the main players and how they fit together. You had me, Franzen! And then it all fell apart. The book gets really bogged down with some relationship back story angst and it is painful and too long and ugh. And then there was a reveal of one of the main character's motivations, which I didn't like at all. No, no no. I like Franzen, I liked Freedom and his How to Be Alone collection, but this? No.
zero_point_zero's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
rerosenthal85's review
There are about 3 separate novels contained in this book. Additionally, my past reflections on other Franzen works I've read apply here. His endeavor to write something he'll call a "novel", but which is really 400 (ish) pages political ranting, never fails to lasso critical praise. However, it seems to me that in the day and age in which we live, there is no room in the literary canon for an individual who seeks in every publication to self-promote, to promulgate the idea that every female in existence must be a manipulative Borderline Personality Disorder patient, to and deify immoral, abusive, weak men. An NPR reviewer noted that this novel is characterized by "contempt for the reader" (ironic, on account of the reader in question is signing JF's royalty checks). I'd generalize that sentiment to contempt for humanity in general.
ifnotparis's review
4.0
"Purity" is a classic Franzen novel: all of the characters are white and have upper-middle class white people issues. Even the "poorest" (economically speaking) characters in the novel are poor out of choice. But this is Franzen's world, and he illustrates it beautifully. He's a wealthy, white male intellectual whose traumas and tragedies seem to be quite internal and psychological. It's reminiscent of Kundera with a lot less sex.
The plot plays second-fiddle to the psychological profiles of the characters, who uniformly have issues with the mother figures in their lives. This all sounds like a criticism, but it was a pleasure to read. Understanding that Franzen's writing is more or less a mirror of his own personal relationships and psychology doesn't take away from the work, it simply puts it in context. He writes about people who are like him, for better and for worse.
PROSE: As good as you'll find anywhere. The writing is superb.
PLOT: Intriguing, if a bit disconnected from the reality of the Internet culture it attempts to portray (Franzen hates the Internet and doesn't use social media, and yet he's written a book about the internal workings of technocracy ...)
CHARACTERS: Not very diverse in either background or psychological hangups, but unique and quirky enough to stay interested in their plight.
VERDICT: 4/5 stars. The man's a great storyteller.
[b:Purity|23754479|Purity|Jonathan Franzen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1438958976s/23754479.jpg|43369154]
The plot plays second-fiddle to the psychological profiles of the characters, who uniformly have issues with the mother figures in their lives. This all sounds like a criticism, but it was a pleasure to read. Understanding that Franzen's writing is more or less a mirror of his own personal relationships and psychology doesn't take away from the work, it simply puts it in context. He writes about people who are like him, for better and for worse.
PROSE: As good as you'll find anywhere. The writing is superb.
PLOT: Intriguing, if a bit disconnected from the reality of the Internet culture it attempts to portray (Franzen hates the Internet and doesn't use social media, and yet he's written a book about the internal workings of technocracy ...)
CHARACTERS: Not very diverse in either background or psychological hangups, but unique and quirky enough to stay interested in their plight.
VERDICT: 4/5 stars. The man's a great storyteller.
[b:Purity|23754479|Purity|Jonathan Franzen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1438958976s/23754479.jpg|43369154]