A review by friedchickensuicide
Farther Away by Jonathan Franzen

4.0

I tried to read The Corrections two years ago. I tried again a few months ago. Both times, I could not get beyond five pages. I remember wondering to myself, what's the big deal about this guy? With Freedom coming out and all, he was all over the web. When I dived into this new book of essays, I wanted only one thing: to get a taste of his writing in some sort of comprehensive manner. I am happy to say I got my wish. It turns out I really like how Mr.Franzen writes. I am going to read and re-read his two essays on DFW, they are pure gold. I also really enjoyed his reviews of various books, especially Alice Munro's Runaway. They demonstrate his vast erudition and his deep love for the art of fiction in delightful ways. The essays on bird-watching and that interview thing were engaging and entertaining, but quite not up to the level of the rest of the essays. I guess it's time to take out my copy of The Corrections and give it one more try.