Let me say first that reading Freedom was a real challenge because I was unable to relate to any of the characters within. Not a single one inspired any loyalty. Patty is a spoiled brat who can’t stand to lose. Walter is a wimp who lets everyone in his life walk all over him. Jessica is a ghost in her own house. Joey is a bit of a douche. Richard’s an ass. Carol’s got no class. Connie is weird. Blake is an idiot. There are more characters and I could go on but you get the point. I realize that nobody’s perfect. We all have flaws and maybe that’s something Franzen is trying to draw attention to. Be forewarned that the closest you will get to a hero in this book is Walter and the most proactive thing he does is to kidnap his neighbor’s cat. This happens when you are 99% of the way through the book.

So what is Freedom about? Hmmm, the name of the book is Freedom, there are extended passages that focus solely freedom as a concept, and ample examples of misapplication of freedoms. All of this information and what I really get is that the book is about how the young break away from the old. How children fight instinctively against the values of their parents only to return to them after learning some very hard lessons. You can have your freedom but if you abuse it, the world will punish you harshly.

Patty’s mother, Joyce, was born into a poor Jewish family. When Joyce grows up she chooses a well-off gentile as a mate. While Joyce and Ray have four children together it is Patty’s opinion that her mother was never prepared for family life and this is the reason that she runs away to the state capitol to become the assemblywoman in support of “open spaces where poor children can go and do Arts at state expense.” None of the children are raised with any knowledge of their mother’s Jewish heritage. Now fast-forward in time and Patty marries someone who’s poor, has never known privilege, and is a hard worker. Patty also, despite being ultra-competitive, decides to shun the professional life in favor of being a stay-at-home mom in suburban St. Paul vs. Metropolitan New York. In this capacity she is involved in every facet of her children’s lives. In other words, she’s the exact opposite of her mother. It is only after Walter ejects Patty from his life and the death of her father that she and Joyce are finally able to talk. This pattern seems to repeat with each of the major characters, and continues in the examination of extended family histories. Franzen intimates that this is the natural course of things, hence the comparison to Walter’s beloved migratory birds.

The references to freedom as a concept are numerous and there is a trickle down effect that influences every aspect of the characters’ lives. I have seen an interview with Franzen on CNN, filmed shortly after Time had him on the cover as “The Great American Novelist” where he spoke of the influences of his own family history and its interplay, within the context of Freedom, with post-9/11 politics. It is no accident that the first overt reference to freedom is the inscription on one of the buildings at Jessica’s college: “Use well thy freedom.” For much of the second half of the 20th century the first taste of freedom kids got was the college experience. In Franzen’s world at least, every character seems to make the wrong choices. Walter chooses Patty despite numerous red flags. Joey is sucked into a scam that sucks money away from the troops in Iraq. For Patty this issue continues well into her middle age. She reflects on her “cherished freedom” to get away from it all at the lake house and her “more general freedom that she could see was killing her. . .” She continues in this pattern of self-pity most of the way through the novel and only finds her footing after the death of her father.

Joey provides some of the best fodder for the freedom discussion. He essentially divorces his parents at 16 and moves in with the neighbors. At one point he seems to experience regret but realizes that “he’d asked for his freedom, they’d granted it, and he couldn’t go back now.” His rebellion extends to his political beliefs causing him to become a tried and true republican. He is heavily influenced by his friend Jonathan as they debate the state of Israel: “That’s why we have to try to bring freedom to all the Arab countries. But you don’t start that by selling out the only working democracy in the entire region.” This debate continues when Joey meets Jonathan’s family. Joey argues “Isn’t that what freedom is for? The right to think whatever you want? I mean, I admit, it’s a pain in the ass sometimes.” Jonathan, at first, is only echoing his family’s sentiments at the beginning of their friendship but he becomes increasingly more aligned with democratic ideals as the story proceeds, eventually becoming part of Joey’s conscience along with Walter.

There are some relatively funny sections in Freedom but the majority of the work is fairly serious. My initial impression was that I didn’t like the book but it certainly does provide a lot to think about. Do we measure a work’s value simply on how much we enjoy it? For some maybe, but I also truly believe that if a book makes you work and forces you to think about and then confront issues regarding the human experience that provides a greater value than simple escapism. In this respect, I am glad that I committed to finishing Freedom. And who doesn’t appreciate the occasional chapter based on excrement and infidelity? Either way, I guess Franzen has at least forced me to recognize that I must someday read War and Peace to gain a full appreciation for Freedom. Franzen touches on several other themes throughout the book: commitment, personal morality, the individual vs. the corporate, and overpopulation. The list goes on. I don’t rank the book in my top ten but am, ultimately, glad that I read it.

This book had its moments, but overall was an overblown saga featuring a bunch of miserable people who spend their lives making each other miserable, while lamenting their own "hardships." Lots of exploration on the meaning of freedom, but in the end, just exhausting.

I was totally engrossed for the first third of the novel. I hated these character as much as I loved them, and I felt as if they were family friends of mine whose histories and motivations were being revealed. However, the book lagged in the middle, and the quasi-redemptive ending simply took to long to get to.

I didn't love it, but it was extremely compelling. I would recommend it to everyone.

No one weaves the web of upper-class American family disfunction like Jonathan Franzen. But this book is, frankly, a little sloppy. All of the characters, even Patty who gets to "write" her own autobiography, which comprises part of the book, speak in exactly the same voice. And certain passages could have benefited from significant editing.

I am only on page 65 of this book, but so far I am not hooked. I don't care about the characters yet.. but I will motor on...

made it to page 200...after this point I really don't care about any of these people or their lives. I put it down for a few days, used it as a paperweight...coaster..etc.

Not for me.

I know this book was reviewed by the New York Times and therefore is supposed to be literary and amazing. It was very thought provoking and real but it was definitely not uplifting. My own parents are divorced which may be why I didn't love this book. It was a little bit scary to read because I kept thinking, "Is this what real adult life is like?" It was interesting but it was also very long. I would still recommend reading it just as a glimpse into some adult lives.

This book was so frustrating.

First, it was way too long. I understand the author's need to fill in some backstory (and side story) to round out characters, but this took it to a whole new level. And don't get me started on the paragraphs devoted to the endangered birds. There were a few good sections of this book which, if those were strung more closely together, would have made this a 3 or 4-star book. But there was so much filler....

Second, the characters - even with their very fleshed out backgrounds and conflicts - were so terribly unlikeable. It was hard to really root for anyone or want to see them succeed. And there were several which could have been cut out entirely (I'm looking at you Josh and Jenna).

Finally, the ending. I kept going with this because I wanted to see where all of the various characters would land. Hoping someone would "get their's". Needless to say, I was disappointed.