Oprah just aired her long-awaited chat with Jonathan Franzen on Monday. BookPage editors also sat down to talk about Freedom in our latest podcast.
We chatted about Franzen’s portrayal of relationships, the controversial autobiography section in the middle of the novel, what “freedom” means to the characters—and much more. Check it out now:
BookPage editors discuss Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom
What are your thoughts on Freedom? Is it the Great American Novel? A disappointment? Would you recommend it to a friend?
Still don’t know whether you should read Freedom? Hear from Franzen himself in our interview with the author.
Also in BookPage: Review of the Freedom audiobook, interview with Franzen about The Corrections; review of The Discomfort Zone.
Loved your discussion editors. One of the things I thought Franzen did well was to include political elements that sort of made fun of themselves. His voice didn’t really “take sides” but instead made, at least in my opinion, the left and right and many of their hot topics (the war, the environment, etc.) look insincere and somewhat silly. “Freedom” sparked more debate in my book club than any book we have read. Our members either loved it or hated it, but everyone was passionate about it.