Freedom: A Novel Audiobook

" Jonathan Franzen did it again. Great plot with lots of twists and turns. I had a hard time putting the book down. Each character had a unique voice. They were so flawed but I still found myself rooting for them. "

" Pretty typical Franzen. You could finish it in a day if you really wanted. It really deserves three stars, but for someone from Minnesota, it really hits home in the early chapters, bumping it up to four. "

" Could not put down this book...a sweeping tale of an American family with extremely well developed characters and a very good presentation of the notion of freedom and all its nuances.... "

" Wasn't sure it would live up to the hype but after a bit of a slow start it took off. A fantastic read. "

" Loved the overlapping perspectives and general tone of the writing. Very good picture of a 21st family caught in the 'snare of preparation.' "

" One of the best books I've read this summer. "

" Too long; poorly written when from the female perspective. In fact, very little distinction between character voices as the chapters move from one perspective to another. Also, zero dignity around sexual relationships - so little as to make them much less believable. "

" This book reminded me of the marriage plot (not a compliment). But instead of angsty teenagers, it deals with infantile middle aged adults. Who could feel any amount if pity for them or care how they repeatedly make themselves unhappy? "

" Really enjoyed this book. A great look into the lives of average Americans and the trivial problems that consume their lives. "

" This was just a good, ol' fashioned great read, and got me through the last dregs of a Boston winter. I won't belabor the point because Franzen gets so much ink without my help, but the guy can create some fully realized characters. "

" I think Jonathan Franzen did an excellent job of capturing the good and bad of people. Making each character very complex and complicated. What frustrated me about this book is that it seems like the characters in the book are creating all of their own issues. I want them to have more maturity. "

" The writing was very good and at times the story was gripping. But even with the uplifting ending it made me a bit sad that this is described as a portrait of our time. The characters were vivid but sad and unrelatable. And the plot wasn't strong enough to make me love the book. "

" First Franzen I've read. Stunning. Kind of a happy American Pastoral. "

" I found the main characters Patty and Walter Berglund to be very sympathetic. The author captures the sensibility of middle class, college educated white liberals who came of age in the early 80s, who are facing the disappointments of middle age. "

" Poor rich white folks. None of these characters are worth giving a hoot about. Also, please stop bringing up bright eyes and wilco in your modern novel. We get it. Very modern. "

" contemporary humorous, deep character study "

" Very readable, but tediously long. This is the first Franzen I've read, and I'm not inclined to continue. "

" Why: I was going to download this from the library onto my new Nook and after multiple aggravating attempts I realized I was downloading an audio version. So I bought it, which of course I should have just done in the 1st place.Review: No complaints "

" At times the book gets a little preachy, but otherwise I liked it. The different voices/styles that it shifts to keep things fresh and interesting, and in general it's just undeniably well-written (having read some real crap lately, this was a most welcome thing). "

" I loved THE CORRECTIONS, but I don't understand what all the hoopla over this book. I read a 100 pages and just couldn't fight the boredom any more. "

" I was looking forward to reading this book, with all the hype about it. I sure did not love it as much as Oprah. For me, it was boring and long. "

" Interesting post modern take on the American Dream. "

" Enjoyed this for the most part, but my BookClub bailed on it halfway through. Patty was too much for them. "

" hated this book, only read 3 chapters. UGH. "

" Very long read, great characters. I liked the book overall, but found myself not eager to pick it back up and remember where I had left off - it was so layered. Interesting characters though. "

" Ugh....forcing myself to finish after having it for months - cannot relate to a single character in the book! "

" The characters were interesting. But the writing style was killing me! Too much unimportant information. List and list of reasons why the character felt a certain way. Okay I got in on the first two. The book put me in a bad mood. "

" Finally finished!! I thought this book was ok. "