The Ledge - "Corrections"

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I am wondering if any of you has read this book by american author Jonathan Franzen. I am about to finish it and I 've got to say that I am pretty amazed by it. Unfortunately I am reading the greek translation (even though I have the english version also at home) and I 'm guessing it must be even smarter and perhaps funnier in the original.
I also read recently in Wikipedia (I think) that there are plans for a movie and I am sure it could turn out to be a very good film.
Any thoughts?:)

Quote:

Originally Posted by elie

I loved The Corrections, and I always felt bad that Franzen got so much **** for his anti-Oprah stance. Certainly it was a somewhat snobby thing to do, but completely understandable, I think.

Anyway, obviously I don't know what the Greek translation is like, but the English is indeed very smartly written and often funny as hell. I doubt I'd really want to see a film of the novel, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and I imagine it will be popping up on recommendation lists for quite a few years. I think it does a fantastic job of capturing the unwitting dysfunction of so many modern American families.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jyqm

I loved The Corrections, and I always felt bad that Franzen got so much **** for his anti-Oprah stance. Certainly it was a somewhat snobby thing to do, but completely understandable, I think.

Indeed- I had forgotten about that. Don't get me wrong, but when I read about the anti-Oprah thing, I thought that if I were him, I would have probably done the same thing:o But anyhow, the reaction against him was unfair.

My fiance read it in english, but for some reason I find it tiring to read in another language than my own, even though you miss certain things that way. He said it is very witty.

Another thought : In some way, it reminds me of another magnificent book that IMO captures succesfully the american history and way of life, so to speak, and that is "Underworld" by Don de Lillo. However, the "Corrections" is a bit lighter and easier to read, and by that I don't mean to say that it is less serious.

Quote:

Originally Posted by elie

Quote:

My fiance read it in english, but for some reason I find it tiring to read in another language than my own, even though you miss certain things that way. He said it is very witty.

It's tough (reading in a foreign language, that is), especially with a relatively long novel. Shorter works and novellas can be very exciting to read, though.

Quote:

Another thought : In some way, it reminds me of another magnificent book that IMO captures succesfully the american history and way of life, so to speak, and that is "Underworld" by Don de Lillo. However, the "Corrections" is a bit lighter and easier to read, and by that I don't mean to say that it is less serious.

I agree, although I have to say I found Underworld to be somewhat lacking. Many of the individual sections were brilliant, but I think in a lot of ways the sum of the parts was greater than the whole, and I got to the end of the book feeling that things simply hadn't been tied together very well, or at all. Which I realize might partly be the point, but still, I think the book could have been a little more cohesive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jyqm

I think I probably would have, too. The book was clearly a labor of love, and something that he thought might finally get him some much-deserved recognition, and I understand that he wanted to know if people would seek out and enjoy the book on their own, because they were drawn to it for some reason, not just because Oprah put her sticker on it.

It's tough (reading in a foreign language, that is), especially with a relatively long novel. Shorter works and novellas can be very exciting to read, though.

I agree, although I have to say I found Underworld to be somewhat lacking. Many of the individual sections were brilliant, but I think in a lot of ways the sum of the parts was greater than the whole, and I got to the end of the book feeling that things simply hadn't been tied together very well, or at all. Which I realize might partly be the point, but still, I think the book could have been a little more cohesive.

About Oprah: my thoughts exactly. I can see how an attitude like this can seem snobby, but I really don't mind writers being that way:)

About Underworld: I agree. I thought too that the lack of cohesion might be exactly the point, but it can be very tiring. Corrections also has an unconventional structure, but it is much more binding and compelling. I have to admit though, that there is a chapter in Underworld, called Long Tall Sally which might be about one of the best things I 've ever read.

A friend of mine also suggested "White Noise" by DeLillo. Have you perhaps read it?