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<book id="12829">
  <title><![CDATA[The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[0312420145]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780312420147]]></isbn13>
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  <default_description>Dying St. Louis is turned inside-out by the appointment of a charismatic young woman from Bombay, India, as police chief, an act which launches the city's prominent citizens into political conspiracy. Franzens first novel is already a classic of contemporary fiction.</default_description>
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  <original_publication_year type="integer">1988</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</original_title>
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  <average_rating><![CDATA[3.16]]></average_rating>
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        <author id="2578">
      <name><![CDATA[Jonathan Franzen]]></name>
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      <average_rating><![CDATA[3.62]]></average_rating>
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    <review id="26609487">
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    <name><![CDATA[Billy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brooklyn, NY]]></location>        
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  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
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    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Jonathan Franzen]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jul 07 21:14:19 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Aug 03 06:41:54 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Hmm.  It's hard to say this, since Jonathan Franzen has more talent in writing than I will ever have even tying my shoes.  But compared to &quot;<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12827.Strong_Motion" title="Strong Motion by Jonathan Franzen">Strong Motion</a>&quot; and &quot;The Corrections&quot;, this book is tiresome, and falls unmistakably short of its ambitions. There are some hints of his gift...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/26609487">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/26609487]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="48704600">
    <user id="1740806">
    <name><![CDATA[Anne]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[London, The United Kingdom]]></location>        
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  <title>The Twenty-seventh City</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
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    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri Feb 20 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Mar 09 10:54:00 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jul 25 01:38:10 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I'm not sure that I ever really got this book to be honest, but I enjoyed comparing it to the same author's The Corrections, one of my very favorite novels.   In my opinion, this book falls into the Abuse of the Novel Form category (previously inhabited only by John Irving), trying to expand its uni...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48704600">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/48704600]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="13038606">
    <user id="785628">
    <name><![CDATA[Caroline]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Saint Louis, MO]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/785628-caroline]]></url>
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  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jan 21 06:27:27 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jan 21 06:31:16 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[OK, if this book didn't contain so many references to Webster Groves I wouldn't have found it that great. &quot;The Twenty-Seventh&quot; city is a reference to St Louis and the plot is a bizarre takeover plot by Indian nationals. The identities of area notables and bigwigs are, by intent, not so car...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13038606">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13038606]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="40427597">
    <user id="4629">
    <name><![CDATA[Nick]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4629-nick]]></url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">1218526</id>
  <isbn>0374525056</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780374525057</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">12</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">3</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1181970166m/1218526.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1218526.The_Twenty_Seventh_City</link>
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    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Dec 18 20:08:56 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 18 20:08:56 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[From this book you can see what Franzen grew into. Back in 1988, he was a much younger, more ambitious, experimental, and worse writer.<br/><br/>What a weird and delicious premise for a novel! City planning scandals mixed with infidelity crossed with a subversive political takeover of America's hear...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40427597">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/40427597]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="43278671">
    <user id="870425">
    <name><![CDATA[Lauren]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Chicago, IL]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/870425-lauren]]></url>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">70</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
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    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Dec 31 00:00:00 -0800 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jan 16 14:44:43 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jan 16 14:50:00 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I really wanted to get into this book.  I loved Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections, and all the same suburban-struggle rules applied with The 27th City.  It was tough to get into the book in the beginning with so many characters woven into the plotline.  Basically, an Indian woman named Jammmu is br...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43278671">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/43278671]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="35447567">
    <user id="738764">
    <name><![CDATA[Rod]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United Kingdom]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/738764-rod]]></url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">12829</id>
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  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
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</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Oct 16 05:38:35 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Oct 18 03:04:17 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book has its good points. Towards the end it keeps you reading since you want to know what’s going to happen. This is a definite virtue. There are unpleasant people in it, and unpleasant events. What happens to Barbara Probst is particularly nasty, since most of it is planned in advance and J...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35447567">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/35447567]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="21298906">
    <user id="1127870">
    <name><![CDATA[Simon]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Marco Island, FL]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1127870-simon-cleveland]]></url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">12829</id>
  <isbn>0312420145</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312420147</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">508</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">70</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12829.The_Twenty_Seventh_City_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2006</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Apr 29 21:15:04 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jun 08 07:47:41 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The Twenty Seventh City is Jonathan Franzen's first book, but his debut is exceptional. Had I read this book back in the late eighty when it was first released, I'd followed Franzen's career more closely. Not many twenty-something year-olds can write with such clarity, stamina and talent. <br/><br/>...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21298906">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21298906]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="7433130">
    <user id="126450">
    <name><![CDATA[Jenn]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Champaign, IL]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/126450-jenn]]></url>
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  <id type="integer">12829</id>
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  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12829.The_Twenty_Seventh_City_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Apr 02 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Oct 08 12:01:49 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Apr 02 19:05:52 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A friend of mine recommended this book to me because she knew I was from the St. Louis area. I was interested because I've read and enjoyed The Corrections. The story is a sort of alternative history about St. Louis in the 1980's. A woman from Bombay takes over as police chief of the city and change...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7433130">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7433130]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="4129378">
    <user id="36341">
    <name><![CDATA[Chris]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/36341-chris]]></url>
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    <book>
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  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12829.The_Twenty_Seventh_City_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Aug 05 20:20:25 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Aug 14 03:32:10 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book held a very intersting ballance between being a page-turning thriller and a slow-paced, almost boring novel of mid-city civics.  Franzen's first novel, it should have replaced the map of St. Louis with a chart of characters, a la most Tolstoy translations; the geography never was quite as ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4129378">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4129378]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="4064797">
    <user id="230400">
    <name><![CDATA[Jae]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Bozeman, MT]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/230400-jae]]></url>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">15409</id>
  <isbn>1841157481</isbn>
  <isbn13>9781841157481</isbn13>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-seventh City</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166672721m/15409.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15409.The_Twenty_seventh_City</link>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[anyone who likes incredibly complex plots with many characters]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Aug 04 05:48:25 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Aug 04 06:29:30 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This first novel by Franzen was alright. It's a big book to swallow at over 500 pages, and the plot is like swimming through a maze of tunnels filled with 90-weight gear lube. With upwards of 50 characters, I repeatedly found myself asking, &quot;Now who was that again?&quot; It must have taken me a...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4064797">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4064797]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="1989817">
    <user id="117377">
    <name><![CDATA[Frederick]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Huntington, NY]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/117377-frederick]]></url>
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  <id type="integer">12829</id>
  <isbn>0312420145</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312420147</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">508</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">70</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12829.The_Twenty_Seventh_City_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Those interested in prophetic novels or the American novel.]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 1990</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jun 14 22:17:26 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jul 09 23:29:26 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I read this when it came out, which was at some point in the late eighties or early nineties. It was Franzen's first novel. It's a subdued thriller; perhaps an anti-thriller. Essentially, the government of East St. Louis, in the not-too-distant future, is gradually infiltrated by terrorists, several...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1989817">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1989817]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="1680646">
    <user id="68467">
    <name><![CDATA[Andy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Lizella, GA]]></location>        
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  <id type="integer">12829</id>
  <isbn>0312420145</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312420147</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">508</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">70</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
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    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[conspiracy theorists]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Jun 05 11:57:40 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Jun 05 12:12:12 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A good phrase to categorize this book would be to say it is a conspiracy theorists wet dream.  A plot summary:  St. Louis, MO, home to the big arch thingie, and...well, weather, and stuff (before I go on a tangent)--St. Louis is subject to a political invasion by a coterie of Indira Ghandi's &quot;p...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1680646">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1680646]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="2177113">
    <user id="142630">
    <name><![CDATA[Andy]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Mountain View, CA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/142630-andy]]></url>
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  <id type="integer">12829</id>
  <isbn>0312420145</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312420147</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">508</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">70</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12829.The_Twenty_Seventh_City_A_Novel</link>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jun 20 13:52:09 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jun 20 14:02:15 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The book is long---over 500 pages and features upwards of 50 characters so it's a bit hard to follow...However, it's a great first novel by Jonathan Franzen, albeit murky.<br/><br/>My main problem with the book is that the interweaving plot is hard to follow and doesn't flow well. Or maybe I'm jus...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2177113">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2177113]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="75490543">
    <user id="2805242">
    <name><![CDATA[Sarah.szurpicki]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Royal Oak, MI]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2805242-sarah-szurpicki]]></url>
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  <id type="integer">12829</id>
  <isbn>0312420145</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312420147</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">508</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">70</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12829.The_Twenty_Seventh_City_A_Novel</link>
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    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Oct 23 09:35:57 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Oct 23 14:15:36 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Bleakly realistic.  Very St. Louis.  The story is uncannily parallel (well, without the murders and intimidation, but with the sneakiness) to the current politics of development in STL.  Rust Belt enthusiasts should enjoy, though it's a little depressing in its similarity to current conditions (writ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75490543">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75490543]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="53017457">
    <user id="1254625">
    <name><![CDATA[Carol]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1254625-carol]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image>
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  <id type="integer">12829</id>
  <isbn>0312420145</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312420147</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">508</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">70</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12829.The_Twenty_Seventh_City_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Tue Apr 14 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Apr 17 08:41:50 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Apr 17 08:43:37 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Franzen is a very good writer, but I found this book profoundly depressing.  It is a tale about corruption of police, local officials and businessmen in St. Louis, Missouri.   Why must the bad guys always win?   Nothing in this book came out the way I'd have liked, but it seems like a cautionary tal...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53017457">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/53017457]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="37334747">
    <user id="1578804">
    <name><![CDATA[Kendall]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Moultonborough, NH]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1578804-kendall]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1226240703p3/1578804.jpg]]></image>
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  <id type="integer">12829</id>
  <isbn>0312420145</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312420147</isbn13>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">70</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12829.The_Twenty_Seventh_City_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>0</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Nov 10 10:43:09 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Nov 10 10:43:09 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Long on plot.  REALLY long on plot.  Almost too much plot.  Made it hard to keep track of things.  I think I read that about Franzen's first two books- that he was heavily into plotting.  Also hyper-intellectual.  Found there was too much analysis and narration- not enough dialog.  I also didn't und...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37334747">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/37334747]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="47269821">
    <user id="662045">
    <name><![CDATA[Kent]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Houston, TX]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/662045-kent]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1196884666p3/662045.jpg]]></image>
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  <id type="integer">12829</id>
  <isbn>0312420145</isbn>
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  <ratings_count type="integer">508</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">70</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12829.The_Twenty_Seventh_City_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Feb 23 11:12:08 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Feb 23 11:13:19 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I guess I don't have really high standards when it comes to fiction. I like St. Louis. I like the wacky things that happen in familiar settings. And I like that North St. Louis might be getting the same run around right now as it got in the novel.]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/47269821]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="78441141">
    <user id="2269211">
    <name><![CDATA[Cassandra]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Sacramento, CA]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2269211-cassandra]]></url>
    <image><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1241023536p3/2269211.jpg]]></image>
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  <id type="integer">12829</id>
  <isbn>0312420145</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780312420147</isbn13>
  <ratings_count type="integer">508</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">70</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12829.The_Twenty_Seventh_City_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Nov 20 11:27:53 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Nov 20 11:28:38 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I was with the book the whole way, and then the end was a let down. But - for all the pages up to the last chapter, I was totally hooked. Franzen's prose is so engaging and every word feels meaningful.]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78441141]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="2363848">
    <user id="84400">
    <name><![CDATA[Caroline]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Germany]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/84400-caroline]]></url>
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  <id type="integer">12829</id>
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  <ratings_count type="integer">508</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">70</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12829.The_Twenty_Seventh_City_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at>Fri Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jun 25 11:18:00 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Jun 27 13:32:24 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[GRIPPER!! This one kept me up late for several nights. As the entire conspiracy unravels and you've got this priviledged perspective on how everyone's allegiances are constantly shifting, this book will dominate your thoughts from start to finish. A few elements were over my head (I'm not very well ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2363848">more...</a>]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2363848]]></url>
</review>
    <review id="74250255">
    <user id="1909941">
    <name><![CDATA[Susan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Rochester, NY]]></location>        
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1909941-susan-price]]></url>
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  <id type="integer">12829</id>
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  <ratings_count type="integer">508</ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">70</text_reviews_count>
  <title>The Twenty-Seventh City: A Novel (Bestselling Backlist)</title>
  <average_rating>3.16</average_rating>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1166510245m/12829.jpg</image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12829.The_Twenty_Seventh_City_A_Novel</link>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Oct 12 03:32:50 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Oct 12 03:38:44 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A quirky literary thriller, about politics in a fictionalized St Louis. Not in the same &quot;human drama&quot; category as &quot;Corrections&quot; -- less serious, but more purely entertaining.]]></body>
    <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74250255]]></url>
</review>
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