From the Bookshelf of Constant Reader…

Purity

Jonathan Franzen

Start date: June 15, 2016

Finish date: July 1, 2016

Discussion: Reading List

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Reading List

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What Members Thought

Oct 15, 2017 Clifford rated it it was amazing

Shelves: novels, kindle-ebooks

Lots of people love to hate Franzen, but I don't really care one way or the other. What matters is the work, and this book is brilliant. Long, yes, but brilliant. It's the story of Purity Tyler and also the story of purity--mostly in the false sense because of universal moral ambiguity. Purity, nicknamed Pip, changes deeply over the course of the novel, in the way a reader ought to find satisfying--all of that against a backdrop of the collapse of the Soviet Bloc and the rise of the great leaker ...more

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Sep 16, 2017 Ardita rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was my first Franzen's book. I read many reviews before and while reading the book. They seemed to be divided between praising his piece of work that was more recent than his previous best sellers i.e Freedom and The Corrections.

I religiously kept sticking my nose into the book whenever I had the chance to, even while hanging onto the bus strap, getting wedged armpits-to-armpits among 7 PM crowd, and standing for an hour and a half in a jam-packed traffic jam. Despite some awkward moments w This was my first Franzen's book. I read many reviews before and while reading the book. They seemed to be divided between praising his piece of work that was more recent than his previous best sellers i.e Freedom and The Corrections.

I religiously kept sticking my nose into the book whenever I had the chance to, even while hanging onto the bus strap, getting wedged armpits-to-armpits among 7 PM crowd, and standing for an hour and a half in a jam-packed traffic jam. Despite some awkward moments where I'd worry that some onlookers might have stolen a few glances at the novel and caught some delicate description of love-making the Franzen way (ditch that fifty-grey mind, Bitte).

It was his writing. The way he described what was going on inside the minds of his characters. Their emotions, plans, expectations, disappointments, anger, and other assorted types of feelings. It blew my mind. The way he built, bent, twisted the story made this a delicious read. If not a depressing one that is.

I don't see this book as something about the internet and a young girl. This was about the life of two men with mommy issues, who each fell fast and hard for a woman beyond their reach and understanding. And these two men to some extent "competed" on keeping their moral compasses pointing towards agreeable/preferable by those-only-they-know.

I liked the Tom-Anabel and Tom-Leila parts. As for Andreas, I still couldn't grasp what made him so angry with his life. Or was it a logical consequence of living under a repressive regime and those who dared to swim against the current? Having spent my young adulthood until college-age under a similarly repressive regime, albeit only as a commoner, I would say that to live under such regime for someone with Andreas capacity could really cost him a fubar mind.

As I was finishing the last 20 percent of the book, from 450 towards the end, I got so absorbed by the story. When I reached the end, I gasped for air and took some time to reflect on the story. I was reading in a restaurant located in an office building on a Saturday. The building was pretty much empty. I still had a lot of Tom-Andreas-Anabel-Pip in my mind. What a train wreck, I thought. I leisurely washed my hands before entering one of the toilet booths. Then I realized a toilet fixture that should not exist in gender-separated restrooms: urinal bowls! I have found myself strayed to the men's restroom.

Should I be glad that the toilet was empty and very clean?

Franzen is a new infatuation. I definitely look forward to reading more of his books. ...more

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Jun 04, 2016 Barbara rated it liked it

Generally disappointing for me. There are moments of brilliant writing but I felt like he was unsuccessful in pulling together all of the elements that he wanted to introduce.

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