Thomas answers “Is it better than The Corrections and...”

Michael asked this question about Purity:

Is it better than The Corrections and Freedom?

Thomas I thought Freedom was brilliant (and enjoyed it more than The Corrections), but I suspect that may have had much to do with my personal frame of refer…moreI thought Freedom was brilliant (and enjoyed it more than The Corrections), but I suspect that may have had much to do with my personal frame of reference at the time. I thought both books were great, though, and I really appreciate the level of effort that Franzen clearly puts in to his craft. Purity is more Franzen (which I consider to be a very good thing.)

I've heard Franzen haters reference Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch, and while I enjoyed that work, I think she is not in the same league with Franzen with respect to his deliberate sentence, paragraph, and story construction as well as his relatable rendering of the human psyche in his last three books. (If you want to experience less refined Franzen, check out Strong Motion...it's great but stylistically very different.)

Re-reading this answer, I'm concerned that I come across as a pompous ass. I don't think I am, I think it's more that I don't mind that Franzen might be.

Franzen is an artist and a craftsman. If you appreciated the Corrections and Freedom, you'll appreciate Purity (and be glad you read it.)
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