Freedom: A Novel
Freedom: A Novel by Jonathan Franzen, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux on August 31, 2010, is a comprehensive exploration of contemporary love and marriage. This first edition spans 576 pages and delves into the complexities of personal liberty, examining the thrills of teenage desire, the compromises of middle age, and the challenges posed by suburban life. The narrative centers on Patty and Walter Berglund, who were once seen as pioneers in their community but now face a series of personal and familial mysteries.
Readers will find a rich portrayal of the Berglund family’s dynamics as they navigate their evolving identities and relationships. The story addresses themes of family life and the impact of societal changes, particularly in the context of their suburban environment in St. Paul, Minnesota. As Patty and Walter confront their past decisions and current realities, the novel offers a nuanced look at the burdens and temptations of freedom, making it a significant reflection on modern American life.
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#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A NEW YORK TIMES 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR • Winner of the John Gardner Fiction Award • A National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist • A Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist
Freedom, by the New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Franzen, is a masterly novel of contemporary love and marriage, a brilliant charting of the temptations and burdens of liberty: the thrills of teenage lust, the shaken compromises of middle age, the wages of suburban sprawl, and the heavy weight of empire.
Patty and Walter Berglund were the pioneers of old St. Paul―the gentrifiers, the hands-on parents, the avant garde of the Whole Foods generation. But now, in the new millennium, they have become a mystery. Why has their teenage son moved in with the aggressively Republican family next door? Why has Walter, once an environmental lawyer, taken a job working with Big Coal? Most startling of all, why has Patty, the perfect neighbor, turned into the local Fury?
Patty and Walter Berglund are indelible characters, and their mistakes and joys, as they struggle to learn how to live in an ever more confusing world, have become touchstones of contemporary American reality.
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