Crossroads A Novel
Crossroads A Novel by Jonathan Franzen, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux on October 5, 2021, is a literary exploration of family dynamics set against the backdrop of a pivotal moment in American life. This first edition spans 592 pages and delves into the lives of the Hildebrandt family on December 23, 1971, as they navigate personal crises and moral dilemmas. The narrative centers on Russ Hildebrandt, an associate pastor contemplating the future of his joyless marriage, while his children grapple with their own challenges and aspirations.
In Crossroads, readers will find a rich tapestry of interwoven perspectives that highlight the complexities of family life and the quest for individual freedom. Each character, from the morally driven Clem to the countercultural Becky and the troubled Perry, faces choices that intertwine their fates. Franzen’s keen social vision and vivid characterizations create a compelling portrait of a Midwestern family at a moment of moral crisis, resonating with themes of personal and familial conflict. This edition invites readers to reflect on the intricate relationships that define us and the societal pressures that shape our choices.
Official synopsis Publisher
Jonathan Franzen’s gift for wedding depth and vividness of character with breadth of social vision has never been more dazzlingly evident than in Crossroads.
It’s December 23, 1971, and heavy weather is forecast for Chicago. Russ Hildebrandt, the associate pastor of a liberal suburban church, is on the brink of breaking free of a marriage he finds joyless—unless his wife, Marion, who has her own secret life, beats him to it. Their eldest child, Clem, is coming home from college on fire with moral absolutism, having taken an action that will shatter his father. Clem’s sister, Becky, long the social queen of her high-school class, has sharply veered into the counterculture, while their brilliant younger brother Perry, who’s been selling drugs to seventh graders, has resolved to be a better person. Each of the Hildebrandts seeks a freedom that each of the others threatens to complicate.
Jonathan Franzen’s novels are celebrated for their unforgettably vivid characters and for their keen-eyed take on contemporary America. Now, in Crossroads, Franzen ventures back into the past and explores the history of two generations. With characteristic humor and complexity, and with even greater warmth, he conjures a world that resonates powerfully with our own.
A tour de force of interwoven perspectives and sustained suspense, its action largely unfolding on a single winter day, Crossroads is the story of a Midwestern family at a pivotal moment of moral crisis. Jonathan Franzen’s gift for melding the small picture and the big picture has never been more dazzlingly evident.
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