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Freedom
Freedom | Jonathan Franzen
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review
bravenewtrav
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Pickpick

An impulse buy from a thrift bookstore long ago, I wanted a tome as a companion for my travels all July. “Freedom” was a biting friend through the summer. My intro to Franzen, this intimate novel puts an unlikable family in the spotlight of the Dubya Bush years, and refuses to shine away. Sprawling and cringy and damningly political, I never particularly cared for these assembly of assholes, but I sure loved reading about their shenanigans.

Sparklemn “Assembly of assholes“...love it! I will be stealing it from you. 😜 2y
bravenewtrav @Sparklemn free for the taking😂I think it‘s an accurate representation of the characters 😂😂 2y
2 likes2 comments
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Sweettartlaura
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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#indiebookstoreday purchases & swag 🙌🏻

I got Sea of Tranquility & The Candy House.
And Freedom was the #blinddatebook that came with my tote & goodies.
So fun!!!

AmyG Nice! Great book choices. 2y
mandarchy Nice to meet you. 😊 I'm from Tacoma! Stadium class of '88 2y
Sweettartlaura @mandarchy wow 😮 I basically live next to Stadium 🤯🤯🤯. Very cool! Nice to meet you, as well! 2y
mandarchy @Sweettartlaura that's cool! 2y
28 likes4 comments
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Prairiegirl_reading
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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I am currently culling my shelves. I‘ve already donated a ton. I‘m pretty proud of myself actually! I have had this one since it came out in 2010. It looks to me like a chunkster about people I imagine I‘ll have a hard time liking and I‘m guessing it‘s fairly bleak, none of which I‘m very interested and in right now.
Might future me like it? Or at least finish it?
You decide! Keep or donate?

EvieBee I donated my unread copy, too. 2y
vlwelser I learned a lot about birds and how bad humans are for the environment but hated this overall. Donate. 😂 2y
Ruthiella I thought it was pretty good. It‘s the only Franzen I‘ve read. All the main characters are pretty insufferable, however. 2y
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RaeLovesToRead Keep!!!! Franzen does social commentary so so well. The characters aren't likeable but they are exquisitely well drawn. I would describe the tone as sardonic. 2y
RaeLovesToRead Although if you're after an uplifting read, I agree, this isn't it. 2y
Chelsea.Poole Loved this book. Made me a Franzen fan. But I listened to the audiobook which was excellent. 2y
37 likes6 comments
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ARTDJG
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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🤞

1 like1 stack add
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Beccacraft
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
Pickpick

This book is long and constantly winding between characters, but does a brilliant job of showcasing the messiness of life and the difficulty of navigating love, friendship, marriage, family, job, society, and internal struggles. The characters feel realistic and make both poor and true-to-themselves decisions, sometimes at the same time. I found myself feeling conflicting emotions throughout- which is most of what real life happens to be.

SamAnne I really enjoyed this novel. The only Franzen I have read. I work in conservation and I loved the backdrop of allowing the mining of an area to “save“ it. I've run into those folks in my work..... 3y
2 likes1 comment
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Creme_de_la_them
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Pickpick

Book #9 of the year: “Freedom” by Jonathan Franzen.

Depression stole March from me so this is the first thing I‘ve finished all month. I‘m still too mentally blah to write an actual review but I liked it. 4 stars.

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Tineke
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Pickpick

This was an excellent book. It was so real. The characters were terrible people but towards the end they got back some of their humanity, like they had learned who they were supposed to be and what their place was in the world. (More in comments).

This was my #bookspin for January.
TBR since September 29th. 2013; 562 pages
@TheAromaofBooks

Tineke I really enjoyed the looping back and how each persons story was intertwined with the other one and how the author shaped this in the book. Also the two stories about how the Berglunds left places and how different these leavings were from each other. The author is a remarkable craftsman who knows how to tell a story that could be someones actual life story. 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
BarbaraBB The recommendation is from the book store? 3y
Tineke @Barbara, no someone from Bookcrossing who had this book before me. 3y
23 likes4 comments
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Ididsoidid
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Mehso-so

Freedom covers the politics of middle class suburbia, the promise of the 90‘s and futility of trying to change the world on your own. I really enjoyed the humour and tone in the first third of the book but it started to fall flat with Richard‘s story. I was waiting for everything to implode but the knockout blows didn‘t seem to land. Some astute summaries of american social values, and wonderfully dry humour couldn‘t quite compensate. 6/10

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quietjenn
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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I've been reading this one pretty slowly. Frankly, these aren't always characters I want to spend time with. But they are really compellingly drawn and for all the flack Franzen gets - much of it deserved and more than balanced out by the heaps of praise - I can think of few who can put together a literary pageturner quite the way he does.

SamAnne I‘ve not read The Corrections but I really enjoyed this one. Well drawn characters and I appreciated the environmental political compromise story line. 3y
66 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Kimberlone
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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I visited my local thrift shop for the first time since before COVID yesterday and picked up this stack of books for 70 cents! It felt so nice to browse 😊

swishandflick Nice! Love a good deal. And you can't beat a stack for less than $1 😄 4y
Tanisha_A I liked reading The Painted Girls. Nice stack! 4y
51 likes3 comments
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KSNAP
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
Pickpick

Have you ever had a relationship with a person who has a victim complex and uses it to manipulate the people around them? Do you believe that depopulation is the best direct environmental action one can take? You're gonna love this book.

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BookishTrish
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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1. I love playing Elvis songs on my flute. I love Indiana Jones and once went to Petra just to have that moment I felt in the film. I taught English in Asia in my 20s. ❤️ 2. Tagged - also pretty much anything by Dave Eggers ❤️ 3. Yes at book signings and I have friends who write ❤️ 4. Too hot 🥵 #Litsylearn @Alora

Karisa Those are good ones! English teaching in Asia = lie? 🤷‍♀️ 4y
sherryvdh Is the Indiana Jones one the lie? 4y
Alora Hey!! Thank you for playing! 😀💜 Is the lie elvis on the flute?! If not, that is awesome! I can play saxophone! 4y
See All 11 Comments
BookishTrish @Karisa You guessed it! I taught in Russia, Hungary, Portugal and Canada 4y
BookishTrish @sherryvdh Sorry - that‘s true 4y
BookishTrish @Alora You‘re welcome and that one is true 4y
Alora Ahhhh we need to jam!! Flute and saxophone 😂 4y
Megabooks Dave Eggers is so annoying. I‘m with you on that! 4y
BookishTrish @Megabooks Glad to have company on that one. The funny thing is I read most of his books like I think it might click and I‘ll love them 4y
Karisa @BookishTrish Wow! That's so cool! 4y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego All of those sound interesting!! So i skipped to the comments to see which was was the lie. I love Petra btw! Stunning. 4y
48 likes11 comments
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Aswenson
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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This book is kind of a downer, but it speaks the truth.

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blondie
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Today was quite the day.
A rough day at work, but in the end it only made me feel stronger.
Then I spent some much needed time with my mom. We went shopping for birthday presents for my grandma. I got myself a new lamp for reading while I was at it. And we stopped at the dollar store and I got two new books as well.
I'm pooped, but I'm content.

Trashcanman 😊🤗 5y
Chrissyreadit Looks like a good find at the dollar store! 5y
Crazeedi Hope you have a restorative weekend 5y
32 likes3 comments
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Purrfectpages
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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JoScho ❤️❤️❤️ 5y
GripLitGrl 💖💖💖 5y
70 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MargaretPinardAuthor
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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That‘s right, daring and original!
Come on, America. You can do better.
#whitemen #diverse #persephonebooks #snark

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HighLadyoftheStacks
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
Bailedbailed

I bought this for a weird reason three or four years ago: it was mentioned on Parks and Rec. After 20 pages (a new record for DNFing for me) I knew I couldn‘t waste my time with it. Also I feel like I‘ve heard too many negative things about the author to actually enjoy the book (even if it was possible to enjoy)

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Rachaels-book-adventures
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Picked this up for 20 cents at a thrift store today!!!!! BARGAIN!!!!😄

DebinHawaii Nice! 📚👍 Welcome back to Litsy!! 🎉📚🎉 6y
4 likes1 comment
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Dolly
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Bailedbailed

Patty said. Eliza said. Patty told Eliza...OMG I don‘t care what Patty told Eliza about Richard! Is this written for high school kids? These youngsters seem to be all about finding their footing in their relationships. Not for me. An Oprah book? Can someone explain why?

Tamra Definitely wouldn‘t be my thing then..... 6y
Dolly @Tamra This was my first Franzen as I was curious after hearing his name so much. I‘ll give him one more try hoping this is not his signature style. 6y
britt_brooke 😆 Uh oh, sounds annoying. I have Franzen‘s Corrections but haven‘t read it yet. 6y
See All 9 Comments
LectricSheep I hated this novel for exactly this reason. 😶 I bailed somewhere around page 80 i think. 6y
emilyhaldi Lol, love this review 🤣🤣 6y
Bklover I bailed on this about 2/3 through it. It annoyed me to no end! 6y
Dolly @britt_brooke I picked up Corrections at a Goodwill last month. I‘m now giving it the 😒. @LectricSheep Sometimes I feel mean when I bail. Your comment vindicates me 😌. @Bklover You had more patience than I. Guess I made a good call. We, we made a good call! 6y
Smrloomis 😂😂 I actually liked this but not as much as The Corrections. It‘s just not everyone‘s cup of tea 😆 Love your review! 6y
Dolly @Smrloomis I will give Corrections the page 112 test sooner rather than later. I think I was not expecting a man would write such detailed dialogue as this. Go figure! Thanks for commenting 😍 6y
54 likes1 stack add9 comments
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smccallum
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Onto the next one! #1001books

Tanisha_A I have this book looking at me longingly and asking me to be read! Will wait to see how you like it! 6y
76 likes1 comment
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Ncostell
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Bailedbailed

I can count the number of books I have not finished on one hand. I have a compulsion to read a book that I pick up until the bitter end for better or for worse in the hopes that it may get better or so that I can critique it in its entirety. However, I need my “freedom” from this book and I am going to walk away. I made it to page 206 and can‘t take any more! There are too many other things I want to read!

YouReadMyEyes Life‘s too short! 6y
RebelReader I bailed on this one too! I don‘t really like his stuff. 🙁 6y
CarolynM I couldn't understand what the fuss was about. Just seemed to me a dull book about dull people. I bailed too. 6y
62 likes1 stack add3 comments
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jamielaine
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
Mehso-so

Read it

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dariazeoli
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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What I DID buy at Dollar Tree yesterday.

Must stop buying books. Must stop buying books.

kyraleseberg I've purchased both of these in the past 3 months from Dollar Tree also 🙈 6y
AmyG I got Freedom there, too. 6y
38 likes2 comments
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AVChrista
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen

Picked up for $1. Hoping its better than The Corrections (I hardly remember the plot of that story it was so boring).

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Sha0102
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Pickpick

I really like the criticism Franzen writes about Americans. He's a great writer. "But the family as microcosm or micro-history has become Franzen‘s particular subject, as it is no one else‘s today." Entertaining level: ???? #2015Sha

16 likes1 stack add
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ellysisland
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
Pickpick

A walk through present America trying to figure out the meaning of friendship love marriage fatherhood freedom happiness maybe?

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Vihrig
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
Mehso-so

By the time I finished this one, I felt like I'd been 'rode hard and put up wet!' It was a long journey, and I kept hoping to get somewhere, anywhere, but, alas, it was not really to be.

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Nicole
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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The moment when Joey swallows the wedding ring has stuck with me, even 6 years after I originally read this! #THATSAWKWARD

Literaryunicorn One of my favorite audiobook experiences. Been meaning to re-read in book version. 👏👍 7y
Nicole @Literaryunicorn I'm currently re-reading with my book club. It's holding up but also very interesting to revisit with six years of new life experiences behind me. 7y
Literaryunicorn @Nicole I love books that can grow with you and show you something different every time you read depending on where you are in life. Very cool. 7y
10 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Nicole
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Upcoming #bookclub picks!

4 likes3 stack adds
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Pen_Meets_Paper
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Mehso-so

Franzen takes aim at a family-focused epic. The on-again-off-again nature of the protagonists and the many locales and points of view make for interesting reading but not sure I would make the case for full-on brilliance.

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Pen_Meets_Paper
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Pen_Meets_Paper
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Next

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Mariposa_Bookworm
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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I tried to connect this post to a book I actually plan on reading. Join us in celebrating Binx's freedom from the Cone of Shame today! 🎉🎉🎉

candyflossramparts Congrats! 🎉🍾😸 7y
DebinHawaii Yay Binx!! 🎉🐱💜🎉 7y
Megabooks 👍🏻👍🏻🎉🎉🎉 7y
See All 10 Comments
Bookladylinda Yay Binx!!!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉😻😻😻 7y
Librarianaut Hooray for Binx!! (Awesome kitteh name, too) 7y
Mariposa_Bookworm @Librarianaut I wish I could take credit for it. His birth mom, my friend Heather, named him when they found him. I gave him his middle name, Twiselton. 7y
OrangeMooseReads YAY! 🎉😸 7y
CherylDeFranceschi W00t!! 🎉🎉🎉 7y
DGRachel Yay! 🎉🎉😻🎉🎉 7y
CouronneDhiver Yay Binx! Probably feels much better 7y
103 likes10 comments
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GoneFishing
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen

He became another data point in the American experiment of self-government, an experiment statistically skewed from the outset, because it wasn't the people with sociable genes who fled the crowded Old World for the new continent; it was the people who didn't get along well with others.

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GoneFishing
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen

Nice people don't necessarily fall in love with nice people.

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TheCanuckReader
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Been crazy busy lately and missing this oasis called Litsy. So glad to pop in tonight and need to stay! Spent tonight driving this cutie to her release site after a 6 wk stay with us after being hit by a car. Fly free little one! #owlsofLitsy #releaseskeepmesane #nslittens

Libby1 Beautiful. What great work you do. I hope you're able to visit us here more often. 💜 7y
Bibliogeekery Gorgeous! 7y
Soubhiville Wow! I'm glad she recovered enough to be released! 7y
See All 18 Comments
drokka Do you work with the Hope for Wildlife folk? Congrats on the successful release 🤗 7y
Texreader Oh that is so so wonderful. What a beautiful girl. May she have a long long healthy life. 7y
Dolly Is she a barn owl? Such a beauty! I wish her well and lots of mice.🕊🌲 7y
TheCanuckReader Thanks @Libby1 ,I was slightly addicted to Litsy but got crazy busy...now I'm making it a priority to be back since you guys are my peeps! @drokka No I don't work with HFW, I am a wildlife vet and have my own wildlife rehab Centre in Nova Scotia...the Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. Been doing this since 2001 :) 7y
TheCanuckReader @Dolly she's a barred owl. 7y
DebinHawaii She is so beautiful! 💜 7y
drokka That's fantastic! I lived in NS for 5 years and didn't know about any of the Centres until I got back to Ontario. There is so much wildlife there, I'm glad people like you do what you do. 7y
slhbooks Our Raptor Center (at the Univ of Minnesota) has a public program twice a year where they release the birds that have recovered. We love to go and see these birds fly free again. What wonderful work you do! 7y
Dolly I love owls. I try to record their calls every year. We have mostly great horned and barred. 7y
8little_paws Omg!! That's wonderful!! What a beautiful animal! 7y
Hooked_on_books What a great story! Gorgeous feathers on this one. 🦉 7y
Lizpixie What a gorgeous bird! Do you have anything to do with the Discovery channel show about wildlife rescuers in Canada? My hubby loves that show.🦉🦅🐻🐺🦌🐿 7y
TheCanuckReader @Lizpixie that's not us, but never a dull moment here :) 7y
minkyb What a beauty! 7y
Hobbinol 👁❤️👁❗ 7y
98 likes1 stack add18 comments
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MariaSvane
Frihed | Jonathan Franzen
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MariaSvane
Frihed | Jonathan Franzen
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Oryx
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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ClairesReads
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Lending books to friends 😍

AceOnRoam I just picked up Freedom from the clubhouse. It's a bloody big book. What did you think of it? 6y
ClairesReads @AceOnRoam I‘m a huge Franzen fan- I loved it! 6y
44 likes3 comments
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jaymielynnie
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Finally getting to "Freedom: A Novel" by Jonathan Franzen. It's been sitting on my shelf for awhile. My goal for January is to read every physical book I own that I've never read before.

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Pen_Meets_Paper
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Always worth checking the book section at Value Village

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Liberty
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Happy Monday! Here's a laugh from when I worked in a bookstore. (Note: Normally, I would have walked her over to the book, but I was helping another customer, and the woman kept interrupting.) 😂😝😕

I-read-and-eat Haha I could have totally said the same thing, I can be a little slow sometimes to the great amusement of my BF 😂 7y
Donna_sBookMinute We all have our moments. Glad this wasn't me though. 😂 7y
Liberty @I-read-and-eat @Donna_sBookMinute Oh, yeah, I totally could have done this, too. But instead, it's now a bookseller memory that makes me smile. 😊 7y
See All 13 Comments
tnorris 😆😆😆 7y
Suet624 Oh dear. 7y
WordWaller This surprisingly happens all the time! Or something quite similar. 7y
the_hibernator The question that always got me is: "where do you keep your nonfiction?" Hint: don't look in the fiction section 7y
Sassy_Steph You would think people that read books would actually be smarter, but I get people that are not quite so at the book store all the time!! 7y
Nebklvr We all have our moments...I worked night shift for years and probably a lot of folks thought I was a few bricks short of a full load--either that or partaking of something that made me doddy 7y
Readasaurus_rex Hahahahaha I love bookseller life 7y
MarriedtoMrT One of my favorite library moments was when someone asked for the movie Pride and Pre-justice 7y
BookBabe 😂 7y
bitterbear Lmao... this is so true. 7y
239 likes3 stack adds13 comments
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GoneFishing
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen

People came to this country for either money or freedom. If you don‘t have money, you cling to your freedoms all the more angrily. Even if smoking kills you, even if you can‘t afford to feed your kids, even if your kids are getting shot down by maniacs with assault rifles. You may be poor, but the one thing nobody can take away from you is the freedom to fuck up your life whatever way you want to.

43 likes6 stack adds
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Tcip
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Bailedbailed

Let's be honest here. I don't ever not finish a book. If I don't like a book, I'll still finish it and find something positive to say about it. But damn it. This book. This was my first Franzen book and I hated these characters. I loved the writing, hated literally every character. I don't even mind "bad" people but why are they so annoying?! This one I not only bailed on i #threwitacrosstheroom #photoadaynov16 #whysoannoying?

Notafraidofwords I can handle unlikeable. I can't handle annoying. 7y
Bklover I'm with you!!! Read it when it first came out. Well, I read part of it! Made me grind my teeth. 7y
Tcip @Bklover @Notafraidofwords seriously it has eaten me up inside not to finish a book I put so much time into but I just can't do Patty and her overbearing actions as a mother an wife. Reminded me of my own mom and made me want to puke a little. 7y
CallMeIshmael I've been "halfway" through this for about 4 years now...just can't get back to it because I hate every single character 7y
Tcip @CallMeIshmael I'm really happy I'm not the only one. 7y
21 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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halleycat
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Pickpick

Soooo there might be some disappointingly normative ppl but who knew the cats are killing the birds! 🐱>>>>>>🐤 All in all must love the undercomplicated side of lit fic. 💞

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SarahSDavis
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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Pickpick

Given the cat-themed last chapter, this Time-of-Read picture has to be with my kitty, Jon Snow.
Astonishing. Epic. Compelling. Challenging.
And wholly worth the month it took to read.
Highly readable, meaty fiction with a limitless scope for satirizing our nation today, rooted in deliciously layered character studies.

BookBabe 😻 7y
9 likes1 stack add1 comment
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SarahSDavis
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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I've got to finish this book. I've been reading it over a month. I love it. But I'm dragging it out in the same way I dragged out the Tenth Doctor seasons because I didn't want it to end. But this book is a psychological block... one of us will win...

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SarahSDavis
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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"When Jessica did not reply to this, Patty forced herself to look up. Her daughter was gazing with desolate self-control at the main college building, on an outside wall of which Patty had noticed a stone graven with words of wisdom from the Class of 1920: USE WELL THY FREEDOM." - p. 195 -He's talking about Swarthmore College from my hometown of Swarthmore, PA, but he's also finally hinting at the inspiration for the title.

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Seashore
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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What a great deal I found at a second hand book shop. Can't wait to dig in.

MrBook I just bought this second-hand as well! What the heck 😜. And welcome to @Litsy , I hope you enjoy your stay with us 😎👍🏻. 8y
3 likes1 stack add1 comment