The Corrections

This may seem like a cheap gag (and, in a very real sense, it is), but I *really* did think that.

And then when I heard about his bizarro writing methods (typing blindfolded and earplugg'd in the dark to keep focused)...forget it. Needing a blindfold and earplugs and a Harlem studio in order to maintain your writerly focus is overkill on the order needing Playtex gloves to wipe your ass. Dude. If you have to go through that kind of ritual in order to write, maybe it just wasn't meant to be, you know?

I like Meet Me in St. Louis!

>>> "This may seem like a cheap gag (and, in a very real sense, it is)"

It's true - that new BT deal is really working for you.

I think that The Sopranos is very average and overrated. I imagine that The Corrections is better (if novel and TV are thus comparable), but could be wrong as I lack Edna's impressive powers of readin' brand new books.

I don't know. I find that being whiny and self-absorbed has served me well.

There were some times when I was conscious of the author's voice coming through the words, and sounding self-satisfied - like "Hey, aren't I brilliant?" but for the most part I was able to lose myself within the story and was not conscious of the writer's ego poking through. I don't think that the writing, itself, was anything miraculous, but I do think it fit well with the story that was being told.

I've two of his other works on my shelves, but haven't yet tackled either - does anyone here have any opinions on Franzen's earlier works?

There was a good 300 page book in there. What that man needs is a very good editor, dammit.

Maybe you're confusing it with something else? I've seen what you describe somewhere but I can't put my finger on it. (Neal Stephenson almost suffers from this, but it's just so entertaining when he does it.)

what particularly stuck in my craw was the huge passages of research passing itself of relevant information. what is it with modern authors that they think they have to prove the intelligence by boning up on science and cramming into the the novel ad nauseum, [which also as someone else rightly points out bumps up the page count horrendously]? the authors i can think of who do this with any style wit or to any point are pynchon [surprise] and michel houllecbecq.

i also agree the author did not care for his characters and neither did i, quite frankly.

and the sopranos is the most brilliant TV series i can remember.

Again I'll stress that there were large sections of the book that I found very very interesting and well-written, and others that i just found exceedingly tedious.

it took me over a year to read this and god it was boring. I'm surprised I stuck with it.

should I read freedom now?

no, freedom is much much worse

HBO adap of The Corrections coming from Noah Baumbach:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/chris_cooper_dianne_weist_to_star_in_noah_baumbachs_the_corrections/

w/greta gerwig, ewan mcgregor & maggie gyllenhaal