'The corrections' is the most amazing reader experience I've ever had. I read almost every sentence three times to enjoy the style of the book

He's brilliant, sensitive, brave, and dead-on about everything.

He is in tune with the nuances and the absurdities of our modern world, more than any other writer I know of.

Brilliant book and a brilliant insight into American society.

"Takes me a long time to write a novel." The best thing an author can say.

This makes me miss DFW.

Jonathan Franze's cool because he seems to know exactly who he is. I wish I could be more like him

A great writer. What Dostoevsky got to the core and Tolstoy teased about, Mr. Franzen probes. It is very good lit. Very good.

Anyone read purity? A long read but very rewarding.

"the unseen interviewer has asked me" 4:39. That made me giggle

he's an amazing author

Freedom...best book ive ever read!

Franzen is awesome :)

what a big marvelously mopey sillyheaded genius

Wow! Only 249 views so far? And this is one of the most exciting novelists of the last twelve years. Can't wait to read 'Freedom'.

@ZachClooney Absolutely! Dog Soldiers, A Flag for Sunrise, and Children of Light are all terrific, in my estimation!

The "Corrections" are great,but my favorite book is "Freedom", but I don`t like the end of the novel. Franzen has a pleasant,loose writing style and he is a master in it to give us an analyse of every Character.You fall into the story.

A sprawling epic of a novel! The concept of 'Freedom' presented and examined as a duality or a dichotomy. If you can do anything, what you can't do is implied. Is complete autonomy a blessing or a curse? Franzen grapples with this problem in a wonderfully dramatic and entertaining manner. This book reminded me of John Updike's "Rabbit" series.

great. one of those few great novelists, actually thinking and talking without being interrupted

When i think of freedom i only remember joeys weird poop thing with the bathroom scene and him and connies conversation on the phone

@princeandrey Thanks for linking Franzen to Robert Stone. Your enthusiasm makes me want to start reading the novels of Stone.

@ZachClooney I agree with you, here; his interpretation of the novel's function vis a vis solitude is something I heard Robert Stone talk about a decade or so back. By the way, I think Stone--particularly the Stone of his earlier novels--is the better writer; but I do love what Franzen said about badly behaved people in Jane Austen novels.

It must be sad for him to be constantly under DFW's shadow, even now.

@ZachClooney We need hundreds of Franzens to keep reminding this dumbed downed world about the importance of reading. Near the end of this video, Franzen is brilliant about his favourite themes solitude, loneliness, and reading novel.

@mondoeargood - Please take a deep breath and re-read my original post. I merely stated that I did not care for "The Corrections" which I did read and because of that I didn't care to read the current book. I am not criticizing the new book in any way - it's obviously going to sell well. But based on your opinion of the book, I'll download a sample to my Kindle. Who knows I might enjoy it. I'm open to that.

What a drag it must be to continually replay or imagine or make up everything that has stamped itself on your soul.

Some really stupid people on this page. Franzen is an author who understands the world he lives in almost better than anyone else. His characters are incredibly well realised to the point that they stay with you for years. Their imperfections are devastating, but there is always generosity in his work as there is in life. Speaking as someone who wants to write fiction, I can say that one can learn a huge amount from JF should they only focus on the huge array of formal technique on display.

Its too bad I only found this video and these comments now because mean-spirited idiots like "Flavius Petrus Sabbatius Iustinianus Augustus" [talk about "pretentious" "dickheads"!] probably won't read this. But they know nothing about literature [you don't have to like all the characters], nothing about Franzen, and certainly nothing about psychiatry or psychology [as claimed]. Try offering a reasoned critique rather than just throwing flames that only display your ignorance or miserably failed attempts to be funny or clever [eg, that an author & his character who highlight the global dangers of overpopulation should both kill themselves to set an example! Not amusing under any circumstances, but especially not when directed at someone who lost, & spoke in this very clip, about one of his best friends who tragically suffered serious depression and a suicide].

he reminds me of a very smart, flummoxed turtle

@parker1227 What? All he said was that 2000 to 2008 was a rough experience for liberals, which was absolutely true. At no point did he say he hated conservatives or conservatism, nor does he say he hates Bush. Do yourself a favor and think before you open that trap of yours.

Freedom was no corrections, but it was good

Another 3 days to go before the hard copy of 'Freedom' is released in Britain.

at first i found him a bit pretentious, and i guess he is, but i found myself totally in agreement with him from around 11:00 on.

If writing awards are nothing more than prizes given for being a good leftist, explain the success of John Updike, who was deeply, deeply conservative and considered one of the greatest writers of his generation. Yeah. I'm waiting.

@McSaddle It looks good.

@parker1227 Then how come glenn beck, bill o'reily, sean hannity, nick gillespie, etc. write best-sellers?

If his new book is like "The Corrections" - it will be a reviewers' triumph. "The Corrections" may have resonated with people - but it was "the emperor's new clothes" to me - a crashing bore. Just mho - "Freedom" is not a book I'm anxious to read.

@McSaddle LOL :)

@zachmasterzach it's more about the human struggle to figure out which freedoms we are going to allow ourselves. Hey, we're all allowed our own interpretations, I really mean you no disrespect, I just can't believe you would associate this novel with the new world order-- that's more like an accusation than an interpretation, IMO.

David Foster Wallace is Kurt Cobain. Jonathan Franzen is Dave Grohl. Stephanie Meyer is Krist Novoselic.

@arachn0idx1 Yeah, that was a pretty harsh comment. Seems a bit ignorant too as they're both pretty influential, just in different ways.

@McSaddle That´s how we wear it in Europe, I mean the smart guys. Everything´s better than a Ralph Lauren polo.

@mondoeargood - I never said, that it wasn't any good - how could I if I had not read it. Please take the time to re-read my original post.

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@HealthisWealthyes I didn't realize there was a difference between Jesus Christ and Oprah. Huh, you learn something every day.

E io mi dovrei studiare questo stronzetto per domani? GAZZUGAZZU

@HealthisWealthyes maybe you have a humor that is beyond me, but I honestly can't tell if you're joking or not. If not, then I think that's a narrow interpretation of the novel. I see no evidence of Franzen blatantly telling us what to think, nor do I believe this was his intention. He's simply highlighting all the new hardships and dilemmas that newfound freedoms present to the individual. You say God gave us free will, but religion necessitates some sacrifice of freedom, too.

i just realized that the pattern of his speech is similar to the Joker in the Dark Knight, the semi stammering quavering voice is pure Joker

Really amused by all the angry conservatives in these comments. Need a hug, guys?

Can you maybe suggest better contemporary American authors, then?

@mondoeargood - no need to be nasty man - just because I don't care for this author. Peace.

@helliop LOL thats fucking funny LOL LOL

He sounds strikingly like Jeffrey Dahmer

@McSaddle Franzen's $millions simply cannot buy him a decent dress sense!

Started to read "The Corrections"...Got to the part, early on in the novel, where the protagonist is trying to still smell the scent of his lover's vagina on his couch, months after they last made love there....And I thought, "This author is trying TOOOO hard to be 'literary'"

Sure hope this guy doesn't try to publish his personality because it won't sell, yawn!

Respect to Mr. Franzen for snubbing Oprah, but I regret to say that his novels just aren't very good.

Freedom was an awful book about horrible people doing shitty things. They had no redeeming qualities, and as such you really felt no interest in their story arc, unless you were hoping for them to die horrible deaths. I feel that the author is a thief who was aided and abetted by dishonest media to enable him to take money from the pockets of gullible people. Fortunately I didn't buy the book, I found it at a house I moved into. I read it and then took it with me the next time I went camping to use as tinder for the campfire. I really urge people who own copies of this book to destroy them lest they fall into the hands of an unsuspecting reader. The world is worse off because of the existence of this book. I don't personally wish the author any harm, but if he did die suddenly, it would be a net gain for society.