Reviews

Purity by Jonathan Franzen

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irretrievablylovely's review against another edition

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emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

pjt8pt's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

hamilgrom's review against another edition

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5.0

This was my first Jonathan Franzen novel. There was some rambling, some questionable ideas presented by both the author but overall I loved it. I read this book over a beach vacation and it flew by. It made me remember why I enjoy literary fiction. Will certainly be going back to read Franzen's other novels.

nderiley's review against another edition

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4.0

A well thought out fiction - I loved how all the characters got their own novella, making for a rich world for the reader.

boodrow's review against another edition

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Franzen’s writing is as extraordinary as ever, but 1) the plot is all so convoluted it loses the naturalism that I like so much about his work, and 2) his writing of women is severely lacking - all of the female characters are defined primarily by their sexual relationships. It all just left me a bit cold.