Scan barcode
A review by bianca89279
Purity by Jonathan Franzen
3.0
Phew, I'm finally done with the 24 hrs it took to listen to this audiobook. No idea how to rate it. I'm not even sure how/what to feel about it, I'm very conflicted about it.
I know Franzen is a polarising writer. Pretty much every review one reads states something about the author's personality and/or likeability.
Purity was my first Franzen novel.
There are a lot of reviews of this novel, I'll just note down a few impressions:
- Purity drained my energy. Somehow, I persevered to the finish line.
- Most of the characters are very unlikeable; some are very disturbed individuals, but one, in particular, takes the cake: Andreas Wulf, an East German, Asange-like sociopath, with a Wikileaks-like breaking news internet domain. He's a psycho, chronic masturbator and womaniser, with a penchant for very young women and a mother complex. Come to think of it, all characters have mother issues.
- There are long, convoluted life-stories for the main characters, which I guess should endear them to us a little bit more, since we get to know them so intimately, too intimately, in all their ugliness, including their most secret thoughts, sexual fantasies and proclivities. And, man, I've read erotica that had less sex than this novel.
- There are many threads in this novel: relationships between parents and children, especially between mothers and children; marital unions; the internet; agriculture and animal welfare, fame; Communist East Germany; money; liberalism; and many others.
- As many other reviewers seem to have noted, Franzen comes out as quite the misogynist, given his description of women, who are either extremely attractive and/or young or, if they're not so, they're somewhere in the frumpy, invisible, unattractive and insignificant realm.
- Sure, the men are no saints or anything like that, but somehow, their issues seem to be caused by women, be it their mothers or lovers. Poor, innocent, delicate men!
- Without a doubt, there are some very well articulated ideas, a lot of smart writing. I love smart, intellectual anything, so why is it I didn't love this novel? It's not because the characters were unlikeable. I know! It's because it was soulless and bitter, and quite depressing. That's why.
So, for now, I'll rate this 3 stars.
NB: The audiobook was excellent!
I know Franzen is a polarising writer. Pretty much every review one reads states something about the author's personality and/or likeability.
Purity was my first Franzen novel.
There are a lot of reviews of this novel, I'll just note down a few impressions:
- Purity drained my energy. Somehow, I persevered to the finish line.
- Most of the characters are very unlikeable; some are very disturbed individuals, but one, in particular, takes the cake: Andreas Wulf, an East German, Asange-like sociopath, with a Wikileaks-like breaking news internet domain. He's a psycho, chronic masturbator and womaniser, with a penchant for very young women and a mother complex. Come to think of it, all characters have mother issues.
- There are long, convoluted life-stories for the main characters, which I guess should endear them to us a little bit more, since we get to know them so intimately, too intimately, in all their ugliness, including their most secret thoughts, sexual fantasies and proclivities. And, man, I've read erotica that had less sex than this novel.
- There are many threads in this novel: relationships between parents and children, especially between mothers and children; marital unions; the internet; agriculture and animal welfare, fame; Communist East Germany; money; liberalism; and many others.
- As many other reviewers seem to have noted, Franzen comes out as quite the misogynist, given his description of women, who are either extremely attractive and/or young or, if they're not so, they're somewhere in the frumpy, invisible, unattractive and insignificant realm.
- Sure, the men are no saints or anything like that, but somehow, their issues seem to be caused by women, be it their mothers or lovers. Poor, innocent, delicate men!
- Without a doubt, there are some very well articulated ideas, a lot of smart writing. I love smart, intellectual anything, so why is it I didn't love this novel? It's not because the characters were unlikeable. I know! It's because it was soulless and bitter, and quite depressing. That's why.
So, for now, I'll rate this 3 stars.
NB: The audiobook was excellent!