Franzen the person is... problematic. Franzen the novelist is a gifted wizard who keeps the reader turning the pages with an entertaining and surprising pair of intertwined plots while inspiring new perspectives on the topic at hand -- in this case, purity, which is interpreted variously as moral extremism, good intentions, and self-destructive delusion. The idea that life is about learning to make practical decisions in the face of a morally ambiguous universe is not a new one, but this book made me consider the topic in ways I hadn't before. My favorite Franzen novel so far. And -- thank goodness -- there are only 3 full pages about birds.