Corrections by Jonathan Franzen - missed opportunities

~=~ Ch Ch Ch Changes... ~=~

Corrections can mean many things. From the gentle loving guidance of a child to harsh punitive lessons, marking of mistakes on school papers, stock markets taking a dip or plunge, inner voices which urge us another direction, brain chemistry alterations with designer drugs, checking a compass and turning a ship and even making major lifestyle adjustments, corrections always involve changes.


~=~ Fictional Changes ~=~

Titled Corrections, author Jonathan Franzen's on again, off again Oprah Book Club selection makes full use of the meanings of the word. The Lambert family which Franzen portrays are making adjustments all over the place. And it's a seemingly good thing too. Because tunneling into the lives of this American family feels like watching a train wreck. Although not the most dysfunctional family the world has to offer, it's the waste of potential in the Lambert family that has readers screaming silently at them to get it together.


~=~ Who went off course? ~=~

We get to know the Lambert family quite intimately. Piloted by Alfred, the man of the house, emotionless logic reigns supreme. Cold, pushing down all thoughts of basal pleasures, Alfred knows how to withhold all which would allow his family to blossom. Metallurgist in his home lab by night, middle manager of a dying railroad by day, Alfred knows right from wrong and wishes more people would adopt his Puritanical stance.

Enid married Alfred after careful consideration of her options. Wanting a man with a job who would live through the war years, Alfred seemed the perfect prospect. But Enid's desires are pushed to the bottom of the stack, time after time. From a simple wish of having her husband kiss her goodbye before a long business trip to having her family in her home for one last Christmas before selling the homestead, Enid has a lifetime of unfulfilled longings to correct.

Gary is the oldest son, stable and respectable. His parents appreciate the 3 grandsons Gary and his wife provided them. Gary has a cushy job managing investments. Out of work by 5 every night, his wife's big inheritance allows him to thumb his nose at those working harder for their careers. But are things totally rosy for Gary? His son places him under surveillance. His wife looks at him sideways for signs of mental illness. She seems to make a game of playing his children against him.

Chip's life is easiest to spot as a blight in this family landscape. Fired from his so-close-to-tenure job at a prestigious college for sexual hijinks with a student, he is out of cash. Totally out. And into his sister for some serious loans. Trying to pull his career out of the toilet with a screenplay, Chip ends up working for an investment scammer.

Denise is the only girl. A bad young marriage followed by an all consuming career as a chef have her family wondering about biological clocks. Will Denise find someone to have children with before time runs out? And what about the rumors that she's with a married man?


~=~ Complications to correct ~=~

Other factors conspire to throw the Lamberts way off course. Alfred's time consuming metallurgy hobby finally seems to pay off in his old age. Offered a paltry sum for a patent, the family disagrees strongly about how to handle the issue.

Parkinson's disease gives Alfred a serious post retirement challenge. No longer able to control his physical presence in the world, Alfred's view of himself in charge of his body is wrecked. Irony of a possible cure for Alfred based on his basement hobby work is not lost on the readers.


~=~ Fascinating or tedious? ~=~

Being a voyeur into someone else's problems can be very satisfying. We can reassure ourselves that at least we don't have those problems. Franzen's clever way at painting visual pictures makes these views particularly fascinating in sections. But I found a few sections tedious. Wading through Alfred's demented conversations with his own bodily waste was difficult for me. Feeling my way through Gary's drunken dilemmas with his family left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I can see some readers becoming discouraged at the mixing of past & present throughout the book. It can be disorienting to follow the plot eagerly, only to be transported back in time 30+ years.


~=~ Bottom Line ~=~

My bottom line on Jonathan Franzen's Corrections is that it draws a really clear picture of one American family. Nothing is spared the reader. Literary afficionados will not want to miss Franzen's deft phrase turnings. There is a lot of frank language from the inner recesses of family member's minds. This isn't a book for everyone. But like a train wreck, once you start looking at it, averting your gaze won't keep you from taking another look. A guarded recommendation from me.


~=~ Oprah Book Club Note ~=~

Oprah announced that the dinner discussion with the author is off for this book. In her announcement, she stated that Franzen was conflicted about having his book chosen and that it wasn't her intent to create problems for authors chosen.