Jonathan Franzen on Freedom - John Adams Institute

The New York Times Book Review calls Jonathan Franzen’s novel, Freedom, “a masterpiece of American fiction.” Time Magazine actually put Franzen on its cover with the title “Great American Novelist.” The accolades are coming nonstop. Franzen’s novel spans the 9/11 decade. In following a single family, Franzen creates a vast meditation on a continent and a country; ultimately it is a meditation, as the title indicates, on the most potent and overused word in the American lexicon. This was Jonathan Franzen’s third visit to the Institute after his visits in 2006 and 2002.
Moderator: Jan Donkers
In cooperartion with Prometheus publishers.
This video was recorded on October 21, 2010.

[@springhillgolfer878]

Reading this novel for the 2nd time. It's a great book. I highly recommend it. The Corrections is also great.

[@francosottocasa7424]

"I think there is a close connection between being free and being uncool"

[@nathanketsdever3150]

Speaking starts at about 8:28 on the video.

[@nathanketsdever3150]

Actually around 9:20 or so is where it really gets started.

[@shethewriter]

Guess I’m not reading that book after all.

[@TommyVercettisGamingNews]

Shame. I'd really recommend it. It's much better in my opinion than The Corrections

[@chancebrownmusic]

Such a good book. It’s a shame he’s so bad at talking about it.

[@ladylo-fi6979]

Great writer. It's disturbing the way he implies a moral equivalence between environmentalists and neocons, though. I hope he's reconsidered this and has stopped with the smug "enlightened centrism" bit these days.

[@andrewfrankovic6821]

I never heard of Franzen until today. Does 3,649 views say much about him. I just wanted to make note somewhere about what Constance Grady wrote about him at vox.com, and I've never heard of Constance or vox.com before either . . . at least I never went to vox.com, I may have heard the name . . . makes him sound sort of Ayn Rand'ish as regards his subjectivity over what he believes is right. I never read a word he wrote or spoke, so I can't speak to his beliefs. As for Rand, I disbelieve that money is the root of happiness, or should I say joy, and she was about as joyless as anyone I've ever read or heard about. A lot of people are as joyless, I imagine, so that second part isn't distinctive in her case. May GOD have mercy on her soul. Proceed.

[@NicolasDykmansable]

is he on drugs?

[@TheChadlama]

Awkwardness makes people act strangely.

[@nara808]

He does crystal meth.

[@bobwah]

Are we talking about the moderator or Franzen?