Jonathan Franzen

 

The Corrections

The Corrections is a darkly comedic novel about a midwestern family. The father Alfred’s commanding patriarchal presence and the mother Enid’s controlling traditionalism have profound effects on their three children, who all experience unique varieties of dysfunction as adults. In spite of the plentiful examples of unhealthy relationship dynamics and dubious life choices, the ending of the novel isn’t entirely bleak. Some of the characters discover that it is possible to make corrections.

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Purity

This novel is set in contemporary Berkeley and the Santa Cruz Mountains in California, in communist East Germany, and on a Wikileaks-style compound in a remote location in Bolivia. Its tone and content range from funny to perverse to seriously dark. Regardless, it is a well-choreographed narrative about twenty-something Purity and her search for identity, as well as a shocking and empowering coming-of-age story.