DNF at page 134.

Reading this book is truly an experience that can be likened to having a conversation with that particular individual from college. You know the one - the guy who is intellectually fascinating, with a wealth of knowledge and unique perspectives that can really engage your mind. However, at the same time, interacting with him can be emotionally draining.

As you progress through the pages of this book, you find yourself constantly pulled in by the interesting ideas and concepts being presented. It's like a mental workout, challenging you to think in new ways and expand your understanding. But, just like with that college acquaintance, there comes a point where the emotional toll starts to take its effect. Maybe it's the complexity of the arguments, or the intensity with which they are presented.

By page 134, you reach a breaking point. The intellectual stimulation has become overwhelming, and you simply can't continue. It's as if you've had enough of that draining conversation and need to walk away. DNF - Did Not Finish - becomes the only option. DNF at page 134

Franzen in his prime was a force to be reckoned with.

His writing was captivating, drawing readers in with his unique style and profound insights.

He had a remarkable ability to explore complex themes and characters, delving deep into the human psyche.

His novels were not only entertaining but also thought-provoking, leaving a lasting impact on those who read them.

Franzen's prime was a time when his talent shone brightest, and his works became classics that will be remembered for years to come.

I haven't read any of Franzen's novels. Perhaps that would have been a better place to begin my exploration of his work.

I did, however, enjoy some of these essays. In particular, the ones about writing were quite engaging. They offered valuable insights and perspectives on the craft.

Nevertheless, it is evident that a significant number of these essays are very dated. The ideas and references within them feel somewhat out of touch with the present day.

Moreover, at times, Franzen could be slightly irritating. His tone and manner of expression might not always sit well with every reader.

Overall, while there were aspects of these essays that I found enjoyable and interesting, there were also some drawbacks that couldn't be ignored. It makes me wonder if his novels would offer a more comprehensive and satisfying experience.

Ok, Jonathan Franzen.

WE GET IT. You're a martyr for truth and beauty and all that is good. You read books, eschew technology, smoke cigarettes, and still use a rotary telephone.

You consider yourself a superior human being because you don't watch TV. You could have simply stated all this in one paragraph, but instead, you chose to do it in 300 palpably crotchety, Andy Rooney-esque pages.

As Shruti correctly pointed out, it's surprisingly refreshing to read an author who annoys the heck out of you, especially when they make such hilariously self-righteous statements as: "We don't blame the audience for defecting, we know it hurts to have to stay conscious, we understand the need to drug yourself, to feel the warmth of up-to-the-minute hipness or whatever."

Ha! I kind of love how absurd that sounds. It shows Franzen's extreme stance and his rather out-of-touch view of the modern world.

While some may admire his unwavering dedication to his beliefs, others will find his attitude off-putting.

Nonetheless, his writing does manage to spark a reaction, which in a way, is a testament to his skill as a wordsmith.

Whether you love him or hate him, Jonathan Franzen certainly knows how to make an impact with his words.

I'm not sure why, but perhaps because of the title, I was expecting something very different.

Some of the essays in this collection embrace topics that I'm not very interested in and are dealt with in a rather aesthetic way; others (especially those that are based on a catastrophic view of technology) reveal the limitation of the book which inevitably remains "dated". However, however, however... I must say that I like Franzen, and there's nothing I can do about it.

I still found his writing pleasant even in the essays where there is little or no personal experience. On the other hand, I loved those where there is a lot of his and his life, in particular "My Father's Brain" and "See You in St Louis".

It's not a memorable book, but for those who, like me, have loved The Corrections, it's undoubtedly interesting.

Real gems are hidden between the essays about prisons and the post delivery crisis.

This remarkable book has provided me with deeper insights into the life and personality of Jonathan Franzen. The very first essay, which delves into Alzheimer's and the profound experience of losing his father to this devastating disease, is incredibly personal and engaging. Franzen demonstrates remarkable courage as he penningly exposes his innermost feelings and shares his own audacious way of understanding various aspects of life. Whether it pertains to a debilitating disease, the intricate writing process, or the complex issue of privacy, I find it truly refreshing and delightful to embark on the journey of following his thoughts.

His ability to explore these themes with such authenticity and depth makes this book a highly recommended read for anyone seeking a thought-provoking and engaging literary experience. It offers a unique perspective on life's challenges and the human condition, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

Update: 13 November 2008
Franzen truly astonished me by reserving the best for the last. His second-to-last essay, "Meet Me in St. Louis," emerged as by far the finest. It is the most personal one and also brings the book back to its starting point, his childhood home and mine, St. Louis. The first essay, "My Father's Brain," delves into his father's gradual descent into Alzheimer's and the author's own reluctance to come to terms with where his father is headed. It is deeply moving in its understated manner.

In "Meet Me in St. Louis," Franzen is reluctantly dragged back to St. Louis "to produce a short visual biography and an impressionistic summary of The Corrections" (his best-selling novel) to be featured by Oprah. However, Franzen has long considered New York City his home. With his parents deceased and his siblings having moved away, St. Louis has become an empty city for him. Franzen does an outstanding job of描绘 the painful process of revisiting places that evoke memories he has tried to forget. He doesn't want to be there; this is no longer home. The final days of his mother's life resurface in his mind, and the house has become just a building, devoid of the people he loved who赋予 it any meaning. Yet, with ironic self-deprecation, Franzen realizes how his difficulty is making the director and photographer's jobs impossible, and he attempts to improve the situation. Other reviewers have labeled him as whiny. I believe he is honest, and through his honesty in admitting things that might be embarrassing or uncomfortable for some, his readers can see that perhaps they - we - are not as alone as we thought.

So I rate the entire set of essays three stars, but they vary significantly. Besides the ones I have mentioned above and below, I thought "Control Units" was also very good; it is about the prisons built in Colorado.

Overall, it is recommended. I definitely desire to read his novels.

While I don't typically read essays as a general rule, I picked this up from a sale table because the title and cover (a woman in a bookstore) intrigued me. Franzen's essays cover a wide range of subjects, from personal memoirs to a very Upton Sinclair-ish indictment of the U.S. Post Office, as if that needed proving - still, it was captivating. There was a similar expose of the cigarette industry, but with the author taking an atypical view. As a smoker himself, who had quit, started again, and was clearly trying to quit again, Franzen wasn't blaming anyone for his habit, which is what makes that particular essay his strongest and also (probably) his least popular in the collection.

However, most of the essays have very little to do with "being alone." The title merely stems from the last line in the seventh essay, "The Reader in Exile," "...the first lesson reading teaches is how to be alone." As an author, Franzen laments the slow social trend away from reading towards more technological behaviors. Also from the seventh essay, "For every reader who dies today, a viewer is born..." Understandably, an author attempting to earn a living is not going to be thrilled that people read less today than they did in the past. However, he is also quick to point out that there are more readers alive today than in previous years. Does this balance the score for struggling, starving authors? I'm not sure.

I'm more than 3/4 through the book at this point, and all the essays were written in the mid-nineties. Although somewhat dated, they are still thought-provoking.

Aspettarsi che un romanzo possa reggere tutto il peso della nostra società disturbata e ci aiuti a risolvere i nostri problemi contemporanei mi sembra una peculiare illusione americana. Tuttavia, scrivere frasi autentiche in cui si possa trovare rifugio dovrebbe essere sufficiente. Non è già tanto?

La prima lezione che impariamo dalla lettura è come stare soli. È una capacità importante che ci aiuta a conoscere noi stessi e a affrontare le sfide della vita.

La narrativa, secondo me, è la trasformazione del metallo vile dell'esperienza nell'oro della lingua. Scrivere narrativa significa raccogliere ciò che il mondo ha abbandonato lungo la strada e ricavarne qualcosa di bello. È un modo per dare senso alle nostre vite e a condividere le nostre storie con gli altri.

Meh...

This guy truly becomes far, far more captivating when he delves into the realm of writing fiction!

These essays cover a rather extensive and interesting enough gamut of topics. They range from depression, privacy, and digitalization to kitsch, cigarettes, and the mismanagement of Chicago's central post office.

However, for some inexplicable reason, although he does possess a certain degree of writing prowess and aside from the details and well-crafted rhetoric, I simply wasn't enticed to plow through all of this ponderous drivel.

On the bright side, it leaves more time and energy for indulging in Franzen's novels, which are no doubt far more engaging and worthwhile reads.

Published in 2002, these essays seem a bit quaint now, just as the Nineties do.

Concerns about smoking in public, the internet, and the future of the post office were like transmissions from ancient times.

The final story, which is about going to protest the inauguration of George W. Bush, something that seems farcical today.

Still, I have a preference for Franzen as a non-fiction writer rather than a fiction writer.

His essay on his dad's Alzheimer's is both moving and illuminating.

It really assisted me in thinking about my Dad's decline.

Franzen's non-fiction works have a certain charm and depth that draw readers in and make them reflect on various aspects of life.

Although the topics in these essays may seem outdated in today's context, the emotions and insights they convey remain relevant.

Perhaps it is this ability to capture the essence of human experiences that makes Franzen's non-fiction writing so engaging.

I picked this up a few weekends ago in New York when I was feeling lonely.

This was a specific, self-inflicted loneliness, the young writer's loneliness. So when I saw the spine of this book, I knew I had to reach for it.

At the time, I was reading Alexander Chee's excellent collection, which, on the whole, is a more polished, nuanced, and fresh collection. But this one scratched a deeper, personal itch. Franzen is one of my favorite writers, and fiction is his trade.

Like many novelists, he is emotional, prone to gripes and grievances, and all up in arms about the declining power of the novel in contemporary American life. Sound familiar?

These essays run the gamut in quality, theme, and length. And, when Franzen's trying to be at his most contemporary, he's at his most dated. The reach of techno-capitalism has, I think, exceeded even his wildest fears.

He's at his best when he's focusing on himself or the role of a writer/reader. This book has some of the most beautiful passages about the joys and community of reading.

One of the later essays, Mr. Difficult, is a very fresh defense of the reader but employs the radical argument that "difficult" reading is not always good reading. My copy is very underlined. I'm happy to have it on my shelf.

Franzen is truly interesting and at his absolute best when he delves into the concept of power as it exists within America's cities, corporations, public institutions, and government.

His works such as 'Lost in the Mail,' 'First City,' 'Sifting the Ashes,' and 'Control Units' offer profound insights into these aspects.

However, his essays on reading and writing are not quite as engaging.

They initially sound intelligent and insightful, as seen in 'Why Bother?'

But as they progress towards the end, they start to rehash the same rather amorphous argument: that reading is difficult, television is easy, and life is (mostly) unbearable.

This can be observed in pieces like 'The Reader in Exile,' 'Scavenging,' or 'Books in Bed.'

Overall, while Franzen's exploration of power is captivating, his musings on reading and writing could perhaps benefit from more originality and depth.