I had an extremely difficult time determining whether I truly liked this book or was simply charmed by the fact that it is largely set in my neighborhood. And when I say neighborhood, I don't just mean the city. Although I'm a transplant and not a native, I reside in Webster Groves, where a significant portion of the book takes place (and apparently the author grew up there). There really is a Schnucks on the corner that Franzen mentions. The high school team really is the Statesmen. Many of the attitudes people hold in the book are indeed ones that I've encountered in Webster Groves (both the good and the bad). I live on the not-so-posh side of the neighborhood compared to the characters in The Twenty-Seventh City, but it was still astonishing to read a book set so locally.

If I attempt to decide how I feel about the book independent of my familiarity with the locale, I discover that I didn't dislike it. I thought it was written cleverly and, despite being 30 years old, is quite relevant today. However, I was uncomfortable with certain aspects of it - the villains being so obviously cultural Others, the blatant way race was addressed (although Saint Louis is a notoriously segregated city, so this rings painfully true), and the way women who were unfaithful all seemed to come to a bad end, while the same wasn't true for even the sleaziest male cheater. (After all, rich white men get away with so much.)

All in all, though, I have to admit that it kept me interested.

I just didn't care about any of these characters. They seemed so uninteresting and lacked any real depth or charm.

Furthermore, I was confused as to why the author felt inclined to even tell this story. What was the point? There was no clear plot or theme that I could discern.

I was supremely bored throughout the entire reading experience. It felt like a waste of my time. I found myself constantly looking at the clock, hoping that it would end soon.

The writing was平淡无奇 and failed to engage my imagination. I simply could not bring myself to invest any emotional energy into this story or its characters.

Overall, it was a very disappointing read, and I would not recommend it to anyone.

Jonathan Franzen: The Twenty-Seventh City

Franzen is always a sure choice, at least for me. I love his works and am always ready to read them. This is his first novel, which may be less professional than the others, but the author's genius still shines through here. St. Louis is a city that once had better days. By the 1980s, it had dwindled to become only the twenty-seventh most populous city in the US. But then a new police chief is appointed, a woman of Indian origin. In theory, this seems like a very progressive step, but in practice, the city starts to go downhill from this point.

With Franzen, it is common for him to use the dynamics of families to convey a message that dissects other social problems. But this is something else. Here, the functioning of the city, its economic policies, and power plays are at the center, and the Probst family is just a side thread. Martin Probst, his wife Barbara, and their 17-year-old daughter Luisa live in St. Louis. Franzen writes that they are, or at least seemingly, happy. Moreover, the family will become the target and be manipulated. They and the city are drawn into a vortex that pulls them down deeply. The subtitle mentions DeLillo and Pynchon, which I didn't understand at first because Franzen is different, very different. But I have to admit that this novel really evokes them (for example, it's not bad company). It is a must-read for Franzen fans.

I really enjoy Franzen's unique writing style and the way he weaves complex stories. The description of St. Louis and its various issues adds a rich backdrop to the narrative. The Probst family's experiences and the challenges they face make the story even more engaging.

Overall, "The Twenty-Seventh City" is a thought-provoking and captivating novel that showcases Franzen's talent as a writer. It makes you think about the social, economic, and political issues that cities often face and how they can impact the lives of ordinary people.

I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys literary fiction and wants to explore the deeper themes and issues within a story. It may not be an easy read, but it is definitely a rewarding one.

Thoughts, corruption, conspiracies, which influence the prominent personalities of the local community, a socio-political game of leadership, action and reaction the American way. Or the end of all the American way, as we have come to know through art.

To be honest, I got a bit tired. 650 pages of extensive narration that could easily be halved and yet the author manages to say exactly what he wants. Many characters, countless scenes, detailed descriptions that move back and forth in time. It requires attention to follow.

The laudatory comments for this veritable political thriller by Franzen misled me because I started the book with high expectations and ended up a bit disappointed waiting to be carried away. It is saved by the last 50-60 pages where everything that doesn't happen throughout the book happens all at once.

This book seems to be a complex web of American society and politics, with a lot of details and characters to keep track of. While the beginning may be a bit slow and overwhelming, the ending manages to tie up loose ends and provide some excitement. However, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, especially those who prefer a more straightforward and fast-paced story. Overall, it's an interesting read that offers a glimpse into the American way of life and the power struggles that occur within it.

It was an otherworldly experience to peruse the fictional accounts of a complex political and psychological thriller unfolding on the actual streets of my youth.

Amid the distinct references that form the essence of St. Louis and the exaggerated characters encompassing preppy and jaded housewives, brewery industrialists, and down-home former childhood chums, it transports me back into the clammy and stifling realm of a life that was seemingly mapped out for me. There are instants when I envision myself in the unassuming scenes of the novel and fancy that I would be astute and perceptive enough to recognize the grander Machiavellian schemes being set before me. However, in a humiliating truth, I am too much of a St. Louis native to have done much about it.

I relished the space Franzen employs in his language and his prowess in guiding one's thoughts and emotions throughout the reading. It frequently feels as if he is striving to achieve two objectives. The first is to delineate the narrative of the plot, and the other is the directional stage magician-like sleights that continuously shift your attention to an ever-evolving anticipated conclusion. You're not merely speculating what the characters will do next but become cognizant of the questions themselves, partly due to his capacity to govern the tempo of your experience.

The book also presents the plight of the displaced black population affected by the city-county merger central to Jammu's plans as an afterthought, which might be off-putting as it would ordinarily be such a significant aspect of the city politics storyline. This is evidently a deliberate afterthought. It would be absurd in a novel propelled by the narrative musings of a ruthless and politically power-hungry sociopath to expend time examining the implications of gentrification. The whole point is that no one in power cares where the black population relocates; they are a non-entity.

The page or two where Franzen sketches the underpinnings of the apathetic populace of a dying midwestern city hits with remarkable force. The general disinterest of the population in addressing broader questions of power, wealth, and politics stems from a consumer comfort sustained by the status quo. The everyman character, Jack, is far more intrigued by reconnecting with his old friends, attending church, and spending his time at a Blues game. Jack's indifference and the indifference of the population as a whole merit critique, yet in the end, he's not the sociopathic, power-hungry murderer, so at least he has that in his favor.

I'll be honest.

I purchased this book at a used book store simply because I noticed the Arch on the cover. Growing up in St Louis during the 80s, I must admit that I mainly enjoyed reading this for the numerous references to St Louis places. Many of these places no longer exist, such as Famous Barr, Miss Hullings, National, and St Louis Centre. I really relished that trip back in time. It was what made this book easier to read than it might have been otherwise.

The plot is convoluted and overly complex. I still can't claim that I truly understand the purpose of the entire conspiracy. Why, for instance, did people from India want to 'infiltrate' St Louis of all places? I didn't appreciate the way it dealt with the race aspect of the whole thing. Were all Indians depicted as bad people? Were Osage Indians considered terrorists? (Not that they were actually real characters here.) Were all black people portrayed as poor or scary? Were these people supposed to be cast as racists, or was that just supposed to be a matter-of-fact portrayal of a wealthy St Louisan of the time? Why were all the women such annoying, insipid, heartless, and evil people? Even the main character, Martin Probst, who seemed to have some redeeming values in the beginning, didn't in the end. Everyone was completely unlikable, unrelatable, and strange. The reviewer who said this was a "big, weird book" was spot-on with that assessment. I didn't hate it, but that's most likely because I got a kick out of the very vivid description of 1980s St Louis. If you're not from there, I don't know how you could get through this book when reading it in the 21st century.

I truly despised this.

It was something that filled me with a sense of loathing and discomfort.

Every moment related to it felt like a burden on my shoulders.

I couldn't understand why I had to endure it.

The very thought of it made my heart sink.

It was like a dark cloud hovering over my life, casting a shadow on everything.

I tried to avoid it as much as possible, but it always seemed to find its way back.

I longed for the day when I could be free from this hated thing.

Until then, I would have to continue to deal with it, albeit reluctantly.

Maybe one day, things would change, and I would no longer have to feel this way.

But for now, I just had to suck it up and get through it.

So my official rating for this is 3.5.

This is mainly because it was deceptively long and there were parts that felt a bit drawn out.

It's a really cool political drama, but it's set on a city scale rather than just being another story about Washington and the White House.

The fact that it's based in St. Louis is quite cool as it's familiar and similar in size to Memphis.

It definitely makes me think about how complex politics can be, even at the local level.

The structure of multiple narrative arcs is really interesting, but they didn't come together as neatly as I would have preferred.

Overall, though, it's a really good read that offers a unique perspective on politics and the inner workings of a city.

It makes you realize that there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than we might initially think.

The different storylines add depth and complexity to the overall plot, and although they don't all tie up perfectly, it still makes for an engaging and thought-provoking read.

I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in politics or enjoys a good drama.

It's not perfect, but it has a lot of great elements that make it worth checking out.

St. Louis, Missouri is a city that holds a unique charm and a rich tapestry of experiences.

“Maman spoke only English to Jammu, and spoke it with a perverse disdain, as if she didn’t accept the language’s word for anything” (15). This shows the complex relationship between language and identity.

“But all cities are ideas, ultimately. They create themselves, and the rest of the world apprehends them or ignores them as it chooses” (24). St. Louis is no exception, with its own identity and character that is shaped by the people who live there and the events that have occurred.

“All of them giggled and swaggered in that happy ascendancy, repellent in any land, of teens on their turf” (28). The city is full of life and energy, with people of all ages going about their daily lives.

“He found it too cruel that his business accomplishments had counted for nothing on the daybed, that to be a man in the world did not make him a man of the world. And either then, as he sat in the car, or in later years, as he remembered sitting in the car—the location of the moment had the shifting ambiguity, now you see it, now you don’t, of a self-deception one is conscious of committing—resolved to wait until his accomplishments were so great that he no longer needed, as the male, to make the moves. He wanted to be desired and taken. He wanted to be all object, to have that power. He wanted to be that great.” (43). This passage delves into the theme of masculinity and the pursuit of success.

“The trumpeter had to slur and blurt to keep up with the singers” (101). The city is also a place of art and culture, with music and other forms of expression thriving.

“She was feeling more honest and acting less honest. It was a dangerous mixture, like gasoline and wine, like fever and chills. She still had a cold, sort of a permanent cold, the sense that none of the things that used to matter mattered anymore” (101). The characters in the story experience a range of emotions, from honesty to deception, and from hope to despair.

“How could a voice like Barbara’s restrict itself to speaking only on domestic issues? It was impossible. In the recorded conversation Jammu could hear the workings of an undercover operation dedicated to the preservation of order” (111). The city is not without its secrets and mysteries, and there are forces at work that are not always visible to the naked eye.

“. . . Jack, whose next question had begun to gather like a squall, his eyes darting, shoulders rolling, fingers knotting, until it broke . . .” (146). The interactions between the characters are often tense and充满戏剧性, adding to the overall atmosphere of the story.

“. . . the dappled silence produced by serious shopping” (219). The city is a place of commerce and消费, with people going about their daily routines and making purchases.

“She was leaning to the left on the sofa, in a shallow slouch, with her right leg partially crossed over the left, held in place by the friction of her black cotton pants, and her left arm folded up between her ribs and the cushion. She seemed to have been arrested in a fall towards the screen. If he startled her, she would assume a more comfortable position. . . . Under the pressure of her unawareness, Probst cleared his throat and saw, as she turned to him, what falseness was expected of him now. He was supposed to act like Dad in a television move, to let the seriousness show in his face when he said—the significant gesture—Mind if I watch, too? He stiffened. ‘Well!’” (225). This passage provides a detailed description of a character’s posture and the emotions that are playing out between them.

“It wasn’t fear that stopped her, it was a thing more like awe, the unasked-for awe of the saboteur who, in some corporate vault, comes face to face with an instrument whose very complexity or delicacy acts as a charm against damage. In this context, any tampering at all, no matter how sophisticated, becomes an act of violence” (231-2). The city is a place of power and influence, and there are those who are drawn to it for its opportunities and challenges.

“He was losing objectivity, and spent a few minutes in no particular place” (252). The characters in the story often struggle to maintain their sense of self and their perspective in the face of the city’s many distractions and demands.

“She looked up at him. He had no idea what she knew about him, no idea what connections she was making in her mind. All at once his ignorance seemed terribly pathetic” (277). The relationships between the characters are complex and充满了不确定性, with each person having their own secrets and motives.

“Her body had an unusual prepubescence, as if she were a girl wearing adult clothes from a costume bin, and so her face, though normal for a thirty-five-year-old, looked sick with age. Casually, he predicted she’d be dead in ten years” (374). This passage contains a vivid description of a character’s appearance and the narrator’s thoughts about her.

“When the meeting broke up she slipped out of the bungalow like a shrug embodied, like a self containable in one small word” (395). The city is a place of movement and change, with people coming and going and events unfolding.

“‘Maybe, I don’t know, if people’s heads were where their feet are, they would respect the body more, looking up to it’” (404). This statement offers a unique perspective on the relationship between the body and the self.

“His nodding was rapid and barely perceptible, as though residual from some big bang earlier in his day or life” (409). The characters in the story have their own idiosyncrasies and mannerisms that add to their individuality.

“. . . Martin had done a brave thing, and Buzz felt that giving him his full support was the least he could do to make it up to him (‘it’ was a litany of shadowy, late-night offenses)” (420). The story explores themes of bravery and loyalty, as well as the consequences of our actions.

“The world had changed, and it wasn’t just Duane’s spoiling if it. Suddenly she was living in a new world made for people like him, for people who could despise it and succeed in it anyway, and for people who could use computers (all the classes at school escape the seniors were learning to use them; she’d probably learn at Stanford, but all her life she’d carry the knowledge that she’d learned late and that once upon a time computer-lovers were gross) and for people who couldn’t remember that downtown St. Louis had ever been anything but a place to shop and eat lunch, who didn’t care that once there’d only been an Arch which her father had built, for people who didn’t care enough to have fights” (438). This passage reflects on the changing nature of the world and the impact it has on the characters and their lives.

“She hated everything the world seemed to love” (439). The story also touches on themes of disillusionment and rebellion, as the characters struggle to find their place in a world that they may not always understand or agree with.

“So she liked him, for the likeness, not loving him, as she loved Martin, seldom liking him” (439). The relationships between the characters are multifaceted and complex, with love and liking taking on different meanings and manifestations.

“Sam had a heavy outer heart, his pistol in its shoulder holder” (447). This description of Sam adds to the sense of danger and mystery that pervades the story.

“He wasn’t a churchgoer, of course, but he’d long allowed the Resurrection a certain margin of credence, maybe 37 percent in a random sampling of his mind’s constituents. Faith was a ticket, and he split his. An event like the creation of Eden scored a zero, while the parting of the Red Sea polled a solid 60 percent, carrying easily. The sea had parted for Moses but swallowed the chariots. The idea of a people being Chosen had the ring of truth, as did the entire Old Testament, whereas the New had the flat clank of the robotic young men and women with leaflets who bothered people on the streets downtown. Probst didn’t believe in God” (448). This passage explores the theme of religion and belief, and the different ways in which people approach these concepts.

“It just seemed unfair that the person who sympathized with her the most was someone she didn’t even get along with anymore” (472). The story delves into the complex emotions and relationships that exist between people, and the ways in which these can change over time.

“He didn’t mind waiting. Waiting rooms were places in which it was impossible to think” (485). This statement reflects on the nature of waiting and the impact it can have on our thoughts and emotions.

“Near the end of the street she saw the city. It was St. Louis. The Arch stood huge and stationary against a backdrop of brightly colored mists. It was St. Louis. It was the city in which her dreams had taken place all her life, all through the last two and a half months, the city which whenever John left the room she peopled with her family and her friends, the city she’d never stopped trying to remember and imagine: this was the city itself, and it was completely different from the city in her head though identical in detail, completely itself, the quality of reality overpowering all the more specific landmarks” (493). This final passage provides a powerful and evocative description of St. Louis, and the significance it holds for the character. It also serves as a reminder of the power of the city to shape our lives and our dreams.

Reading Franzen (pbuh) at the age of twenty-five is a rather interesting experience.

It's similar to observing a physics student who is struggling to get his hovercraft prototype to function properly.

Clearly, this young person is a genius with great potential and a bright future ahead.

However, at this moment, the product, in this case, Franzen's work, simply isn't in the most enjoyable phase.

Perhaps it requires more time and maturity on the part of the reader to fully appreciate and understand the depth and complexity of his writing.

Nonetheless, there is an undeniable sense of anticipation and excitement, knowing that as the reader continues to grow and develop, the true beauty and value of Franzen's work will likely be revealed.

It's like waiting for a flower to bloom, knowing that when it does, it will be a sight to behold.

So, even though the initial encounter with Franzen at twenty-five may not be entirely pleasurable, it holds the promise of something truly remarkable in the future.

I don't understand why the rating here is so low.

The story reads really fast, which is a great plus. It features a set of truly weird characters who find themselves involved in completely outlandish things.

However, what's truly remarkable is that within the confines of the book, all of it seems completely believable.

This unique combination of strange characters and unbelievable yet believable events makes it a prime candidate for adaptation into a Netflix or HBO show.

The visual medium could bring these characters and their adventures to life in a whole new way, captivating audiences and potentially garnering a much higher rating than it currently has.

With the right production team and creative vision, this book could become a hit on the small screen, introducing a whole new audience to its strange and wonderful world.

It's a shame that the current rating doesn't do justice to the potential of this story.

Hopefully, someone will recognize its value and give it the adaptation it deserves.

Funeral Blues

For some reason, all of a sudden, I have associated an image with the end of the pages: those funerals with the band playing a kind of sad blues mixed with gospel songs that oscillate slowly, but also quickly, from one state of mind to another. This piece by Franzen is tiring, very tiring. It takes you from one mood to another. You love it, then you hate it, then it speeds up, then it gets lost in exasperating details that are at times of lapidary beauty. Then it speeds up again, as if it had to make up for some time, but to say what? To do what? You go up and down on the seesaw, trying to grab something by waving your hands in the air, but you're always there... on the seesaw. You're stuck in St. Louis, among its moral swamps, intricate, sordid, and multiracial. Why does an Indian from Bombay become the police chief, and what's more a woman, in a role, in a city where women are anything but integrated into key roles? What does he want to achieve by relying on the intrigues and the moral breakdown of the community of the small town? Questions without answers. It seems like an extremely long TV serial, full of suspicions, murky waters, pretense, and falsehoods without being able to be sufficiently attractive in tickling the strings of reading. It was difficult to resist and the length of time I took to read it is indicative. I didn't find it exciting, with an ending then cut off in an approximate way (but this is just my opinion, perhaps also due to fatigue), but I don't give up. I have other Franzen cartridges to shoot myself in the eye. Just the two of us!