An Oprah’s choice, a club favorite, and a local’s thriller
This week we are raving about Jonathan Franzen’s new novel Freedom. People are talking about this book for good reason. It’s a big, dense, rich story of a dysfunctional American family that is slowly unraveling.
Patty Berglund, once a superstar basketball player, is married to nerdy Walter, an environmental lawyer who, unlike the rest of his family, works hard and is a successful, solid, salt of the earth father and husband.
That is about as normal as the story gets. Walter and Patty’s seemingly perfect life collapses and Franzen’s cynical take on the every day is humorous, yet sad. His descriptions are true to our time, but he pokes fun at it all.
Imagine Walter, first lieutenant of a wealthy bird loving philanthropist’s foundation, trying to save the warbler’s habitat in West Virginia, only to allow thousands of acres of forested mountaintop to be obliterated by coal mining. It will become a conservation area, but not for another 100 years. Or take Walter’s best friend Richard Katz – a rock star, sex addict who suddenly becomes iconic through songs he writes about his experiences with Patty at the lake house. Meanwhile, Walter’s son makes $850,000 while away at college by selling useless engine parts to the US Army for fight the war in Iraq.
There is a lot going on in this book, and while it’s just one quirky, off beat depiction after another, the story comes full circle and somehow ends on a positive note. Not everyone will enjoy this book. The characters are hard to like and the absurdity of some of the situations can be tough to absorb.
Oprah professes to love Freedom and has chosen it for her book club airing on her November 29 show. Ten years ago, after she chose Franzen’s The Corrections, Franzen hinted that his novel was far superior to Oprah’s usual choices. Oprah took offense and wasted no time removing Franzen from her picks list. So 10 years later, it is rather surprising his new book has been chosen. It should make for an interesting Oprah.
Another pick the local book clubs are raving about is City of Thieves (2009) by David Benioff. This one slipped by us when it was released in hardcover, but managed to find us in trade paperback.
The Corrections is the story of two young men in jail together in the besieged Leningrad of World War II. They are offered the opportunity to escape execution if they perform what seems a simple task. Before the end of the week, they need to find 12 fresh eggs for the commandants’ daughter’s wedding cake. The problem is there hasn’t been a live chicken in Leningrad for six months. Their lives hang in the balance so they will do whatever it takes. It’s funny, sad and thrilling story telling at its very best.
Anybody who enjoys a good, page turning thriller should get a copy of Jim Miller’s Final Justice. Miller was one of the guest authors at the opening of {pages}. He and his wife Nancy are well known in the community as founders of the Jimmy Miller Foundation. As a former attorney with the Justice Department, Miller understands the inner workings of Washington D.C.
I couldn’t put the book down. Really. The main character, Samantha Wright, a whip smart 40-ish lawyer who works for a U.S. Senator in DC, finds herself assigned to the new Secretary of Defense and discovers a myriad of long suppressed secrets about who killed JFK. There is just the right amount of suspense and action in this book. It could be turned into a movie along the lines of Ironman, except that there are no superhero characters, just Pentagon and ex-Vietnam crazy people trying to cover up their big secret.
There are two little gems of books that are going to make great Christmas gifts this year. One is a children’s picture book called It’s a Book by Lane Smith. It’s a clever indictment of the digital age and the importance of real books. The other favorite is a feel-good true story. The Beggar King and the Key to Happiness is about a professional story teller who loses his voice only to learn that sometimes a loss can be a great gift. This is a wonderful message for all of us – young or old.
Pages author readings:
Thursday, November 18
Cindy Laverty, author of Caregiving: Eldercare Made Clear & Simple. 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Friday, December 1
Yogi Roth, author of From PA to LA. Yogi is a young, college sports analyst for Fox and ESPN sports. He spent four years on the Trojan football staff at USC. 6 p.m.
Wednesday, December 2
Publisher’s Holiday Trunk Show. View the hottest holiday books in advance. 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Friday, December 3
Darryl Nyznyk, author of Mary’s Son: A Tale of Christmas, recent winner of the Mom’s Choice Award of Excellence. 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, December 9
David Levinson, author of Everyone Helps, Everyone Wins, is the dynamic director of the regional volunteer network Big Sunday. 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Page Girls are a trio of good-read gurus who love to share their favorite books, whether it’s literary fiction, fast-paced thrillers, scholarly biographies, fantasies for your tweener, or a picture book for 3-year-olds.
Pages is located at 904 Manhattan Avenue. For more information call (310) 318-0900 or visit pagesabookstore.com. B
