Farther Away: Essays

Here is a story about Jonathan Franzen: I read [b:The Corrections 3805 The Corrections Jonathan Franzen http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355011305s/3805.jpg 941200] several years ago, perhaps just after it was at its zeitgeistiest. Yes that's a word. What are you looking at.Anyway, I remembered really liking it, and several years later when I found myself contemplating a fairly limited audiobook selection at my parents' home library, I checked out an audio version of the Corrections and listened to most of it on a trip. It was not as good as I remembered it being, but I thought, well maybe now my tastes are more SOPHISTICATED. I had listened to something like 9 of 10 discs of it and then had to return it to their library. I decided to get the audiobook from my home library so I could finish the last disc. Then I realized that my parents' library had the ABRIDGED version and the real version was at least 20 discs long. I was unwilling to dedicate the time to listening to the entire 20 discs, but I think that The Corrections was probably at least as good as I had remembered it being. Jonathan Franzen uses a LOT of words, but by God, he earns them. **OK I wrote all of that as a note when I added this book but before I started listening to itlikeis Jonathan Franzen parodying himself? Likewhen he goes to China to investigate the factory where his puffin golf club cover is made, because he loves birds sooo much......is that for real.When he suggests that maybe if David Foster Wallace had gotten into birdwatching, he wouldn't have committed suicide...is that for real??There are some good essays in this collection, but I think I already read them all on the internet already, and then there are just like A BILLION OF JONATHAN FRANZEN'S THOUGHTS ABOUT BIRDS. I used to feel bad for Franzen because he was forever going to be known as DFW's less-talented friend but now I think I feel bad because he's so obsessed with birds?? Oh I forgot there are also some hilariously crotchety thoughts in here about technology, like literally he is mad when people end cell phone conversations with “Love you!” Go put a bird on it, Franzen.