Rating: 
Summary: insight into Franzen
Review: This collection of essay includes ruminations by Franzen on topics as diverse as cigarettes, prisons, and the demise of serious literature.
What I liked about it was the variety of issues covered and the insight it provided into Franzen as a person and they way he thinks. The most masterful essay comes first, a spectacularly constructed and delivered piece on Franzen's father's struggle with Alzheimer's.
What I found disappointing was the didactic tone of some of the essays and the way Franzen occasionally lost focus, spiraling off onto tangents that I didn't find particularly revelatory or interesting. Some of the essays, such as one on privacy and another called the "Harper's Essay" did not catch my attention or interest at all. They spiraled in so many directions that I lost track of the main point. Whether it might have been easier to follow by reading (I listened to the audio CDs), I don't know.
In the end, I was interested in what he had to say, but only found portions compelling.
Rating: 
Summary: Stark, Beautiful, & Concise
Review: This is my first foray into Franzen and I will read more by him. This collection reaches critical mass about a 1/3 of the way through - at least this is the point where I got used to his style and word choice, which can be very erudite. Not a criticism, although it is one the author's mother made. His telling us this fact really negates an argument that he is too "snooty" even for himself. From this collection, he seems to me a rather normal person who happens to know how to write very, very well. His messages get communicated fully, and especially on his famous "Harper's" essay, I think he is too hard on himself. I wouldn't say this is a liberal or a conservative book. It is a book for the every day man stuck in a world of 0 and 1 dichotomy and Franzen does a fine job of pointing out the gray areas. And I rather liked the Oprah essay.
Rating:
Summary: What is 'serious literature'?
Review: This seems to be one of Frnazen's obsessions in this collection of essays. This collection is basically a series of out-loud inner discussions in which Franzen wonders what the fate and relevance of the American social novel is and whether worthy novels need to be considered impenetrable by the Average Joe. There are some other odds and ends too such as a look at American SuperMax prisons and how Oprah's production crew pieces together guest intros for her show. I found myself interested in almost all of these essays, despite the fact that they strayed all over the map and covered issues and queestions that I didn't think I was particularly interested in to begin with. This is due in large measure to Franzen's witty observations and sharp prose. Sometimes his use of language alone is enough to make the pages fun to read. You don't have to agree with his view points and I don't think he really even asks you to. All you have to do is be interested in hearing some one-sided conversation about a few unrelated topics. The only down side about this collection is that it does highlight his self-congratulatory attitude about having read some of the 20th century's most daughnting works of fiction. But,then again, I'm somewhat smug about some of the ox stunners that I've read too, so I can't critisize him too strongly for this.
Rating:
Summary: Franzen doesn't deserve this much criticism...
Review: Well, I don't fully understand all of the criticism that is thrown Franzen's way. I really engaged with this book and found the essays interesting, well-written and thought-provoking. All-in-all, Franzen's insights into reading culture, writing, memory and American society were right on the money for me. I think those who don't like this book would be more at home with Newsweek and Time magazine and find USA Today sufficient for their daily news. Criticism of Franzen as "elitist" is over-stated. If you, like I, are one of those "isolates" who starts reading early in life, you will likely find sympathy with Franzen's perspective as I did. I think "elitist" is a word thrown at those who read and think like Franzen by those who don't. I don't believe the book is elitist so much as representative of a different class of readers in American society who are a little more isolated from American consumer culture and generally find the consumer-driven, media-saturated, conformist version of America unsettling to say the least.
Rating:
Summary: different short stories about Franzen
Review: you get more insight into the eccentricity of Mr Franzen and his experiences before and after writing The Corrections. the essays are provacative and insightful. i especially enjoyed the one where he went back home to make a taping for Oprah book club segment and we all know what happened with that. Interesting though to get Mr Franzen's perspective on things.
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