For anyone who follows the controversy that is Jonathan Franzen and The Corrections, here is Santiago Ramos’s thoughts over at the Image blog. For extra reading, check out James Wood’s original review.
I had a hard time accepting that I liked The Corrections. I didn’t read it until late 2006, early 2007. I came to the book having read Ben Marcus’s essay in Harper’s, so I had already decided Franzen was one of the bad guys (let’s leave the Oprah fiasco out of this). Ignorantly so. The book still produces in me mixed feelings, but it was fun to read and raises so many good questions. For anyone who’s ever met or known someone with Alzheimer’s or a form of the disease, it’s interesting to see the way he shows it from the inside (imagined, of course). And I enjoyed the language, once I got over my resistance to writers who seem to be saying “look at me, look at my fancy writing tricks” with their writing (see: Dave Eggers, David Foster Wallace). But be warned, there is foul language and content that does not suit all.
The ever-present question remains: literary or popular fiction? High, middle, or low brow? Can we have both? What are the values? I will say this: Last year I had to find out what was the hype surrounding Jodi Picoult (who claims she has both critical and commercial success). Her books engage the reader, making the 400+ pages seem like 40, but from the first few pages, I cringed at her writing. Elementary mistakes distracted me from the story. I won’t say she’s not talented, but she’s certainly not on par with the great writers that have preceded us.
All that to say, I still read a mix of writers. I won’t join any of the camps, but it is an interesting conversation. Will the average American read Don DeLillo? Maybe not. Will they read Faulkner outside of the classroom? What about Flannery O’Connor? Or does the average American only read Stephen King, John Grisham, and the stock romance writers? Are books for entertainment, education, moral value, or enlightenment? What about awe? Some say it’s good enough to get people reading. Others say the reader should have to work to uncover the gems What do you say?
