While not all of what unfolds in Freedom is about fun, my gosh what fun it is to read excellent writing. One thing I so appreciated is that Franzen fully exposes his characters and in exposing them with neither didacticism nor sanctimoniousness, he lays bare what at first I saw as others' limitations and flaws and then suddenly (even smilingly) I’d see as my own. To me, this was a rare treat of a comic-anti-heroic-realistic-rich-nuanced-fully textured read. I called my best friend and implored her to read it because I need to spread the love.

Recommended by Jeeyeon