Jonathan Franzen Libros

"Ésta es la historia de los Lambert, una familia normal: Alfred, un ingeniero retirado al borde del caos mental y físico de un Parkinson terminal; Enid, su mujer, obsesionada con reunir en casa a sus tres hijos durante una última cena de Navidad; Chip, un ex profesor despedido por acostarse con una alumna, que emprende negocios turbios en Lituania; Denise, fría y juiciosa chef en un restaurante de moda ligada sentimentalmente a su jefe, y Gary, un banquero snob y paranoico atrapado en un matrimonio de pesadilla. El prodigio de esta novela es la secreta conexión entre el universo de los Lambert y el resto del mundo, la Norteamérica de los últimos noventa, un país irascible que se tambalea hacia un nuevo milenio."--Entrelectores web site

Franzen presents new translations and annotations of the work of early twentieth-century satirist Karl Kraus, who, via his self-published magazine Die Fackel, "attacked the popular media's manipulation of reality, the dehumanizing machinery of technology and consumer capitalism, and the jingoistic rhetoric of a fading empire"--Dust jacket flap.

Set in East Berlin, this satirical novel blends humor and poignancy, capturing the absurdities of life in a divided city. Its vivid characters navigate a landscape filled with challenges, evoking both laughter and deep emotion. Critics praise its brilliance, highlighting the author's ability to tackle serious themes while maintaining a light-hearted tone. The narrative promises a unique exploration of resilience and the human spirit against the backdrop of a significant historical context.

Set against a backdrop of moral crisis, this novel explores the Hildebrandt family's navigation through the political and social currents of the past fifty years. On December 23, 1971, in Chicago, Russ Hildebrandt, an associate pastor, contemplates breaking free from his joyless marriage to Marion, who harbors her own secrets. Their eldest son, Clem, returns from college with a fervent moral absolutism that will profoundly affect his father. Meanwhile, their daughter Becky, once the social queen of her high school, has embraced the counterculture, and their younger brother Perry, who has been selling drugs, aspires to change for the better. Each family member seeks freedom, yet their desires complicate one another's lives. Celebrated for his vivid characters and insightful commentary on contemporary America, the author delves into generational history with humor and warmth. This intricate narrative weaves together multiple perspectives and maintains suspense, depicting a Midwestern family grappling with moral dilemmas. The author's ability to intertwine personal and societal issues shines through, making this work a powerful exploration of human mythologies and familial dynamics.

From the National Book Award-winning author of "The Corrections," a collection of essays that reveal him to be one of our sharpest, toughest, and most entertaining social critics While the essays in this collection range in subject matter from the sex-advice industry to the way a supermax prison works, each one wrestles with the essential themes of Franzen's writing: the erosion of civil life and private dignity; and the hidden persistence of loneliness in postmodern, imperial America. Reprinted here for the first time is Franzen's controversial l996 investigation of the fate of the American novel in what became known as "the Harper's essay," as well as his award-winning narrative of his father's struggle with Alzheimer's disease, and a rueful account of his brief tenure as an Oprah Winfrey author.

At once a searing indictment of corporate culture, a story of a young man confronting his past and future with honesty, and a testament to the enduring power of family, The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit is a deeply rewarding novel about the importance of taking responsibility for one's own life."--BOOK JACKET.

Jonathan Franzen arrived late, and last, in a family of boys in Webster Groves, Missouri. This is his memoir of his growth from a 'small and fundamentally ridiculous person, ' through an adolescence both excruciating and strangely happy, into an adult with embarrassing and unexpected passions

A true essay is “something hazarded, not definitive, not authoritative; something ventured on the basis of the author’s personal experience and subjectivity,” writes guest editor Jonathan Franzen in his introduction. However, his main criterion for selecting The Best American Essays 2016 was, in a word, risk. Whether the risks involved championing an unpopular opinion, the possibility of ruining a professional career, or irrevocably offending family, for Franzen, “the writer has to be like the firefighter, whose job, while everyone else is fleeing the flames, is to run straight into them.”Bajadas / Francisco CantúGirl / Alexander CheeAgainst honeymoons / Charles ComeyNames / Paul CrenshawOrdinary girls / Jaquira DíazMy father and the wine / Irina DumitrescuMy heart lies between "the fleet" and "all the ships" / Ela HarrisonThe bonds of battle / Sebastian JungerSexual paranoia / Laura KipnisThin places / Jordan KisnerPyre / Amitava KumarOf human carnage / Richard M. LangeBastards / Lee MartinFamily tradition / Lisa NikolidakisThe lost sister : an elegy / Joyce Carol OatesRight/left : a triptych / Marsha PomerantzBig night / Jill Sisson QuinnKilling like they do in the movies / Justin Phillip ReedA general feeling of disorder / Oliver SacksIn praise of contempt / Katherine E. StandeferThe eleventh commandment / George SteinerNamesake / Mason StokesBlack and blue and blond / Thomas Chatterton Williams