The Corrections

Viac o knihe

Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction and nominated for the National Book Critics Circle Award, Jonathan Franzen's third novel is a bold, comic, and tragic family drama that spans from mid-century Midwest to the modern age of greed and globalism. Franzen juxtaposes a nostalgic America of civic duty and family traditions with contemporary absurdities like brain science and hands-off parenting. The story centers on Enid Lambert, who is deeply anxious about her husband Alfred's deteriorating mental state, possibly due to his Parkinson's medication. Alfred spends his days brooding in the basement, increasingly disconnected from reality. Enid's three grown children are also facing their own crises: Gary, a banker, has become cruel and materialistic; Chip has abruptly quit his teaching job to pursue a questionable lifestyle in New York; and Denise is grappling with a failed marriage and an affair with a married man. Despite these challenges, Enid looks forward to a final family Christmas and a luxury cruise with Alfred. However, as Alfred's condition worsens, the Lamberts must confront their family's buried secrets and failures to make the necessary corrections in their lives.