Jonathan Franzen | |
|---|---|
 Franzen at the 2011 Time 100 gala | |
| Born | Jonathan Earl Franzen August 17, 1959 LaGrange, Illinois, U.S. |
| Occupation | Novelist, essayist |
| Education | Swarthmore College (BA) |
| Genre | Literary fiction |
| Literary movement | Social realism,[1][2] New Sincerity |
| Notable works | The Corrections (2001) Freedom (2010) Crossroads (2021) |
| Notable awards | National Book Award 2001 James Tait Black Memorial Prize 2002 |
| Spouse |
Valerie Cornell (divorced) |
| Partner | Kathy Chetkovich |
| Website | |
| jonathanfranzen | |
Jonathan Earl Franzen (born August 17, 1959) is an American novelist and essayist. His 2001 novel The Corrections drew widespread critical acclaim, earned Franzen a National Book Award, was a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction finalist, earned a James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award. His novel Freedom (2010) garnered similar praise and led to an appearance on the cover of Time magazine alongside the headline "Great American Novelist".[3][4] Franzen's latest novel Crossroads was published in 2021, and is the first in a projected trilogy.
Franzen has contributed to The New Yorker magazine since 1994. His 1996 Harper's essay "Perchance to Dream" bemoaned the state of contemporary literature. Oprah Winfrey's book club selection in 2001 of The Corrections led to a much publicized feud with the talk show host.[5]
- ^ "Time 100 Candidates: Jonathan Franzen". Time Magazine. April 4, 2011. Archived from the original on April 7, 2011. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ Hayden East (November 18, 2014). "New Jonathan Franzen novel Purity features Snowden-like hacker". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ "Freedom: A Novel". Macmillan. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2010.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
millions_time_franzen_coverwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Brodesser-Akner, Taffy (June 26, 2018). "Jonathan Franzen Is Fine With All of It". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
During a series of interviews, Franzen expressed ambivalence about Oprah's endorsement — that it might alienate male readers, who he very much was hoping would read his book; that the "logo of corporate ownership" made him uneasy; that he had found a few of her choices in the past "schmaltzy" and "one-dimensional." Oprah disinvited him from her show in response, and Franzen was rebuked on all sides for his ingratitude and his luck and his privilege. He quickly became as famous for dissing Oprah as he was for writing a great book.