After many false starts I’m proud to announce I reached the end of the audio version.

Friends insisted I’d love Jonathan Franzen’s master work.

Many have ranked The Corrections amongst the best works of contemporary fiction.

Without question Franzen is a genius in putting words together. His writing is smart, beautiful, poetic, surprising and insightful.

Yet I don’t recommend this book.

The rambling plot of The Corrections revolves around a miserable multi-generational dysfunctional family.

I agreed with Angela who said:

At no single point before the last 10 pages of this 566-page monster did I feel a shred of sympathy with any of the characters.

Franzen tries too hard. Includes too much. I’d love to see him try to tell a great story instead of being such a precious wordsmith.

Thumbs down.