Crossroads
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- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Jonathan Franzen
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Summary
It’s December 23， 1971， and the Hildebrandt family is at a crossroads。 The patriarch， Russ， the associate pastor of a suburban Chicago church， is poised to break free of a marriage he finds joyless— unless his brilliant and unstable wife， Marion， breaks free of it first。 Their eldest child， Clem， is coming home from college afire with moral absolutism， having taken an action that will shatter his father。 Clem’s sister， Becky， long the social queen of her high-school class， has veered into the era’s counterculture， while their younger brother Perry， fed up with selling pot to support his drug habit， has firmly resolved to be a better person。 Each of the Hildebrandts seeks a freedom that each of the others threatens to complicate。
Universally recognized as the leading novelist of his generation， Jonathan Franzen is often described as a teller of family stories。 Only now， though， in Crossroads， has he given us a novel in which a family， in all the intricacy of its workings， is truly at the center。
By turns comic and harrowing， a tour-de-force of interwoven perspectives and sustained suspense， Crossroads is the first volume of a trilogy， A Key to All Mythologies， that will span three generations and trace the inner life of our culture through the present day。 Complete in itself， set in a historical moment of moral crisis， and reaching back to the early twentieth century， Crossroads serves as a foundation for a sweeping investigation of human mythologies， as the Hildebrandt family navigates the political， intellectual， and social crosscurrents of the past fifty years。
Jonathan Franzen’s gift for wedding depth and vividness of character with breadth of social vision has never been more dazzlingly evident than in Crossroads。
Universally recognized as the leading novelist of his generation， Jonathan Franzen is often described as a teller of family stories。 Only now， though， in Crossroads， has he given us a novel in which a family， in all the intricacy of its workings， is truly at the center。
By turns comic and harrowing， a tour-de-force of interwoven perspectives and sustained suspense， Crossroads is the first volume of a trilogy， A Key to All Mythologies， that will span three generations and trace the inner life of our culture through the present day。 Complete in itself， set in a historical moment of moral crisis， and reaching back to the early twentieth century， Crossroads serves as a foundation for a sweeping investigation of human mythologies， as the Hildebrandt family navigates the political， intellectual， and social crosscurrents of the past fifty years。
Jonathan Franzen’s gift for wedding depth and vividness of character with breadth of social vision has never been more dazzlingly evident than in Crossroads。
Reviews
Mallory Melton
，
This was really good。 I love reading about families， and getting to see POVs from multiple people and generations in the family is so fascinating to me。 Franzen has crafted an incredible novel。 I really enjoyed the fact that each member of the family has absolutely no clue what is going on with the other members of the family。 Everyone is stuck in their own world， absolutely absorbed with their own problems and pasts。 So， so good！
MauiBeachReads
，
Franzen has done it again。 I'll read anything this guy writes！ Much like The Corrections and Freedom， Crossroads is a Family Saga that is， at it's heart， a book about the American Family。 I listened to the Audiobook and the narration was excellent。 While the story dragged at times， and I thought there were several places that could have been cleaned up for a shorter read， it all works in the end in Franzen's signature style。 Dealing with all the issues of the time - God， drugs， identity - this b Franzen has done it again。 I'll read anything this guy writes！ Much like The Corrections and Freedom， Crossroads is a Family Saga that is， at it's heart， a book about the American Family。 I listened to the Audiobook and the narration was excellent。 While the story dragged at times， and I thought there were several places that could have been cleaned up for a shorter read， it all works in the end in Franzen's signature style。 Dealing with all the issues of the time - God， drugs， identity - this book takes the reader deep into all the ways a family picks at its own scabs until the scars are so deeply imbedded， they may never heal。 This 600+ page book is only the first in a series， but I'm definitely there for the rest of the saga。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Hayley Galpin
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2。5 star for me…I was excited to read this as part of a readalong and because it was a character focussed book which are usually my favourite。 This book focussed on family and the individuals within this as well as the exploration of freedom and faith。 I found this quite anti climatic， I felt it was building the characters up and then I didn’t feel like it did anything with this。 I struggled with the fact I didn’t find the characters likeable or see progress with them throughout the book and I f 2。5 star for me…I was excited to read this as part of a readalong and because it was a character focussed book which are usually my favourite。 This book focussed on family and the individuals within this as well as the exploration of freedom and faith。 I found this quite anti climatic， I felt it was building the characters up and then I didn’t feel like it did anything with this。 I struggled with the fact I didn’t find the characters likeable or see progress with them throughout the book and I found them all quite selfish。 There was a good build up throughout the book and themes were explored well relating to power， relationship dynamics and the role of religion。 However， in bringing it all together and due to this build up， the ending fell flat and disappointed me。 。。。more
Sam
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Best one yet。 Really outstanding work。
Keith
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This was an ARC I received through a Goodreads Giveaway， which is pretty special in itself since I never win anything。 It's only my second Franzen novel after Purity， which I didn't care for all that much。 Crossroads is much better， although it felt like a slog in places， and it seemed longer than it really is。 I'm not a huge fanboy of Franzen's style， but he's really good at character development and setting a scene， and I'm an absolute sucker for a scathing critique of organized religion。 That This was an ARC I received through a Goodreads Giveaway， which is pretty special in itself since I never win anything。 It's only my second Franzen novel after Purity， which I didn't care for all that much。 Crossroads is much better， although it felt like a slog in places， and it seemed longer than it really is。 I'm not a huge fanboy of Franzen's style， but he's really good at character development and setting a scene， and I'm an absolute sucker for a scathing critique of organized religion。 That's what ultimately made it work for me。 It'll be interesting to see where this trilogy goes。 。。。more
Declan Fry
，
Back when it was all beginning， when everything was new and makeshift and oddly tentative; when the sounds of Faye Wong echoed through Tower Records; when the media could channel a message via magazines bearing Fiona Apple’s face， and television sets， those ancient conduits， mainlined Friends and Seinfeld and NYPD Blue; when everything was tuned to the suffering channel， The X-Files was concluding its third season， and Jackie Chan was launching his fourth Police Story; when all of this seemed ob Back when it was all beginning， when everything was new and makeshift and oddly tentative; when the sounds of Faye Wong echoed through Tower Records; when the media could channel a message via magazines bearing Fiona Apple’s face， and television sets， those ancient conduits， mainlined Friends and Seinfeld and NYPD Blue; when everything was tuned to the suffering channel， The X-Files was concluding its third season， and Jackie Chan was launching his fourth Police Story; when all of this seemed obscurely relevant， three men – Jonathan Franzen， David Foster Wallace， and Mark Leyner – sat down to talk with Charlie Rose。 Their topic？ The future of fiction。Franzen feared the worst。 The question that troubled him was how – or indeed if – fiction could compete with the screen。 Franzen’s despair about the American novel had been canvassed the previous month in Harper’s。 NYPD Blue had outflanked his ability to write scenes at precinct houses; to infiltrate the seamless mass of consumer entertainment with fiction。 David Foster Wallace was agnostic， calling television an ‘artistic snorkel to the universe’， while allying some scepticism to his affections。 Mark Leyner avowed that he did not consider the question much at all。In a later interview， Franzen felt obliged to admit that his first two novels， with their DeLilloesque state-of-the-nation commentaries， had failed; in part， because they were premised on the author being smarter than everyone else。 What his post-Corrections career has indicated – between the Schrödinger’s cat of Oprah approval and the angst of Jodi Picoult – is that Franzen has always struggled to accept his audience。 He may no longer see himself as the smartest person in the room， but that is because he remains unsure about which room he is actually in。 Thus Franzen has always been at an artistic crossroads; a joke given tremulous encouragement by this novel’s cover design， which places the title directly beneath ‘Jonathan’ and before ‘Franzen’， each almost equally prominent， encouraging quips about ‘the latest from Jonathan Crossroads’， unpromisingly titled Franzen: A Key to All Mythologies。Still， if every John Updike novel was about John Updike， as Wallace opined， every Franzen novel mythologises the point at which the individual’s mask slips。 Franzen， whose writing has always been attuned to the rhythms of consciousness， conveys that of his characters via his facility for third-person limited narration and free indirect discourse。 In Crossroads， the consciousness of the Hildebrant family is ruptured by the shifting social mores of the 1970s， post-Manson and Altamont， pre-London Calling， the OPEC oil crisis， and Randy Newman signalling the advent of the yuppies in earnest with ‘It’s Money That I Love’。 Although the proceedings take time to unfold – this is Franzen， remember – their calibration is tight。Susan Sontag， in ‘The Artist as Exemplary Sufferer’， wrote that ‘For two thousand years， among Christians and Jews， it has been spiritually fashionable to be in pain’。 According to this barometer， the Hildebrandts are a deeply spiritual family; hangdog reproaches and guilt-wracked escape fantasies comprise the novel’s raw material。 Like another Midwestern author， Thornton Wilder， Franzen delights in moral conundrums and the personal conflicts they can generate。 His characters don’t have relationships so much as psychic tribulations。 Although he enjoys watching them squirm， Franzen dedicates attention to their inner lives and sustaining idiosyncrasies。 Each is forensically examined and dissected， creating a tension that propels them toward their psychological limits。We begin with Russ， associate pastor of a suburban Chicago church， whose eye has begun to wander from his long-suffering wife， Marion， toward Frances Cottrell， a widowed parishioner。 Russ， a study in male vanity， oscillates between the twin poles of self-regard and self-pity。 He is cruelly sentimental – and callous – toward his wife， ‘who’d thrilled to his stories of the Navajos and urged him to heed his calling to the ministry’。 This is the purest manifestation of his narcissism: note the heavy lifting ‘thrilled’ performs here; how it conveys Russ’s confinement， the prison from which he can only recognise other people’s appraisal of him。Continue reading: https://www。australianbookreview。com。。。。 。。。more
Meike
，
Franzen is still aiming to craft the perfect Great American Novel， and he is just the guy for it: His new trilogy （of which "Crossroads" is only the first part） should probably be read with his infamous essay "Perchance to Dream: In an Age of Images， a Reason to Write Novels" in mind。 While dissecting the roots of the crisis of the novel （an argument that had several connections to DFW's Infinite Jest and his essay "E Unibus Pluram"， and we'll come back to that later）， Franzen stated that he wan Franzen is still aiming to craft the perfect Great American Novel， and he is just the guy for it: His new trilogy （of which "Crossroads" is only the first part） should probably be read with his infamous essay "Perchance to Dream: In an Age of Images， a Reason to Write Novels" in mind。 While dissecting the roots of the crisis of the novel （an argument that had several connections to DFW's Infinite Jest and his essay "E Unibus Pluram"， and we'll come back to that later）， Franzen stated that he wanted to write the book to overcome it， a compelling， socially relevant， realist text that underlines what a novel can and other media can't do， a book that offers strong characters with lots of psychological depth。 The essay was first published in 1996， so before Franzen headed for literary world domination with bangers like The Corrections and Freedom。 While I felt slightly let down by his last effort， Purity， I feel like this new trilogy， ladies and gentlemen， is the work he announced in 1996: The key to all mythologies （modestly named after a tract in Middlemarch）。 As can be expected from Franzen， "Crossroads" is an American family epic that gathers its strength from all-too-plausible psychological writing， and the psychogram of the characters hints at the mind and state of the country as a whole。 Our protagonists are the members of the Hildebrandt family， patriarch Russ is a second pastor at First Reform church in （fictional） New Prospect， Illinois。 It's right before Christmas 1971， the Vietnam war is raging， the hippie movement is flourishing。 While Russ is having a feud with the more popular youth pastor， his marriage to Marion （who harbors a dark secret） is falling apart。 Clem， the eldest son， wants to drop out of college and fight in Vietnam， his popular sister Becky is falling in love and trying to find her own identity， brother Perry is having a drug problem， and the enigmatic younger Judson will probably become the star of a later installment。 "Crossroads" （while also an obvious metaphor） is the name of the church's youth group， that becomes an ego battleground while also （seriously and/or outwardly） tackling questions of how to craft a better society。 So much for the larger plot lines， but what makes the text is how the aformentioned psychological writing ponders larger themes without spelling them out: This is essentially a book about morality， about the discrepancy between outward appearances and inward urges， about - wait for it - virtue signaling， deplatforming， old white men， cultural appropriation （Robert Johson's "Cross Road Blues" is covered by Cream， as mentioned in the text）， and social movements （here especially the anti-war movement， the hippie movement， and charity initiatives for Black and Native American communities） as reputation-enhancing lifestyle choices。 My guess: This line will， in later parts of the trilogy， lead straight to discussions about identiy politics （and， in the backgrund， its impact on literature）。 That does not mean that Franzen condemns these characters; he just shows them as deeply flawed， ambiguous people who grapple with their frail humanity， who aim for status in the world， who want to be someone， but （mostly） also want be good， which isn't always easy to balance out， because， suprise， the world is unfair， and society's standards are often crap， even if the declared ideals aren't。 Franzen himself hails from Illinois， and his late friend David Foster Wallace， who grew up in Illinois （close to Urbana， which features in "Crossroads"; he studied in Arizona， which also plays an important part in the book）， comes to mind when pondering the themes of the novel。 What would DFW have said to these issues？ It's like the spirit of his writing is lurking between the lines of "Crossroads"。 Lastly， one important thing needs to be mentioned: This novel is tremendous fun to read， it's utterly absorbing， driven by fascinating， complex characters。 The focus shifts from one member of the Hildebrandt family to the other， and all of them are equally interesting。 I can't wait to read part II and III。 。。。more
Kathleen
，
Read the New Yorker book review by Kathryn Shulz - The Church of Jonathan Franzen:https://www。newyorker。com/magazine/20。。。 Read the New Yorker book review by Kathryn Shulz - The Church of Jonathan Franzen:https://www。newyorker。com/magazine/20。。。 。。。more
Darcia Helle
，
Crossroads is a beautifully written story capturing all the complexities of human nature。This is a deep-dive， multiple POV character study that takes its time unfolding。 We’re not in a rush to get anywhere because the people are the focus。Jonathan Franzen transported me straight back to 1971， where I felt the turbulent generational divide alongside the personal struggles with religion， drugs， and identity。 Mental health is a major undercurrent here， and it’s handled with honesty and respect。Trul Crossroads is a beautifully written story capturing all the complexities of human nature。This is a deep-dive， multiple POV character study that takes its time unfolding。 We’re not in a rush to get anywhere because the people are the focus。Jonathan Franzen transported me straight back to 1971， where I felt the turbulent generational divide alongside the personal struggles with religion， drugs， and identity。 Mental health is a major undercurrent here， and it’s handled with honesty and respect。Truly a powerful look at a family in crisis， and all the ways in which we misunderstand or simply don’t see one another。Crossroads is the first book in A Key to All Mythologies trilogy， which will span three generations。*I received an ARC from the publisher。* 。。。more
Jorge
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What to say about this book？ Well， do you need almost 600 pages to tell this story？ It took 30% of the book to set the stage， and nothing really of consequence happens until almost the end。 Then the author uses the cliche of a letter to bring the reader up to date and the book ends。 Granted this is supposedly part of a trilogy， but the ending felt rushed。 I am not sure if I will read the next one。 I don't think Franzen is for me。 The character development is superb， but no one is happy in this s What to say about this book？ Well， do you need almost 600 pages to tell this story？ It took 30% of the book to set the stage， and nothing really of consequence happens until almost the end。 Then the author uses the cliche of a letter to bring the reader up to date and the book ends。 Granted this is supposedly part of a trilogy， but the ending felt rushed。 I am not sure if I will read the next one。 I don't think Franzen is for me。 The character development is superb， but no one is happy in this story。 Reading this book just proved to me that I don't like books about dysfunctional families， drugs and deep psychological analysis of the characters。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Zachary Houle
，
The best story I know about Jonathan Franzen， and I only vaguely remember where I read this （a profile in Time magazine while waiting for a haircut？）， is he is so focused on his craft of writing that he has jimmied the Ethernet port out of his laptop so he won’t be tempted to surf the Internet when he should be writing。 If that isn’t a sign of a commitment to one’s art， I don’t know what is。 However， Franzen is famous for other reasons。 Of course， everyone knows about his feud with Oprah Winfrey The best story I know about Jonathan Franzen， and I only vaguely remember where I read this （a profile in Time magazine while waiting for a haircut？）， is he is so focused on his craft of writing that he has jimmied the Ethernet port out of his laptop so he won’t be tempted to surf the Internet when he should be writing。 If that isn’t a sign of a commitment to one’s art， I don’t know what is。 However， Franzen is famous for other reasons。 Of course， everyone knows about his feud with Oprah Winfrey。 His 2001 novel， The Corrections， won a National Book Award， to boot。 Now， Franzen is back in Corrections territory with another long book that’s about another dysfunctional family。 Crossroads， a firebrick of a novel that’s nearly 600 pages long， is the first part of a proposed trilogy that takes the characters from the early 1970s （the setting of this book） up until the present day。 Called A Key to All Mythologies， this series just might be the most epic thing that Franzen has ever written or attempted。 Already， as I write these words， the early reviews appear to be gushing with praise， calling Crossroads his best novel so far。 Better than The Corrections？ Hard to say。 While Crossroads is a good read， I had particularly pleasant memories of reading The Corrections， so I’m not sure which book is better。 Crossroads can be a bit of a beast to get through， and it all leads up to one massive series of cliffhangers， so perhaps this is a case where the whole series， once published， should be judged and not the individual， introductory novel。Crossroads takes its name from the titular youth church group featured within its pages。 Set in a Chicago suburb called New Prospect， whose name will become ironic as the book progresses， the story is centred on the Hildebrandt family。 The father， Russ， is a pastor at a progressive church who has been kicked out of running Crossroads for a variety of reasons and is now smitten with a younger， widowed parishioner。 Mother Marion is holding on to secrets of her own， secrets that she hasn’t even told her husband about。 Becky， the sole daughter， is falling in love with a folk musician who is already dating someone else; she has also come into a large inheritance from her aunt that everyone wants a piece of。 Clem， the eldest brother， is away at college but walks away from school and his girlfriend to enlist to serve in Vietnam。 Perry， the middle brother， is essentially a teenage alcoholic and drug abuser — selling drugs to his peers， at that — who is simultaneously brilliant and gifted。 And then there’s a young， nine-year-old son named Judson that we don’t get to hear from much， not in this book。 Instead， the book alternates between the voices of mother and father， and the three oldest siblings， marching backward and forward through time。Read the rest of the review here: https://zachary-houle。medium。com/a-re。。。 。。。more
Christine Hiller
，
Well， Franzen isn't for me。 His character development is incredible， but I just didn't like any of the characters and his writing style rubs me wrong somehow。 Wish I had realized this was part of a trilogy before I started it because I wouldn't have been so disappointed by the lack of resolution in this book。 Well， Franzen isn't for me。 His character development is incredible， but I just didn't like any of the characters and his writing style rubs me wrong somehow。 Wish I had realized this was part of a trilogy before I started it because I wouldn't have been so disappointed by the lack of resolution in this book。 。。。more
Kit Ledvina
，
This was my first Jonathon Franzen novel and it did not disappoint。 I realize I’m late to the Franzen fan club but I was blown away by the intensity of the character development in this novel， especially considering there were five narrators and many years covered。 This book introduces the Hildebrandt family and describes their lives in the early 1970’s。 Being the first of a three part series， we can expect to see the Hildebrandts again in other tumultuous American decades in the subsequent nove This was my first Jonathon Franzen novel and it did not disappoint。 I realize I’m late to the Franzen fan club but I was blown away by the intensity of the character development in this novel， especially considering there were five narrators and many years covered。 This book introduces the Hildebrandt family and describes their lives in the early 1970’s。 Being the first of a three part series， we can expect to see the Hildebrandts again in other tumultuous American decades in the subsequent novels。 While the scenarios the family members find themselves in at times are larger than life， their responses are incredibly relatable。 You can expect to find yourself both irritated and reluctantly endeared toward the family， not unlike real family life。 Early on， I kept finding my expectations subverted in the way only the most adept writers can execute。 The structure of the novel creates a truly unique and layered expression of American life in the early 1970’s。 I became very invested in the family and I’ll be looking forward to the second and third novels， though after listening to 26 hours of audio， I don’t mind waiting for the next installment。 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ALC。 Recommended for: those who enjoy epic family dramas。 Categories: Fiction， Realistic Fiction， Family Saga， Trilogy， Multiple NarratorsContent Warnings: Violence， Sexual Abuse， Alcohol/Drug Use/Abuse， Mental health， Self Harm 。。。more
Brett Benner
，
With the precision of a brain surgeon Jonathan Franzen once again wields his scalpel to lay bare the psyche of the American family， this time settling in 1971 Chicago with The Hildebrand family。 Patriarch Russ， is the associate pastor of a church where he’s recently lost his place with the youth program to a younger more dynamic associate， an incident that fuels his current state and makes him question not only his vocation but his very manhood。 His marriage has entered the loveless territory， h With the precision of a brain surgeon Jonathan Franzen once again wields his scalpel to lay bare the psyche of the American family， this time settling in 1971 Chicago with The Hildebrand family。 Patriarch Russ， is the associate pastor of a church where he’s recently lost his place with the youth program to a younger more dynamic associate， an incident that fuels his current state and makes him question not only his vocation but his very manhood。 His marriage has entered the loveless territory， his wife Marion beginning to rebuild herself through the progressive lens of therapy as she comes to term with past traumas and her current bottomless malaise， and then there are the children:College age Clem， wanting to make a difference in the world while young men his age are being drafted for Viet Nam causing a crisis of morality。 Popular high schooler Becky， who seems willing to roll the dice on her status by finding herself attracted to an older guy involved in the church youth group。 And finally Perry， the self described physical runt of the family， ‘his growth spurt， the year before， having resembled the bottle rocket that goes off at a faltering angle and dies with a dull pop。’ Too smart for his own good he’s closer to his mother than all the other siblings in ways that are yet to be discovered。 Franzen has written some of， if not the best scenes between characters I’ve read this year。 At one point they literally follow chapter after chapter， and I had to close the book just to absorb it all。 Some people could read this and say the characters come off unlikeable， and to that I’d respond， ‘They’re human。 Warts and all laid absolutely bare arguably by one of the finest American writers。’ To take this family and follow it over three generations is a vast undertaking that with a lesser writer could feel not only indulgent， but unnecessary， with Franzen it’s an anticipatory literary event。 I loved this time period， before cell phones， and cable tv， multiplexes and gluten free。 Before the internet and fake news。 He captures it all。 Easily one of the best of 2021。 Big thanks to @fsgbooks for the advance copy。 。。。more
Kip Kyburz
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To start， for having been born in the Midwest， I do not think Mr。 Franzen fully understands midwesterners。 While I recognize these characters from books， it was very difficult for me to recognize as those same that I live and work amongst。 That being said， I did very much enjoy this book and， for the most part， could not put it down。 The characters are spiteful and vindictive and largely lacking in the grace they should be showing based on the faith they profess， but this did not slow me down in To start， for having been born in the Midwest， I do not think Mr。 Franzen fully understands midwesterners。 While I recognize these characters from books， it was very difficult for me to recognize as those same that I live and work amongst。 That being said， I did very much enjoy this book and， for the most part， could not put it down。 The characters are spiteful and vindictive and largely lacking in the grace they should be showing based on the faith they profess， but this did not slow me down in the least。 The mother grew up with awful struggles， her husband wished to save her， but is much too insecure to save anyone。 Three-fourths of the children are extreme narcissists but they were raised by two more so this is largely unsurprising。 I guess to put it bluntly， the people are awful， the story is not。One very exceptional part of this book that needs to be pointed out， the way that flashbacks and memories are incorporated into the current plot is masterful。 I was always amazed by how seamless and impressive these tangents felt。This was my first Franzen， I do not think it was a masterpiece， but I am chomping at the bit to see where this is going。 。。。more
Charles White
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His best book since The Corrections。 The sequences in Arizona are some of the finest writing he's done。 I'm excited to return to these characters for another two novels。 His best book since The Corrections。 The sequences in Arizona are some of the finest writing he's done。 I'm excited to return to these characters for another two novels。 。。。more
Mary
，
Crossroads begins Franzen’s series A Key to All Mythologies which is surely a reference to Eliot’s Middlemarch， one of my favorite novels。 Franzen’s examination of the dysfunctional Hildebrandt family is an engrossing look at the struggle within a marriage and family， action set towards the end of the Vietnam war， complete with social insights that few authors can top。 Russ Hildebrandt is an associate pastor at a large liberal church， and his mid- life crisis is affecting his faith， his ministry Crossroads begins Franzen’s series A Key to All Mythologies which is surely a reference to Eliot’s Middlemarch， one of my favorite novels。 Franzen’s examination of the dysfunctional Hildebrandt family is an engrossing look at the struggle within a marriage and family， action set towards the end of the Vietnam war， complete with social insights that few authors can top。 Russ Hildebrandt is an associate pastor at a large liberal church， and his mid- life crisis is affecting his faith， his ministry， and most of all， his family。 It’s difficult to like Russ， who is no longer satisfied with his marriage， because Marion， his wife， now weighs 143 pounds。 （Honestly， 143 pounds is within the recommended healthy weight range for women 5’4”。 I checked。） Poor Marion also extremely unhappy， believes she is unloveable due to her weight。 Well， there is a lot going on in this family: adultery， mental illness， drugs， faith， and perhaps the individuals’ difficult struggle to simply be good。Franzen returns at the top of his game with a brilliant cast of characters and I， for one， can’t wait to read more of this series。Highly Recommended。 Unputdownable。#Crossroads#NetGalley***BookForum published an excellent review of Crossroads by Frank Guan :“Hell Can WaitJonathan Franzen makes history again”FRANK GUAN 。。。more
Joshua Bohnsack
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Feature article forthcoming in Newcity Chicago。
Leslie
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Literary Hub， August 31， 2021
Jennifer
，
This author is a jerk。 Also， this book is terrific。 It certainly creates conundrum for a reader who wants to support good people。 Can you appreciate the art but not the artist， etc。？Novels about dysfunctional families are my sweet spot， and this book lands right there。 The family includes a pastor struggling with impure thoughts about a member of his congregation， a mother who obscures her mental health history and her deepest desires from her family， and four children who have big choices to ma This author is a jerk。 Also， this book is terrific。 It certainly creates conundrum for a reader who wants to support good people。 Can you appreciate the art but not the artist， etc。？Novels about dysfunctional families are my sweet spot， and this book lands right there。 The family includes a pastor struggling with impure thoughts about a member of his congregation， a mother who obscures her mental health history and her deepest desires from her family， and four children who have big choices to make about the people they intend to become， especially with the expectations that come with being part of a religious family。 All of them find themselves at moral "crossroads，" where they have to justify the decisions they make using or defying their understandings of God。 The book starts in the early 1970s， so the setting is groovy -- though this book is part one （at 600 pages with small font！） of a trilogy。 It's an investment of time， for sure。 。。。more
Matthew
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Despite our most recent generation’s mangling and subsequent misappropriation of the word， I’m shocked at how “literally” my daughter takes everything these days。 Upon further thought I shouldn’t be that shocked， really; after all， she’s six。 To understand the grey areas which fall between the proverbial black and white would simply be too much for her little brain to handle。 It hasn’t been without effort， however。 Foolhardy endeavor though it may be， my wife and I have been teaching her that al Despite our most recent generation’s mangling and subsequent misappropriation of the word， I’m shocked at how “literally” my daughter takes everything these days。 Upon further thought I shouldn’t be that shocked， really; after all， she’s six。 To understand the grey areas which fall between the proverbial black and white would simply be too much for her little brain to handle。 It hasn’t been without effort， however。 Foolhardy endeavor though it may be， my wife and I have been teaching her that all things aren’t just one thing or another。 That they can be both。 Neither。 A mixture of the two。 A separate entity altogether。 Such is the complexity of the human spirit。 And yet we continue to make things more difficult on ourselves by attempting to simplify these complexities。 I recall a conversation I recently had with my miserly， change-averse uncle in which he pontificated about “simpler times” and how “things used to be so much more cut and dry。” To whose benefit， I wanted to ask him。 But I knew that too would be a foolhardy endeavor。 It’s not as if the man didn’t live through some pretty significant eras in which great change – or more accurately， changes – hadn’t occurred。 He just didn’t like that change oftentimes exposes us for whom we truly are。 Better still， he didn’t like that such change would render us shells of ourselves， would all but force us to adapt and evolve。 To me， that’s our greatest trait as humans。 And yet there are so many of us who would rather stay the course。 Who would prefer two flavors of ice cream rather than the thirty-one Baskin-Robbins has to offer。 Who scoff at pronouns。 Who thought the internet was a fad。 The “if it ain’t broke， don’t fix it” people。 Problem is， we’ve never not be broken。 Humans can always use fixing。 And the best part？ It’s never too late for repair。 All it takes is willingness。 Recognition。 Desire。 Lots and lots of desire。 Sure， on paper it sounds easy。 But I’m not about to tell you that off paper it’s a simple flick of a switch。 Unfortunately， we live in a society where if something doesn’t happen fast enough， it’s not worth our time。 What’s more， we live in a society that celebrates stagnancy disguised as comfort。 It brings to mind the theme song to Full House in which the singer asked: “what ever happened to predictability？” What’s funny is that given our advancements in technology we’ve become far better equipped for predictability than ever。 Funnier even that the show would take place in a such a progressive town （San Fran， for those who aren’t in the know）。 Yet that was hardly the song’s sentiment; it was a reflection on complacency， a reminiscence of simplicity。 But those are just lyrics of a song from an old show。 Life itself doesn’t move backwards。 We are not Benjamin Button。 If anybody， we’re better off taking the advice of Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast。 If you don't stop and look around once in a while， you could miss it。”Or we’re better off reading Jonathan Franzen。 He， who can distill what’s broken about humans more elegantly than any living writer。 He， who can extract the greys from the blacks and whites。 He， who understands his characters better than they understand themselves。 He， who has written yet another modern classic about life moving pretty fast。 With Crossroads， the writer’s first work in half a dozen years， as well as the opening novel of his A Key to All Mythologies trilogy （！！！）， one needn’t stop and look around once in a while for fear of missing the life – lives， really – Jonathan Franzen is documenting。 It deserves more than a cursory glance， a brisk skim， a distracted scan。 It demands full attention and is more than ready to reward whichever readers choose to give it。 And you can bet your bottom dollar I gave it all。 In return I received love。 Hate。 Anger。 Joy。 Faith。 Loyalty。 Doubt。 Hope。 Cruelty。 All vis a vis a family I immersed myself within as if I were their foster child， so enthralling I found each member I grew attached。 It’s a testament to Jonathan Franzen’s innate ability in developing rich， vivid and wholly flawed characters， and making us want， no need， to stop everything in our own lives to catch up with theirs。 Which is to say Labor Day Weekend of 2021 may as well have been called the Hildebrandt Holiday。 For I found myself not just sneaking in time to read about the family which centers Crossroads; I made time。 Neighborhood festival？ Sure， but only after I finish this chapter。 Barbecue with friends？ Let’s push the start time by an hour。 Had I nary any responsibilities as a husband and father， I’d have likely devoured the novel’s near-600 pages in half the time I devoted to it。 Devotion is key as it pertains to Crossroads。 To unpack Franzen’s twisty， twirly passages requires a similar commitment to what the writer has clearly given in creating them。 But how else to embody the human spirit and all of its blemishes than by committing to it？ There’s a sense of piety in how Franzen describes the Hildebrandts; it’s evident how attached he’d grown to them。 Which made it all but impossible for me not to return the favor。 It’s not as if I even liked any of the Hildebrandts （save maybe for their most fledgling member， Judson， who’s too young to be affected… yet）， but that’s besides the point。 In fact， it made Crossroads all the more real， all the more relatable， all the more dazzling。 We Are the Brennans it is not。 Crossroads begins two days shy of Christmas in 1971， whereupon we’re introduced to the Hildebrandts’ patriarch， Russ， an associate pastor of a suburban Chicago church。 Russ has recently been disgraced within his community， and while we’re initially unsure of its impetus it’s difficult not to discern by way of his growing obsession with one of his congregates， the recently widowed （and "FOXY"） Frances Cottrell。 With Russ， Franzen presents his first of many dichotomous characters; he’s driven both by faith and faithlessness， or at the very least the idea of infidelity。 Better still， Russ represents a changing of the guard， so to speak: both within his community where his nemesis， Rick Ambrose， who heads the church youth group （of which the novel’s title is derived）， has all but taken over; but also the world as a whole。 Because the times they are a-changin’ and Russ is falling woefully behind， despite he and his church’s progressive thoughts and beliefs。 Conversely – and perhaps fittingly – it’s his children who find themselves caught up within the counterculture。 Yet this acceptance of society’s evolution is less organic than one would assume; it’s just as much a fuck you to the old man as it is anything else。 Russ， devoted man of faith， has done nothing to gain the good graces of his immediate family。 And it is this dissension amongst the ranks which propels Crossroads into dynamic territories。 Russ’s storyline gives way to that of his son， Perry， the third oldest in the pecking order yet considered by the family’s matriarch （more on her， trust me） as its golden child。 For good reason， too; Perry is inarguably brilliant， and it’s through his sections in which Franzen can truly flex his muscles。 In addition to being gifted， Perry is also remarkably anxious， his restless brain seemingly impossible to switch off。 It’s because of this perpetual anxiety Perry turns to drugs – at first pot， before graduating to much harder stuff – and subsequent addiction。 Such troubles do not go unnoticed so much as they are cast aside in favor of interfamilial loyalties… and disloyalties。 For Perry’s relationship with his own siblings is complicated。 He shares a room with Judson and by proxy connects with him best; yet their relationship， like seemingly every relationship Perry holds， is superficial。 Recognizing a need for change， Perry resolves to quit drugs and become a better person。 Where better to do so than within the youth group？ Better still， the youth group he father disdains？ It goes to show just how willing Perry is to grow， which is to say very little。 And yet his joining the group does mend another relationship of Perry’s which had grown fractured。 Becky， the lone Hildebrandt sister， is pretty and popular; she’s the oil to Perry’s water。 But like her brother， Becky seeks change; she’s all but lost her only sibling ally in Clem， the eldest Hildebrandt， who left for college the year before。 She too joins Crossroads and learns more about herself as she and Perry begin to connect within its open， friendly confines。 It’s there Becky also learns of the power of altruism， and when an unexpected inheritance finds her in possession of thirteen thousand dollars， she finds herself at her own crossroads。 Does she go on， take the money， and run？ Or does she share her windfall with her remaining siblings？ That she even considers， let alone follows through with， the latter proves Becky’s own willingness to evolve。 Clem is also dealing with his own issues amidst an ever-changing world。 Having only gained any semblance of intimacy via his relationship with Becky， Clem struggles to truly connect with his first girlfriend （and lover）， Sharon。 She challenges Clem in every way Becky never had; it rocks Clem to his very core。 Yet the solace he seeks is far greater than that of joining a youth group。 He instead drops out of school and enlists in the army， another example of his willingness to change all the while challenging his own father’s demonstrative beliefs。 Last， but certainly not least， we meet Marion， the Hildebrandt matriarch who is only referenced peripherally – and mostly unfavorably – prior to her introduction。 Because of this foreshadowing I expected a difficult， complex individual。 But never did I think I’d be introduced to – no hyperbole – the most memorable character since Jude in Hanya Yanagihara’s epic A Little Life。 In fact， I found many similarities betwixt the two: abusive upbringing; submissive relationships; proclivity for humiliation。 The oft-forgotten child of a mentally ill man and frequently absent mother， Marion is left to her own devices upon her father’s suicide; the lack of any parental figure in her life all but steers her harrowing pathway。 And yet It’s also a pathway which ultimately leads her to God， then Russ， her savior。 But their marriage has become a sham; Marion has gained weight and lost her husband’s interest。 What’s more， she remains obsessed with a man with whom she’d had an affair several decades prior。 She fantasizes about finding him， but not before she loses thirty pounds and gains control of a life that heretofore had been controlled by everyone but herself。 Suffice to say there’s nothing cut and dry， nor black or white， about the Hildebrandts。 Each is designed like a Russian doll; for every layer removed， another grey area is revealed。 The results are messy， complicated and， at times， borderline shocking。 And yet their story is told with admirable control， due to the capable， confident hands of one of literature’s greatest living authors。 Jonathan Franzen not only understands his characters better than most writers of his generation， he celebrates their every flaw， their every idiosyncrasy， their every grey area。 For without such grey areas， how are we to evolve？ How could we possibly fix what’s broken without recognizing what it is that’s fractured？ We are all but works in progress – but only when we acknowledge that progress needs to be made can we truly grow。 The Hildebrandts are a prime example。 And to say I cannot wait to become immersed within their fractured， flawed world once – twice！ – again would be an understatement of Biblical proportions。 （Many thanks to my soul brother， Greg， for hooking me up with an advanced copy。） 。。。more
James
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Hysterical， with Jonathan Franzen back in masterful form in the unspooling of deliciously dysfunctional family drama amid pirouettic prose。 Who else but he can send me into contortions of indecision between laughing， cringing， gasping？ As The Corrections through the psychologically fraught Lamberts became a singular highlight for me last year， so too does "Crossroads" through the Hildebrandts blind with similarly anxiety-inducing brilliance， coming from that fairground glow of Franzenland and it Hysterical， with Jonathan Franzen back in masterful form in the unspooling of deliciously dysfunctional family drama amid pirouettic prose。 Who else but he can send me into contortions of indecision between laughing， cringing， gasping？ As The Corrections through the psychologically fraught Lamberts became a singular highlight for me last year， so too does "Crossroads" through the Hildebrandts blind with similarly anxiety-inducing brilliance， coming from that fairground glow of Franzenland and its centerpiece of another nuclear family going nuclear， accentuated by Christmas lights。 Ambitiously， it clocks in at almost 600 pages that still zipped by， that I greedily wanted more of。 So well does Franzen enliven this fictional family， set during the two days leading up to Christmas in this fictional town of New Prospect， Illinois， that these veneers of fiction soon don’t matter， subsumed into the underlying kaleidoscopic reality of our human motivations and soap-operatic emotions that are painfully， hilariously， reflected back to us in the Hildebrandt house of mirrors。Character truly is Franzen’s superpower， cranking up the tensions until the inevitable explosions of confrontation he detonates throughout the book。 In their general unfestive dysphoria， each of them feels neurotically distinct: from the morally hypocritical Russ， both unpopular pastor and father with self-justified thoughts of adultery， to morally conformative Marion， whose long-suffering matronly smile has cracked from past traumas barely contained。 To say nothing of their children， in descending order of age: from college-aged Clem， finding himself at his own moral crossroads about enlisting in the Vietnam War in defiance of Russ’ pacifism， to high-school social butterfly Becky， likewise caught in her own entanglement of priorities about what holds the most potential for self-fulfillment between love， religion， and sibling hatred。 The latter is almost exclusively concentrated upon her younger brother， Perry， the brainiest one of the family whose chapters allow Franzen the ejaculatory relief of flexing his own braininess。 Beyond the metaphorical， more than being a proxy for the monomaniacal idea of morality that Franzen makes its clear thematic linchpin， “Crossroads” also has a physical referent: the Christian youth fellowship called Crossroads， an after-school program presenting itself as the post-Woodstock equivalent to Russ’ First Reformed church。 While this hippier organisation pushes its young members to find God through adherence to non-negotiable principles of total emotional honesty and trust， actualised via bizarre group exercises approaching cultishness， it doubles as a Linklaterian kind of stomping grounds of the “Dazed and Confused” variety that makes it very socially attractive to the Hildebrandt children， on top of being Franzen’s overspeeding vehicle for the majority of the book’s glorious conflicts。 For we soon discover that， due to a recent major scandal， Russ has been banished from Crossroads with scant sympathy from his children， his position taken up by the younger， cooler Rick Ambrose whom Russ thus despises， their dynamic not unlike that of Salieri and Mozart。Discussion of Franzen can be difficult without addressing the naturally occurring cloud of controversy that seems to form wherever he goes。 Parts of “The Corrections，” mostly from Chip’s audaciously sexist chapters， still haunt me with lines like “Julia’s grapy smell of lecherous pliability，” even after accounting for the self-awareness of the latter qualifier which the first threatens to overwhelm。 Russ’ chapters may approach that level of cringeworthiness， but thankfully feel offset by the obviousness of Franzen’s judgment， rendered in other characters’ miasmic resentment of Russ’ actions。 Franzen feels ever higher at the top of his game here， his attention unfailingly attuned to the overarching question of family where his answers run the gamut of challenges from addiction to mental health， from the social benefits of faith to the Shakespearian excesses of love。 “Crossroads” starts off a planned trilogy with the Casaubon-inspired title of “A Key to All Mythologies，” having in turn inspired my very impulsive decision to pick up Middlemarch afterwards， antsy for the sequels。 。。。more
Sarah
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My favorite way to kill time when I'm in public spaces is to create backstories for passing people。 That random guy sitting next to you on the plane？ Definitely a spy on his way to hunt down the thieves of a stolen artifact。 The couple behind you in a restaurant？ Probably starved folk musicians giving it one more try to earn success。 The cashier at the grocery store？ A semi-retired ballerina that longs for her lost love and now works in her hometown to one day find him。 Most likely。In a way， Cro My favorite way to kill time when I'm in public spaces is to create backstories for passing people。 That random guy sitting next to you on the plane？ Definitely a spy on his way to hunt down the thieves of a stolen artifact。 The couple behind you in a restaurant？ Probably starved folk musicians giving it one more try to earn success。 The cashier at the grocery store？ A semi-retired ballerina that longs for her lost love and now works in her hometown to one day find him。 Most likely。In a way， Crossroads reminds me of that game。 Here we have a seemingly typical suburban family， but each chapter dives deep into their inner thoughts， their challenges， and their family's connectedness to fulfilling （or not fulfilling） their goals。 Their backstories are unexpected， and I enjoyed peeling back different layers of these characters as the story progressed。I most looked forward to the Marion chapters。 She had such an unpredictable but complicated past。 I don't want to give anything away， but it gives her a whole new dimension beyond her vibes as a wife of an associate pastor and mother of four。This book was nearly 600 pages， but I would have devoured even more。 Luckily， this book is the first of a trilogy， and I can't wait to find out what's next。 Definitely get this book on your radar， out October 5th。 Many thanks to FSG Books for the advanced copy！ 。。。more
Erika
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new jonathan franzen in a couple of months！！！！！！ HELLO！！！！ it is the first book in his first ever trilogy！！！！！ it's 600 pages long and takes place on 'single pivotal winter day'！！！！ i'm not too crazy about that cover but let's go！！！！！！！111 new jonathan franzen in a couple of months！！！！！！ HELLO！！！！ it is the first book in his first ever trilogy！！！！！ it's 600 pages long and takes place on 'single pivotal winter day'！！！！ i'm not too crazy about that cover but let's go！！！！！！！111 。。。more
Roxanne
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Review upcoming
Osman Junior
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Damn， this looks ambitious。 Excited already。
Jonathan
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In George Eliot’s novel Middlemarch， the unlikable character Edward Casaubon sets out to write about the field of theology， a masterwork that he entitles “The Key to All Mythologies” yet Casaubon dies before it’s completed， leaving the unfinished work to his wife who considers it a “tomb” symbolizing the failures of unrealized ambition。 It’s almost comical that Franzen would name his trilogy the same thing， undertaking a task that already failed a fictitious character with lesser pretension。 Th In George Eliot’s novel Middlemarch， the unlikable character Edward Casaubon sets out to write about the field of theology， a masterwork that he entitles “The Key to All Mythologies” yet Casaubon dies before it’s completed， leaving the unfinished work to his wife who considers it a “tomb” symbolizing the failures of unrealized ambition。 It’s almost comical that Franzen would name his trilogy the same thing， undertaking a task that already failed a fictitious character with lesser pretension。 The irony is also not lost on the comparison of the ideologies of god and morality that Casaubon studies directly resonates with the themes of Crossroads， the first novel in Franzen’s trilogy。Franzen has outstandingly one upped himself with the creation of the Hildebrandt’s， an iconic and once in a decade type family that is coming apart at the seams and we don’t know whether to empathize with them or painfully root for their demise， each member of the stereotypical nuclear family living in the early 70’s is grappling with their own demons （or gods） in a small Illinois town that reeks of indifference。 Laughing on one page and cringing on the next， the existential range of emotions he touches upon is without a doubt the most Franzen-esque that Franzen has ever been， that sentences alone is almost a patronizing laughable remark but trust me， the way he writes about the middle-class middle-American family is almost like he single handily is saving the modern state of American literature， call it pompous but no one can contest his creativity and skill， and his inventive stories are only second to his craft of writing， that with Crossroads， he has perfected。Six family members pinball back and forth with alternating points of view over the period of two days during a majority of Crossroads， we see the varying vantage points and each event from all the angles， the backstories and character development that forges itself into each chapter is so finely tuned that we feel as if each one of these people has taken on a corporeal form。Russ the patriarch of the family is a pastor who is wrestling with his thoughts on god and his lackluster marriage， he is tempted by a younger woman which questions the moral fibers of his entire being， in lesser words， Russ is a complete schmuck and we want to hate everything about him。 He exemplifies the stereotypical white male father， cringeworthy at times and yet something about him makes you want to root for him。 Marion his wife， aging， unstable， and unhappy is one of Franzen’s greatest characters in my opinion， she is a multilayered woman whom we see come into her own， she has the most intriguing and unfortunate of backstories that only we as the reader get to witness。 The comic relief she poses later on in the novel is beautiful to see， she really steals the show and runs with it。The eldest son Clem is a college student who we don’t get to hear from very often， he is wrestling with his feelings of love and intimacy and decides to drop out and enlist for Vietnam to spite his father whom he hates。 The next eldest Hildebrandt is Becky。 A popular social butterfly loved by everyone she encounters， she can never seem to do something wrong， as she nears adulthood she finds love， god， and the strange path that befalls her。 The second youngest is Perry， probably the most memorable of all the children as he struggles with drugs and addiction despite the fact that he’s the family genius。 Perry is complicated， watching him battle his problems is heartbreaking and a source of turmoil for the other five。 The youngest son doesn’t play much of a role in the dynamic that rips at each of the other members。 It was a privilege to watch as with each chapter another layer was revealed of each of them， humanizing everything， there was scarcely a dull moment along the 600 page journey。。Ultimately each person is at a “crossroads” in their life， not knowing which path to take。 Searching through god， mental illness， drugs， their past， and their futures， they take a labyrinthine trail that leads to an ending that has me eager to find what Franzen does next with them。 The trilogy is supposed to span three generations up until present day， and Im hoping he sticks with the Hildebrandts， so we can watch them as they either save themselves or fall to their own self inflicted demises。 。。。more
Greg Zimmerman
，
The Franzen returns！ You know， for a writer who has such a reputation （warranted or not） for being an unpleasant curmudgeon， he sure understands and seems to like people。 And he sure knows how to tell their stories in such a way that even a 600-page novel seems to just fly by。A few months ago， I attended a Zoom interview with The Franzen， during which he mentioned he's of the （seemingly arbitrary） belief that writers only have six good novels in them， and then they should retire。 He said when he The Franzen returns！ You know， for a writer who has such a reputation （warranted or not） for being an unpleasant curmudgeon， he sure understands and seems to like people。 And he sure knows how to tell their stories in such a way that even a 600-page novel seems to just fly by。A few months ago， I attended a Zoom interview with The Franzen， during which he mentioned he's of the （seemingly arbitrary） belief that writers only have six good novels in them， and then they should retire。 He said when he started Crossroads， his sixth novel， he felt like it would be his last book -- but then he got so into it and the lives of this family， 600 pages later， we have what is the first volume in a trilogy。 Woo， and may I add， Hoo！ I for one am delighted about this - because I loved/hated/was absolutely fascinated by this family。 The story is about a family of six - the Hildebrandts - living in a suburb of Chicago in the early 1970s。 These people are quirky but also about as normal and everyday as people get。 The father is an assistant pastor at a local church， the mother is a stay-at-home mom， and the kids do kids-like things， fight with each other， go off to college， try drugs， sex， and rock and roll。 But as each character wrestles with their own problems （and their checkered pasts， in the parents' cases）， things， as is the case with all families who are miserable in their own way， get broken。 When you are so mad at someone you love， how to repair the damage of cruelty？ How do you overcome the feeling that you may not like， much less love， these people anymore？ The revolving character studies and how each of these characters relate to each other is interesting enough to keep us moving along quickly。 But what Franzen's really got going on here is a novel about the extremely fine lines between ostensible opposites: love and hate， respect and contempt， faithfulness and infidelity， faith and doubt， empathy and intentional cruelty， and self-righteousness and altruism。 I don't know if this is my favorite Franzen novel - but it's up there。 And I can't wait for the next one！ 。。。more
Jamckean
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CROSSROADS is one of those wholly immersive family sagas with characters who just sink into your pores。 Jonathan Franzen’s writing is both lyrical and cerebral。 His characters are beautifully flawed， each carrying burdens of unrealized expectations and lifelong regrets。 His honest questions regarding crises of faith - among a pastor， his wife and their children - were thought provoking and insightful。 I am looking forward to the next chapter in the lives of this fascinating family！
David
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I am told that Jonathan Franzen was more likely to have been referencing Edward Casaubon in Middlemarch than ITV’s long-running TV series when naming his new book Crossroads （Fourth Estate）。 His latest novel， out in October， is set in the Seventies in small town America and lays out the comings and goings of a dysfunctional family in a way that Franzen does so well。 The Hildebrandt family is made up of Russ and Marion and their four children and there’s midlife crises， drugs， school crushes， par I am told that Jonathan Franzen was more likely to have been referencing Edward Casaubon in Middlemarch than ITV’s long-running TV series when naming his new book Crossroads （Fourth Estate）。 His latest novel， out in October， is set in the Seventies in small town America and lays out the comings and goings of a dysfunctional family in a way that Franzen does so well。 The Hildebrandt family is made up of Russ and Marion and their four children and there’s midlife crises， drugs， school crushes， parental absurdities and coming of age struggles。 Their current flaws are interwoven with their interesting backstories and it’s often hilarious while in parts acutely cringe making。 I could not put this down and sailed through its 580 pages loving every minute。 It’s apparently the first of a trilogy which is great news and I look forward to finding out what’s next for the Hildebrandts。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Crossroads
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Crossroads&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Crossroads&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0