Crossroads

The latest opus from Franzen. Similar to his other works, it is lengthy and all-encompassing. Crossroads is also a welcome return to form, arguably his best novel since The Corrections. Both share in common dysfunctional families where there exists a complicated set of Venn diagrams denoting relationships and secrets. Few authors capture better the messy and self-deceiving ways we navigate between what we tell others, especially those closest to us, and what we won't even admit to ourselves. There is both comedy and tragedy in Crossroads, with Franzen's choice to write in the third person helpful, since it allows the reader to perceive each character's inner state of mind. Religion is also a significant feature in Crossroads. Different characters find, lose and regain their faith (in no given order). At the heart of the novel then is perhaps a consideration about the importance of forgiveness. We are all human and naturally do make mistakes. Testament to how good the novel is, at no stage did it feel a chore reading this - interest was sustained throughout. 9 and a half out of 10.

By Jonathan Franzen