Navisha's Reviews > Crossroads

It is distorting, disoriented, and upsetting and all that we say about families is eerily somewhat true, because, at the core, we are the function of years of people, who came, stayed or perhaps on odd circumstances has left us alone at the face of trials and tribulations of life.
Families grew apart with time. each one following their trajectories of life or being led by life, and sometimes not necessarily in a good way. We all have at some point done things to survive, or mostly stayed with one another for the sake of our loved ones, even at times we despise each other, attended family dinners and pretended having been liked around each other, sometimes for the bond that has weathered all the storms, and sometimes for our selfish needs when were asked to be met. Such is life, a farce.
 
Hildebrandt, are one such family, driven by love, religion, lust and money. They love each other fiercely, despite their odds, but do they like each other is quite debatable. disarrayed, marred from life, but all of them proved to stay together in the end, when one of their family members tragically befell into a pit of mess, to such an expense that saving him became the only purpose of the entire family, that each of them, left their own fate behind, and changed the course of their destiny.
 
Franzen’s writing is seductive, and detailed and would let you sit with each member of the Hildebrandt family, giving sufficient time with them, to know them, and despite their disparities, and frailties, one couldn’t help pitting them because aren’t we all just humans at the end, trying to save ourselves when being tested at life’s faculties.
 
Having spent days and nights reading this book has hugely impacted my own perception of looking at the complexities of any family and why they exist I mean, mine surely is comparatively sane, but each member of Hildebrandt would somewhat remind you of at least one member of your own family whom you might loathe, but then might change your perception and help you look at the bigger picture, and If not anything then might help you bring some sort of peace to your mind.
Like it did to mine.