julieta's Reviews > Crossroads

One of the things I like the most about reading Franzen is the depth of his characters. He really goes in there, to their past, to their every thought. And makes them memorable, people I imagine, people I can see as I walk in a street, I can´t read their minds, but if I only could, they would be in a book like this one. He is classic in the sense that he knows how to build a story that is deep, complicated, and wonderful.
While I was reading this book, something that Flaubert says in one of his letters about writing came to my mind. He says that writers need to know about everything, they need to study and read, and if they are going to write a story, they have to read constantly. I feel that in a sense Franzen is that kind of writer, the writer who knows about religion, history, psychology, even brands of guitars (Martin and Guild are mentioned, that was kind of great), and everywhere he takes you is with the real world looking in. Family troubles seem to be his specialty, and the incredible thing is the tension, he never ever looses that, and the result is that you just can´t put it down.
Did I mention he is one of my favorite living writers?