Crossroads Chapter Sampler

by Jonathan Franzen

Download the first chapter of Jonathan Franzen's next novel, Crossroads.It’s December 23, 1971, and heavy weather is forecast for Chicago. Russ Hildebrandt, the associate pastor of a liberal suburban church, is on the brink of breaking free of a marriage he finds joyless—unless his wife, Marion, who has her own secret life, beats him to it. Their eldest child, Clem, is coming home from college on fire 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 sharply veered into the counterculture, while their brilliant younger brother Perry, who’s been selling drugs to seventh graders, has resolved to be a better person. Each of the Hildebrandts seeks a freedom that each of the others threatens to complicate.Jonathan Franzen’s novels are celebrated for their unforgettably vivid characters and for their keen-eyed take on contemporary America. Now, in Crossroads, Franzen ventures back into the past and explores the history of two generations. With characteristic humor and complexity, and with even greater warmth, he conjures a world that resonates powerfully with our own.A tour de force of interwoven perspectives and sustained suspense, its action largely unfolding on a single winter day, Crossroads is the story of a Midwestern family at a pivotal moment of moral crisis. Jonathan Franzen’s gift for melding the small picture and the big picture has never been more dazzlingly evident.

Genres: Fiction

21 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 17, 2021

About the author

Jonathan Earl Franzen is an American novelist and essayist. His 2001 novel The Corrections drew widespread critical acclaim, earned Franzen a National Book Award, was a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction finalist, earned a James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award. His novel Freedom (2010) garnered similar praise and led to an appearance on the cover of Time magazine alongside the headline "Great American Novelist". Franzen's latest novel Crossroads was published in 2021, and is the first in a projected trilogy.
Franzen has contributed to The New Yorker magazine since 1994. His 1996 Harper's essay "Perchance to Dream" bemoaned the state of contemporary literature. Oprah Winfrey's book club selection in 2001 of The Corrections led to a much publicized feud with the talk show host.

Reviews

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this books for the interesting characters. However, you’ll not like any of them!

[R. Walraven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and Poignant

I was ready for a regular length bok. Twenty minutes later, I finished reading it. What? Am I to guess it made the point of the pastor's wishes? Or is the author hooking the reader with only a first chapter? In any case, yes, even with archaic long sentences (which I prefer), I had to agree with Boo Walker, another of my favorite authors. Please read it so I can read your review.

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful gift I shall enjoy for at least 32 years.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

intriguing chapter.

I’m hooked. Interesting protagonist seething with his own angst and questioning his faith and reason for being. Where is the rest of the book?

[mshipcott · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read, but won’t allow purchase on Kindle Unlimited

Would like to get this book on my Kindle but it will only download a sampler and not the entire book, why is that?