FreedomFreedom
Score Modern
What it's about
Jonathan Franzen's Freedom follows a Minnesota family, Walter and Patty Berglund, their children and their friends, across several decades of American life, as marriage, ambition, politics and the pursuit of personal freedom pull them together and apart.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 3 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, was one of the ten best-selling books of 2010 and was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist.
You'll love it if you liked
The Corrections
Crossroads
American PastoralGood to know
It's long and character-driven, a family saga more than a plot-driven novel.
By the numbers
- Readers28 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller68 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #821 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1527 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
More by Jonathan Franzen
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Quick answers
Is Freedom worth reading?
Yes. It spent 3 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, was one of the ten best-selling books of 2010 and was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist. It ranks #1,527 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Freedom about?
Jonathan Franzen's Freedom follows a Minnesota family, Walter and Patty Berglund, their children and their friends, across several decades of American life, as marriage, ambition, politics and the pursuit of personal freedom pull them together and apart.
How long does it take to read Freedom?
About 14 hours (562 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Freedom?
If you liked it, try The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen or American Pastoral by Philip Roth.