I read that and FREEDOM for the first time last summer after lagging behind the Franzen train for years, and quite enjoyed both. I was very surprised by his writing, actually; it's much more accessible and immediately gripping than I was expecting. Good stuff, but he works very hard to make his characters as…

I'm reviewing it, and I just finished reading it earlier today. Mwa-ha-ha, and all that.

I'm reviewing it, and I just finished reading it earlier today. Mwa-ha-ha, and all that.

There are a few other people in the comments section who expressed similar feelings. If it helps, we'll have a review of the book up sometime next week.

There are a few other people in the comments section who expressed similar feelings. If it helps, we'll have a review of the book up sometime next week.

Well, if it helps, we'll have a review up next week.

Well, if it helps, we'll have a review up next week.

I tend to sacrifice what little critical faculties I have when I marathon a show, but I really loved the King Lear stuff in the final season. I think the writers struggled sometimes to find interesting character drama to fill the spaces between the scenes about actual theater production, those the latter was always so…

I tend to sacrifice what little critical faculties I have when I marathon a show, but I really loved the King Lear stuff in the final season. I think the writers struggled sometimes to find interesting character drama to fill the spaces between the scenes about actual theater production, those the latter was always so…

I felt like I deserved more, and I wrote the blurb, and I like to assume I'm not alone.

I felt like I deserved more, and I wrote the blurb, and I like to assume I'm not alone.

"I find this—"the artistic desire is always self-serving to an extent"—to be literally disgusting."

"I find this—"the artistic desire is always self-serving to an extent"—to be literally disgusting."

I thought the ending was perfect, and one of the few times McEwan's relentless manipulations of his characters lives felt fully organic and whole. It turned the book into more than just a series of powerful, haunting vignettes, and into something far more resonant; as to what that resonance is, I'm not exactly sure,…

I thought the ending was perfect, and one of the few times McEwan's relentless manipulations of his characters lives felt fully organic and whole. It turned the book into more than just a series of powerful, haunting vignettes, and into something far more resonant; as to what that resonance is, I'm not exactly sure,…

I got your back, Carrie. I included Mad Men on my list, but low, and if I'd somehow known it would rank this high, I would've dropped it off my list altogether. COME AT ME, BRO.

I got your back, Carrie. I included Mad Men on my list, but low, and if I'd somehow known it would rank this high, I would've dropped it off my list altogether. COME AT ME, BRO.

If I'd known how high the show was ranking with others, I would've left it off my ballot. Which isn't to say it's not well made and well acted and so forth, but this season killed a lot of my affection/appreciation for the show, and it's not because I didn't like Megan. I just felt like there wasn't really any point…

If I'd known how high the show was ranking with others, I would've left it off my ballot. Which isn't to say it's not well made and well acted and so forth, but this season killed a lot of my affection/appreciation for the show, and it's not because I didn't like Megan. I just felt like there wasn't really any point…

I think it's the complete picture that does me in.