The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (2001, Hardcover)

Jonathan Franzen's THE CORRECTIONS may one day be seen as wickedly funny satire. For many readers, though, it will be so true to life that they will miss the satirical aspects.

Meet the Lamberts. Well, there are the aging midwestern parents, Alfred and Enid. Are they like your parents? Probably, but if you are lucky the resemblance isn't too close. Alfred is Having Problems and Enid is losing her patience with him. Meanwhile, they have Three Beautiful Children. Gary is the oldest. He lives in Philadelphia. He has a beautiful rich wife and three beautiful sons. And his life is a parade of depression. Then comes Chip, the academic (and presumably more like people Mr. Franzen has MET than like Mr. Franzen himself). Chip is a screwup. He has lost his job teaching at a liberal arts college in a spectacular way. Now he is in New York, trying hard to get some traction on his book. He is broke and his parents have come to visit on their way to an OCean Cruise. And then there is Denise, the younger sister, whose life only seems OK when she compares it to Chip's.

Franzen has a remarkable eye for detail and his depictions of conversations between adult children and their parents sometimes ring so true that you get a headache. He presents the dawn of the 21st century, with Buyouts, IPOs and Central European upheavals in a way that really is funny, if you can just step back and be glad this isn't happening to you.

This book is Franzen's third novel. The previous ones were workmanlike, but nowhere near this one in scope or intensity. He became briefly famous when he declined Oprah Winfrey's favor of making this book a part of her book club. Many copies are marked with her seal of approval, despite his wishes to the conrary.

No matter what you think of Oprah, this is a book you should read.