World Book Club Jonathan Franzen - Freedom
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Nov 8, 2015 
US literary superstar Jonathan Franzen talks about his novel Freedom, exploring its themes of love, marriage, teenage lust, and trying to change the world. He discusses his approach to crafting characters, his dislike for the phrase 'concept of freedom,' and the conflict between ideology and compromise. The speakers also delve into the unpredictability of life and the true nature of novels, emphasizing that they aren't meant to provide political messages. The episode ends with a discussion of the Bad Sex Award and upcoming episodes of the World Book Club.
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Freedom As A Cultural Catchphrase
- Jonathan Franzen wrote Freedom as a reaction to the ubiquity and banality of the word 'freedom' in politics and advertising.
- He wanted to interrogate how constant appeals to freedom can become hollow and annoying.
Patty's Origin At A High-School Reunion
- Franzen based Patty's voice partly on a woman he met briefly at a 2003 reunion in Webster Groves, Missouri.
- He remembered her look and voice from a 20-minute conversation and never saw her again, which suited fiction.
Use Third Person To Create Distance
- Franzen explains Patti writes about herself in the third person because it creates ironic distance and humor.
- He suggests athletes often speak in third person due to team conditioning and public interviews.