63 pages • 2 hours read
Jonathan FranzenCrossroads
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen focuses on the Hildebrandt family in 1970s suburban Chicago. The novel delves into the lives of Russ, an associate pastor, and Marion, a stay-at-home mother, along with their children Clem, Becky, and Perry, exploring each member's personal struggles and relationships. Russ considers an affair, Marion confronts past trauma, Clem contemplates as the Vietnam War looms, Becky grapples with faith and love, and Perry battles drug addiction. The stories interweave as the family faces challenges and changes, revealing complex emotional dynamics and moral dilemmas. The book includes discussions of drug use, sexual assault, and suicide.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
Jonathan Franzen's Crossroads is praised for its rich character development and intricate, heart-wrenching family dynamics. Critics commend Franzen's masterful storytelling and keen social observations. However, some find the pacing slow and the narrative occasionally cumbersome. Overall, it is a thought-provoking exploration of human relationships and moral complexities.
Who Should Read Crossroads?
A reader who enjoys Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen likely appreciates character-driven literary fiction with complex family dynamics and moral quandaries. Fans of Franzen's previous works like The Corrections and those who enjoy Jonathan Safran Foer's Here I Am or Jeffrey Eugenides' The Marriage Plot will find it compelling.