A dark and funny tale about an unbelieviably dysfunctional family. The Lamberts put the "fun" in "dysfunctional." The dynamics of this family reflect many problems faced by families in contemporary society today, as families grow further and further apart. The novel explores the effects of parents on their children's lives. Gary, Chip, and Denise cannot escape the desparate hold their parents have on them. Each member of the family has their own distinct problems, both relying on one another and pulling away at the same time. The unique quirkiness of the Lambert family also hints at some of the larger problems of American culture. Self-destructive and bitter, this family will cause readers to squirm.

"You will laugh, wince, groan, weep, leave the table and maybe the country, promise

never to go home, and be reminded of why you read serious fiction in the first place."

The New York Review of Books

Jonathan Franzen was born near Chicago in August, 1959, and grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. After graduating from Swarthmore College, in 1981, he studied at the Freie Universität in Berlin as a Fulbright scholar and later worked in a seismology lab at Harvard University's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Mr. Franzen is the author of three novels— The Twenty-Seventh City (1988), Strong Motion (1992), The Corrections (2001)— a collection of essays, How to Be Alone (2002), and a memoir, The Discomfort Zone (2006). His honors include a Whiting Writers Award in 1988, a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1996, the American Academy's Berlin Prize in 2000, and the National Book Award (for The Corrections) in 2001. He writes frequently for The New Yorker, and he lives in New York City.

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"Funny but piercing, THE CORRECTIONS is a witty epitome of an American family in which the old-fashioned world of civic virtue and moral values vehemently collide with worldly greed, lust, and in-law hostility. The immediate ambience THE CORRECTIONS affords is one of depression, anxiety, and looming alarm. It poses the ultimate question that is ineluctable to all of us in an up-front manner: what life is for? Speaking under the breath, Franzen is really asking what life is for if it's not for happiness. The novel develops in the silhouette of the idea that people who think they are happy are not really happy. The sadder scenario is the futility to gauge and to remedy this issue."

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"A big, showy powerhouse of a novel, revved up with ideas but satisfyingly beholden to the traditions of character and plot . . . Smart and boisterous and beautifully paced . . . Franzen's epic study in irony suggests Wolfe running into Don DeLillo . . . The greatest strength of The Corrections, and there are many, is its skillful narrative relativism, the way it delivers one version of the truth about a character, then fleshes out that reality over time into something larger and more complex . . . His rendering of the autumnal prairie of millennial America is frighteningly, luminously authentic." --Boston Globe

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The Oprah Controversy

"Franzen's The Corrections, a novel of social criticism, garnered considerable critical acclaim in the United States.

In September 2001, The Corrections was selected for Oprah Winfrey's book club. Franzen was, at the time, willing to participate in the selection, appearing in B-roll footage in his hometown of St. Louis (described in an essay in How To Be Alone entitled "Meet Me In St. Louis") and sitting down for a lengthy interview with Oprah. In October 2001, however, The Oregonian printed an article in which Franzen made several unkind remarks. He expressed his irritation at the Oprah insignia being printed on his book by saying, "I see this as my book, my creation, and I didn't want that logo of corporate ownership on it.

Soon afterward, Franzen's invitation to appear on Oprah's show was rescinded, with his "seemingly uncomfortable" attitude being cited as the reason.

Although the controversy arguably caused damage to Franzen's reputation, it had little effect on the sales of The Corrections, which became one of the best-selling works of literary fiction of the 21st century and also won The National Book Award.

Franzen thanked Oprah in his brief acceptance speech of the National Book Award: "I'd also like to thank Oprah Winfrey for her enthusiasm and advocacy on behalf of The Corrections."

More Information at: Wikipedia

http://jonathanfranzen.com/ Jonathan Franzen's Web Site

http://jonathanfranzen.com/corrections.htm Jonathan Franzen's page on The Corrections

http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides/the_corrections.asp| "The Corrections" Reading Group Guide

Section I: "St. Jude" and "The Failure"

1. Franzen tends to reveal information about the characters in an "out of order" fashion, with flashbacks and other details. How does Franzen's style of writing contribute to our opinion and knowledge of each character? How did you feel about Alfred's condition before you discovered that it was Parkinson's disease? Did your opinion change after you discovered this fact? List some examples of how your opinion of characters changed as the story progressed (i.e. Chip, Enid).

2. A dysfunctional family is "a family that has difficulty functioning and communicating in emotionally healthy ways; a family that has a negative environment which contributes little to the personal development and growth of family members" (https://www.kent.k12.wa.us/district/strat_plan/SP_terms.html). Are the Lamberts a dysfunctional family? Why? (Hint: Think about the family Christmas that Chip remembers right after he is fired, and Enid's relationship with her children and Alfred). How much more dysfunctional are they than your family? Compare and contrast your family to the Lamberts.

3. After the alleged relationship with Melissa Paquette, Chip felt guilty, angry, and depressed. What were Chip's true feelings about the situation with Melissa? Did Melissa manpulate him, or did Chip just think she was? Was Chip really stalking Melissa and he wasn't aware that he was? Do you feel sorry for Chip at all?

4. Alfred's blue chair seems to make a progression in its "life" along with the progression that Alfred's life takes. It moves from the living room as the center of attention to the basement, and Alfred refuses to sit in anything else despite his doctor's warning. Does the chair represent Alfred's attitude towards his condition? Does he ever want to give up?

5. Does Chip have his life together? Does the "Salmon" incident in the market reveal the order in his life?

Section II: The More He Thought About It, The Angrier He Got

7. Gary's life appears most normal by American standards. What are clues to the serious problems he is experiencing?

8. What tactics does Caroline employ to overpower Gary? Are they fair?

9. What would make Gary and Caroline's marriage healthier?

Section III: At Sea

10. What is your opinion of Chip and "the dinner scene?" Was it painful for you to read?

11. What does Alfred's never kissing Enid goodbye do to their relationship?

12. Do you see any connection between Jonah and his love for the character Aslan and the drug Enid is given, also called Aslan.

Section IV: The Generator

13. How did Denise's relationship to Don Amour affect her life?

14. Is Denise a lesbian? If not, why does she want Robin?

15. Is Chip crazy to take the job in Lithuania? Does this seem out of place in the plot?

Section V: One Last Christmas

16. What is your overall impression of the book?

17. What are your final thoughts about Enid? Does her fate frighten you?

18. Is this novel "tragedy rewritten as a farce?"

1. Re-visit your response from Book Club question 2. How does your relationship with your children parallel the relationship between Enid, Alfred, and their children? If Chip were your son, would you have raised him differently? Is there any way that Chip could have turned out differently? Is this due to his parenting or to another factor? Does parenting affect the function of a family, or is every family member responsible for the interactions between all family members?

2. Do the characters in this novel remind you of your family?

3. Would you be ashamed if your children turned out like Gary, Denise, and Chip?