How To Be Alone by Jonathan Franzen

Reviewed by Mark Woollams

Jonathan Franzen’s How to Be Alone is an exploration into one of the 21st Century’s most infamous writers. After gaining notoriety for rejecting the Oprah’s book club emblem for his novel The Corrections, Franzen would pause from writing fiction and instead focus on the essay as his artistic medium. Franzen’s How to Be Alone is a classic display of how powerful the essay can be and how entertaining such a collection is guaranteed to be.
Inside his book, a reader will experience a gamut of emotions and will journey into a rich variety of American landscapes. Coupled with Franzen’s varying location is his ability to conjure emotion from his readers. After reading of Franzen’s father’s battle with Alzheimers, even the coldest of readers will not be able to avoid the flood of sympathy for Franzen’s mother. Emotional power prevades this work and with such a wide variety of subject matter, Franzen delivers an experience unattainable in the novel.

Other essays discuss life in a supermax prison, the state of the novel and his struggle following his run-in with Oprah. Franzen is clearly an outsider, or at least exists as one despite his infamy. His writing is crisp and yet detailed enough to leave the reader with ponderings to consider for days.

As a student I highly recommend How to Be Alone for both students and non-students alike. Each essay is brief enough to read in a relaxed sitting and contains enough variety to hold your attention throughout. Franzen is an excellent writer, one whose voice can play a vital role in the existence of the contemporary American. With his views on technology, the importance of literature and his own family’s struggle with mortality, Franzen’s readers are presented with a keen perspective on all things human.