I feel as if I'm clearly part of a trend among writers who take themselves seriously - and I confess to taking myself as seriously as the next writer. Jonathan Franzen confessfeelpart Change image and share on social
's one of the perversities of the age: I'm embarrassed by its success, but I'm happy it's selling. Jonathan Franzen ageembarrasshappy Change image and share on social
And Silence of the Lambs is a really smart book. Jonathan Franzen booklambsilence Change image and share on social
I really enjoy doing both, but I didn't write nonfiction until 1994. Jonathan Franzen enjoynonfictionwrite Change image and share on social
I look at my father, who was in many ways an unhappy person, but who, not long before he got sick, said that the greatest source of satisfaction in his life had been going to work in the company of other workers. Jonathan Franzen companyfathergreat share on social
I wrote two plotted books, got some of the fundamentals of storytelling down, then... it's sort of like taking the training wheels off, trying to write a book that's fun in the same way without relying on quite such mechanical or external beats. Jonathan Franzen beatbookexternal share on social
The real pleasure in writing this, for me, was discovering how little you need. Jonathan Franzen discoverpleasurereal Change image and share on social
I was a late child from my parents, so I grew up surrounded by people a lot older than me. I think even when I was 21, I felt like I was a 70-year-old man. Jonathan Franzen childfeltgrow Change image and share on social
I was about 13, in some ways, when I wrote the first book. Approximately 18 when I wrote the second. Jonathan Franzen approximatelybookway Change image and share on social
It's very liberating for me to realize that I don't have to step up to the plate with a plot that involves the U.N. Security Council. Jonathan Franzen councilinvolveliberate Change image and share on social
