FREEDOM

Jonathan Franzen

Fourth Estate - $38.99

Just as Tony Blair's memoir has been dominating non-fiction  book review coverage worldwide so has Jonathan Franzen's latest novel been doing so in the fiction category.

And over the weekend both the NZ Herald's Canvas magazine and the Sunday Star Times Book section have given extensive review space to Freedom.

Hawkes Bay-based author/film maker Peter Wells reviews the book in the Herald with his final para reading:
This is the kind of novel you can lose a few weekends in - a perfect long read for a rainy day, day after day (even if you do skip a few pages) - at the bach.

While Wellington editor/book reviewer Clare McIntosh ends thus:
The brilliance of Franzen's epic storytelling, and the novel's scope and generosity will capture and move everyone who reads it.

Footnote:
The Bookman would like to pay tribute to Linda Herrick, books editor of the Herald's weekly Canvas magazine, and Mark Broatch, books editor at the Sunday Star Times, and also to the two newspapers.
In a time of decreasing book review coverage these two dedicated editors take their roles most seriously, select a wide range of titles, provide a generous amount of space and employ excellent, well-qualified people to do their reviewing.
Nicky Pellegrino at the Herald on Sunday also has an excellent book page each week.
My thanks on behalf of NZ booklovers everywhere to all three of them and to the two newspapers who make it possible.
Bravo!