Unfortunately I have to be the guy who just read The Corrections and say that it wasn’t his debut. As Franzen explained in his annoying/charming style in “Perchance to Dream,” he had a (semi-failed) novel in the early 90s that made him want to quit writing novels…and then he wrote The Corrections. The essay’s still in the Harper’s archive and it still rules:
The poo stuff in The Corrections is probably his most Pynchonesque thing, it’s kind of like a combo of the adenoid scene and the BDSM poo scene in Gravity’s Rainbow.
This morning I discovered a plumbing problem and there have been an unusually large number of headlines about poop in my inbox today. That was visceral, and really felt like I was on the floor there with Joey. I was not expecting that.
Did he find his ring? Damnit, I'm going to have to read Franzen now.
Unfortunately I have to be the guy who just read The Corrections and say that it wasn’t his debut. As Franzen explained in his annoying/charming style in “Perchance to Dream,” he had a (semi-failed) novel in the early 90s that made him want to quit writing novels…and then he wrote The Corrections. The essay’s still in the Harper’s archive and it still rules:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Bother%3F_(essay)
The poo stuff in The Corrections is probably his most Pynchonesque thing, it’s kind of like a combo of the adenoid scene and the BDSM poo scene in Gravity’s Rainbow.
oh YES! you are totally right, Corrections was his breakout. thank you for clarifying!!
This morning I discovered a plumbing problem and there have been an unusually large number of headlines about poop in my inbox today. That was visceral, and really felt like I was on the floor there with Joey. I was not expecting that.
Did he find his ring? Damnit, I'm going to have to read Franzen now.