The Corrections Winner of the National Book Award 2001 and James Tait Black Memorial Prize 2002

In the end all great stories deal with familes and have done so ever since. Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections" to me is one of these. With a keen eye for detail, prosaic but empathetic the same he describes the lifelong struggles for love and attention, the rivalry, great and failed expectations, misunderstandings, envy, tenderness, pity and grief of the Lambert family (well, and sex of course). I was especially struck by his humour and the sudden twists and surprises: the book is full of it! Very often I was reminded of Dickens' novels, and like Dickens' books neither "The Corrections" (written in 2001) haven't aged a day. Very moving, very American and a feast for every reader.