I will start by saying that this book is by no means perfect as some endorsements may have you believe (ahem, Oprah Winfrey). There are long-winded paragraphs fraught with highly politicized talk that give a very distinct air of preachiness. Considering that the novel weighs in at a hefty 562 pages, it could have done without that.
The real strength of the novel lies in its character development. Despite these people being really messed up (and I mean really messed up), you can't put this book down. There's something you see in the characters that grabs hold of you and won't let you go. Yes, these people have huge problems and they're selfish, heartless, you name it. But there is still a humanity in them. And for that reason, you as the reader hope against hope that somehow it will all work out.
I'm not even going to try to summarize "Freedom" (if you want that, here is a NY Times article worth looking over). But I will say that the reason I kept reading was purely to see what happened to the two main characters, Walter and Patty Berglund, who after a series of spectacularly horrible events end up separating. Without giving away anything, I'd like to share a line describing Walter and Patty's relationship that struck me: "...they were not just the worst thing that ever happened to each other, they were also the best thing."
Do you think that the worst thing for you can also be the best thing? In Walter and Patty's case, you'll just have to read the book to find out.
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