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Jonathan Franzen

American writer · United States · On the map · Writers · Born 1959 · age 67

Jonathan Earl Franzen is an American novelist and essayist. His 2001 novel The Corrections drew widespread critical acclaim, earned Franzen a National Book Award, was a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction finalist, earned a James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and was shortlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award.

Jonathan Franzen is read about 747 times a day, in 45 languages.

A typical day, 30 days to 6 November 2026

The middle day of the days counted, so one week of news cannot move it. The line under it is the last 400 days, one point a day.

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A life in dates

2012“One of the consolations of dying... Seriously, the world is changing so quickly that if you had any more than 80 years of change I don't see how you could stand it psychologically.”In their words30 January 2012The Guardian

2002“Depression presents itself as a realism regarding the rottenness of the world in general and the rottenness of your life in particular.”In their words28 September 2002Voices in the Wilderness The Guardian (Saturday 28 September 2002).

“Today's Baudelaires are hip-hop artists.”In their words28 September 2002Voices in the Wilderness The Guardian (Saturday 28 September 2002).

James Tait Black Memorial PrizeAward2001“A lack of desire to spend money becomes a symptom of disease that requires expensive medication.”In their wordsThe Corrections (2001)

“In the years when he'd worked full-time, he'd never complained about frozen or takeout or preprepared dinners.”In their wordsThe Corrections (2001)

“It's who I am. Put somebody else's comfort ahead of my own? Go hop in a toilet to spare somebody else's feelings? That's the kinda thing you do, fella.”In their wordsThe Corrections (2001)

National Book AwardAwardNational Book Award for FictionAward1996Guggenheim FellowshipAward1959Born17 August 1959

People around Jonathan

Close ties

Also in Deutsch

Media & music

In their own words 4

,
Jonathan Franzen
,
4 statements, newest first

  1. Someone worked really hard to make the language just right, just the way they wanted it. They were so sure of it that they printed it in ink, on paper.

    30 January 2012 · The Guardian, Own words

  2. An ink bottle, which now seems impossibly quaint, was still thinkable as a symbol in 1970.

    28 September 2002 · Voices in the Wilderness The Guardian (Saturday 28 September 2002)., Own words

  3. Nobody can ever quite say what's wrong exactly. But they all know it's evil. They all know 'corporate' is a dirty word. And if somebody's having fun or getting rich - disgusting!

    2001 · The Corrections (2001), Own words

Wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0

Awards

James Tait Black Memorial Prize2002
National Book Award2001
National Book Award for Fiction2001
Guggenheim Fellowship1996
Honorary Degree
Fulbright Scholarship

About this person

His novel Freedom (2010) garnered similar praise and led to an appearance on the cover of Time magazine alongside the headline "Great American Novelist". Franzen's latest novel Crossroads was published in 2021, and is the first in a projected trilogy.

Country
United States
Category
Writers
Type
Writer / Author
Status
Living
Dates
Born 1959 · age 67

Where to find them

IMDbWebsitejonathanfranzen.comFacebookjonathanfranzen

What they share with Jonathan

John BarthBoth received National Book Award for FictionNicole KraussAlso in Philip Roth: Unmasked (2013)Pamela HoganAlso in Birders: The Central Park Effect (2012)William KarelAlso in Philip Roth: Unmasked (2013)