Corrections by Johnathan Franzen: Season 20 Episode 1
Mean Book Club Roasts Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections
A GREAT??? NYT BESTSELLER
Happy Season 20 to Mean Book Club! The long-running comedy podcast kicked off its milestone season by diving into one of the most polarizing books of the early 2000s: Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections. Beloved by critics, crowned with a National Book Award, and even tangled up in Oprah’s Book Club drama, Franzen’s opus has long been a symbol of Serious Literature™.
The MBC hosts don’t deny its heft or craft—but they gleefully take it down a peg (or ten). LISTEN HERE.
About the Book
Published in 2001, The Corrections tells the story of the Lambert family, whose Midwestern dysfunction plays out against the backdrop of late-20th-century America. Themes include consumerism, aging, globalization, and the creeping sense that nobody—least of all Franzen’s characters—is truly happy.
It was hailed as a masterpiece at the time, often spoken of in the same breath as Dickens and Tolstoy. But it’s also been called pretentious, overwritten, and—let’s be honest—kind of a slog.
Why It Endures
Two decades later, The Corrections still sparks debate. Is it brilliant social critique, or is Franzen just flexing a massive vocabulary? Does its bleak humor still resonate, or has it aged into self-parody?
That’s where Mean Book Club thrives: they’re not afraid to say both things can be true. Yes, the book is impressive. And yes, sometimes the prose is so absurd it deserves a dramatic reading followed by cackling laughter.
The Roast Highlights
On Franzen’s writing: “This book is excellent. This book is really a masterpiece… What I don’t like are the words.”
On metaphors gone wild: A sinus “through which infection was bred” nearly derails the recording.
On sex scenes: The infamous “she did know how to ride his [bleep]” passage gets the full roast treatment, with everyone laughing so hard they can barely breathe.
The Podcast Magic
What makes the episode sing isn’t just the dunking—it’s the hosts themselves. After 20 seasons, their chemistry is bulletproof. They weave in personal anecdotes, pop-culture tangents, and absurd impressions until the conversation feels less like a critique and more like the funniest book club you’ve ever crashed.
As one host jokes: “It feels like I’ve aged 20 years—but physically? No. I look more youthful than ever.” That blend of sharpness and silliness is the secret sauce.
Final Take
By the end, The Corrections has been both celebrated and skewered. Franzen’s status as a literary heavyweight isn’t in danger—but neither is Mean Book Club’s reputation for delivering hilarious, incisive takedowns of books that dominate the cultural conversation.
🔥 Bottom line: If you’ve ever rage-quit The Corrections, or just wanted someone to admit that Jonathan Franzen might be a little much, this episode is your catharsis.
