Jennifer Weiner Leads Franzenfreude Movement

By Jason Boog 

jenweiner1.jpgFrustrated with copious coverage of Jonathan Franzen’s new novel, Freedom, novelist Jennifer Weiner called on Twitter users to create an alternative reading list yesterday.

Mixing “Franzen” and “Schadenfreude,” Weiner (pictured) launched the literary hashtag, Franzenfreude. Here’s the original tweet: “Call for non-Franzen novels about love, identity, families, The Way We Live Now. I pick Anne Tyler’s DIGGING TO AMERICA.”

Lizzie Skurnick wrote: “I hate how little attention [Zoe Heller’s] THE BELIEVERS got. Drives me bonkers. Am loving FREEDOM however.” Heidi Ayala added “Sue Miller’s While I Was Gone.” Jennifer Kate concluded: “Just finished Brightest Star in the Sky Marian Keyes, love! [and] Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott.”

Here at GalleyCat Reviews, we want to know what you think–should book reviews counter-balance Franzen coverage? Publishers Weekly has a good essay rounding up other critics of recent Franzen coverage.