One of the most eagerly anticipated and critically acclaimed books of the year is Jonathan Franzen's new novel "The Corrections." It's an insightful and funny story about a family breaking down in the modern age. The father is suffering from Parkinsons Disease; the mother wants nothing except a picture-perfect Christmas at home with the whole family. But their three adult kids aren't cooperating. On a recent visit to the Twin Cities Franzen spoke with Minnesota Public Radio's Stephanie Curtis. He talked about how Gary, the eldest son in the novel, illustrates what Franzen means by "The Corrections."

This file was digitized with the help of a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).