CrossroadsCrossroads
What it's about
In 1971, in a Chicago suburb, Russ Hildebrandt, a pastor, is desperate to escape his marriage and his humiliation by a charismatic youth minister. His wife has secrets of her own, and their four children are each in crisis: one rebelling, one finding God, one addicted to drugs, one desperate to fit in.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's Jonathan Franzen's warmest, richest novel.
You'll love it if you liked
The Corrections
Gilead
The Second ComingGood to know
It's long and the first of a planned trilogy.
By the numbers
- Readers48 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller35 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Jonathan Franzen
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Quick answers
Is Crossroads worth reading?
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Its Must-Read Score is 63.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Crossroads about?
In 1971, in a Chicago suburb, Russ Hildebrandt, a pastor, is desperate to escape his marriage and his humiliation by a charismatic youth minister. His wife has secrets of her own, and their four children are each in crisis: one rebelling, one finding God, one addicted to drugs, one desperate to fit in.
How long does it take to read Crossroads?
About 16 hours (629 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Crossroads?
If you liked it, try The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson or The Second Coming by Walker Percy.