Jonathan Franzen: 'America is almost a rogue state'

[Michael Bailey]

I mean, he showed Joey interested in his Jewish heritage, and Joey is
actually quite simpatico.  Walter's outrageous actions in the service
of his (unfortunately rather realistic) fears are portrayed as
overblown and counterproductive, his loss of belief in the bargain he
made is seen as nothing short of a tragic flaw, a failure to take the
bitter with the sweet and hampering his own cause.  His withdrawal
into a smaller sphere (which he's lucky to have access to, after what
he did) is tending, at book's end, to change course toward a wider
involvement and greater influence directly as a result of the love
that makes him literally decide to share his warmth (not further
freeze people out, not blast them with heat of anger) in a cold world

the moral of love and rapprochement that I draw from the book is at
odds with the interview, in other words.

a-and, how unrealistic is it to have the head of a right wing think
tank be unattractive?  Not very.  Actually his Judaism is one of his
few appealing qualities.