The setting is the 1970s in suburban Chicago in New Prospect Township, and Crossroads delves into the complexity of family and community. Russ Hildebrandt is a reverend at the local First Reformed Church, and he is struggling in relationships with his colleagues and his family. His wife, Marion, is unhappy and is at a crossroads in determining how to proceed with her marriage. As we learn about their four children, it is apparent that the parents’ disharmony is surfacing in the next generation with vestiges of unresolved issues from previous generations.
Since the family lives in the parsonage, religion plays a role in the characters’ daily lives. The pages of the novel contain a discussion of many religious beliefs, and each character questions God and the appropriate manner of worship. Marion’s “father had been a nonobservant Jew, her mother, a ‘Whiskeypalian.'” After a series of life-altering events as a young adult, she began practicing Catholicism. Russ had been raised as a Mennonite and then became enamored with Navajo religion before choosing to serve in the First Reformed Church. Religious beliefs, stereotypes, conflicts between belief systems, and spirituality, in general, are pervasive in the novel as each character becomes known to the reader. In exploring the characters’ psyches, there is an analysis of deadly sins, which Christian teachings emphasize. There are interesting references to self-pity and vanity as they may relate to sinfulness.
Franzen emphasizes characters more than the plot, which I like about his writing. I enjoy getting to know everything about a character—backstory, current thoughts and challenges, plans, and goals for the future. One of the comments on Goodreads says that Franzen is a master at creating characters who hate themselves. I didn’t think of it that way, but upon further reflection, maybe that is why his writing appeals to me. I believe that we all hate ourselves sometimes, and Franzen’s character development is so thorough that we can all see something in each character that reminds us of ourselves and our struggles to live a successful and fulfilling life.
The title, Crossroads, refers literally to the youth group’s name at the church. Metaphorically, Russ’s inability to relate to his children and the congregation’s teenagers indicates a crossroads in his life. Also, organized religion is at a crossroads in culture, prevalent in the 1970s. Each character is at a crossroads in life, and the far-reaching effects of their decisions are integral to the novel and its messages, themes, and conflicts. As I read, some conflicts that were most prevalent in my mind were psychology vs. morality; traditional vs. “groovy” ministry; “cool” kids vs. the others; and urban vs. suburban living. Themes include friendship, betrayal, competition, racism, addiction, mental illness, and the complexities of the human spirit. Additionally, Franzen creates multifaceted situations related to humiliation, shame, and one’s ability or inability to forgive. I particularly liked the detailed explorations of power imbalances and family dynamics. Some of the characters’ transformations in their lives were also thought-provoking and made this lengthy novel a worthwhile read for me.
