The Twenty-Seventh City by Jonathan Franzen is a political thriller set in St. Louis, revolving around the ambitious Bombay police commissioner S. Jammu who becomes the powerful police chief of the city. Her agenda, supposedly to revive St. Louis, is a front for a real estate scheme to benefit her millionaire mother. The plot involves a cabal of Indian immigrants orchestrating a takeover of the city's power structure through various means, including terrorist attacks and seductions of business leaders. The novel features a vast array of characters, with the main focus on Martin Probst and S. Jammu, whose opposing ethical stances lead to a complex political battle.
Jonathan Franzen's writing style in The Twenty-Seventh City is praised for its luscious prose, detailed descriptions of the beauty and decay of St. Louis, and well-developed characters. However, some readers find the plot to be implausible and overly complex, with an excessive number of characters that can be challenging to keep track of. Despite these criticisms, Franzen's deep knowledge of St. Louis and his ability to weave words and pick up on details are highlighted as strengths in the novel.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The book includes themes of violence, corruption, and political conspiracies.
Has Romance?
There are romantic elements, particularly involving the protagonist's family dynamics.
From The Publisher:
S. Jammu, a young, ambitious Indian woman, is sworn in as police chief of St. Louis where the acts of private citizens are monitored and the actions of Martin Probst and his family threatened to destroy her plan
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2 comment(s)
Not a single character to really care about. Confusing and pointless plot
you have to read this one closely, because franzen plays with perspective and you can never be quite sure who is speaking to whom
which narrator in this third person masterpiece is speaking, and how much can we trust them?
i guess it depends on whose doctrine you believe in:
-s jammu, the indian-american police detective who plans to take over st. louis by winning over its leading businessmen by hook or by crook?
-her accomplice who is only by her side because she can bring a marxist revolution to this american city, and eventually abandons her when she fails to live up to her expectation?
-martin probst, who believes himself to be a principled businessman and dismisses claims of jammu's conspiracy, eventually falling under her spell?
or do we listen to the people of st. louis, the poorest and most vulnerable, who are losing their city in this seemingly pointless fight for power?
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The Twenty-Seventh City?
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