Jonathan Franzen's Novel PURITY is Not Worthy of Your Time

PURITY is Jonathan Franzen's most recent novel.  Franzen is a best selling author (FREEDOM) & received the Nat'l Bk Award for CORRECTIONS in '01.  Known for writing vivid,vile characters and capturing the current significant events of the time, Franzen's writing is recognizable in PURITY.  Despite creating repellant characters in these novels, they were also riveting.  However, the characters in PURITY are mentally unstable and incredulous.  Purity, "Pip" the central young heroine, does not have great expectations for her life.  She's managed to graduate college despite being raised by a single mom, living in impoverished squalor.  Laiden with huge student debt, Pip is at odds with what to make of her future.  Do not have great expectations for where the road will lead for Pip.  The intertwining storylines & characters provide an unadulterated mess of unrealistic twists & turns.  The ubiquitous use of the term purity is a sounding board for evil, insanity and obsession.   The extremely flawed characters make reading PURITY a pain.  Their relentless expectations & demands put Miss Havirsham to shame.  The big reveal is a big letdown.  PURITY is contaminated with the behaviors of the mentally deranged.  Pip does her best to rise above the fray.  I was dragged down in this plodding novel.