Farther Away is a collection of essays, speeches, reviews, and personal reflections of the author, Jonathan Franzen. In the essays, Franzen discusses topics such as, new technologies that are threatening our social life, bird watching, and the death of his peer, David Foster Wallace. Wallace died in the year 2008 after committing suicide. Wallace’s death is frequently revisited in the book.
Franzen wrote Farther Away on a remote island, where he had gone to escape the demands of the ever-advancing technologies. He also used this time to heal in light of his friend’s demise. Also, it was during this time that he got to see some rare birds which he describes extensively in the book.
In the final chapters, Franzen gets a bit crotchety in his explanation of how modern technology has defiled the essence of life. He especially writes gloomy remarks on how mobile phones will be the end of civilization.
