The Corrections

“The madness of the autumn had passed. The madness of the winter had yet to seize them.”

Part One: The Failure

The novel opens with Enid Lambert, an aging Midwestern woman, obsessively preparing for what she hopes will one last family Christmas. Her husband, Alfred, suffers from Parkinson’s disease and dementia, his once-formidable intellect and stern demeanor eroded by illness. Their three adult children—Gary, Chip, and Denise—are scattered across the country, each grappling with personal crises.

Part Two: The More He Thought About It, the Angrier He Got

Chip, the middle child, is a failed academic turned screenwriter living in New York. After losing his university job over an affair with a student, he spirals into financial ruin. Desperate, he follows a shady Lithuanian investor to Eastern Europe, where he becomes entangled in a bizarre internet scam.

Part Three: The Generator

Denise, the youngest, is a talented but self-destructive chef in Philadelphia. After a messy divorce and a string of affairs (including one with her boss’s wife), she loses her job and struggles to redefine herself. Meanwhile, Gary, the eldest, battles depression and marital strife in suburban Pennsylvania, resisting his wife’s pressure to visit his parents.

Part Four: The Corrections

As Christmas approaches, Enid manipulates her children into returning home to St. Jude. Alfred’s condition worsens, leading to a violent outburst. Chip returns from Lithuania with dubious financial prospects, Denise begins rebuilding her career, and Gary reluctantly agrees to the visit. The family reunion is tense, exposing years of resentment and unspoken grievances.

Part Five: The Last Christmas

The holiday gathering is a disaster. Alfred’s erratic behavior culminates in a fall, forcing hospitalization. The siblings confront their parents’ mortality and their own failures. In the aftermath, Alfred undergoes experimental brain surgery, which leaves him further diminished. The novel ends with Enid finally accepting the impossibility of the “perfect family” she longed for.

Key Ideas

• The decline of traditional family structures in modern America.
• The tension between personal freedom and familial obligation.
• The corrosive effects of late capitalism on individual lives.
• The illusion of self-improvement and “correction.”
• The fragility of identity amid aging and illness.

• Readers who enjoy sprawling, character-driven family sagas.
• Fans of satirical yet empathetic portrayals of American life.
• Those interested in themes of aging, regret, and societal change.