Jonathan Franzen 'considered adopting Iraqi orphan to figure out young people'

Novelist said the idea came to him as he felt he could not identify with ‘cynical and angry’ younger generation, but he was persuaded against it by his editor

In a setup that would not look out of place in fiction, Jonathan Franzen, the bestselling American novelist, has said he once considered adopting an Iraqi war orphan to help him understand young people better, but was persuaded against it by his editor.

Franzen said he was in his late 40s at the time with a thriving career and a good relationship but he felt angry with the younger generation. “Oh, it was insane, the idea that Kathy and I were going to adopt an Iraqi war orphan. The whole idea lasted maybe six weeks.”

Related: Jonathan Franzen on his misanthropic reputation: 'We live in a world of cant'

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