It's a pity that Jonathan Franzen's dustup with Oprah — she chose his novel for her book club; he expressed some ill-advised reservations — has overshadowed what he wrote, for his saga about a dysfunctional family has accomplished something rare: a mix of high literary ambitions with reader friendliness.
Animated actors dominated the box office, Barry Bonds hit 73 and 'It' turned out to be a scooter. TIME picks the bests and the worsts of this year...