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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Whilst the actual writing of this book is great the structure makes it quite a taxing read. It also felt quite poor taste to based the book so closely to Laura Bush’s life, especially when part of the book is spent acknowledging how invasive it can be living in the public eye
I don't know what to think of this book. In some ways, I found it to be a real page turner and I couldn't put it down. On the other hand, it kind of annoyed me. I am not sure the character of Alice Blackwell ever really came together. Also, I wouldn't have been nearly as interested in this book if Alice weren't a thinly veiled Laura Bush, and I think that is cheating in a way.
I really enjoyed the first two sections of the book, but I found the narrator's repeated assertions that she is unable to affect anything her husband does maddening, especially in light of the fact that this character is supposed to be Laura Bush.
First three sections were great, but then the crux of the book (First Lady section) fell a little flat. Beautifully written, if a little decadent at times. Overall, really enjoyed it. Sex scenes quite a bit more graphic than I thought going in, but fun enough to basically read Bush fan fiction
I loved this novel, whose heroine, Alice Lindgren Blackwell, is a fictionalized version of former First Lady Laura Welch Bush. Like Bush, Alice was an only child, an avid reader who became a librarian, and the responsible driver in a tragic car crash as a teen. The author alters details about the political family Alice marries into (Texas becomes Wisconsin and the family business is meat and not oil), but the historical events that unfolded during the Bush presidency (the September 11th attacks and the Iraq War) remain unchanged.
Throughout the book Alice is a foil and a complement to her husband, Charlie--she is reserved and polite, he is brash and charming. She models restraint and humility, he is marked by excess and an ego-driven obsession with his "legacy." Perhaps most importantly, she is a liberal Democrat and he is a born-and-raised Republican who runs for and ultimately wins office, the governorship and then the presidency.
In the gap between a historical figure and a fictional invention, Sittenfeld creates an ideal space for interrogating what it means to be an "American Wife." How does Alice maintain--or attempt to maintain--her personal integrity when her values are challenged or threatened? How does she wield the power and leadership women are permitted to assume within the domestic sphere to subvert Charlie's political aims and actions? Is it sufficient? The author leaves the reader to consider these questions without shaping the narrative to pass judgment, and the book's ending struck me as perfect.
Throughout the book Alice is a foil and a complement to her husband, Charlie--she is reserved and polite, he is brash and charming. She models restraint and humility, he is marked by excess and an ego-driven obsession with his "legacy." Perhaps most importantly, she is a liberal Democrat and he is a born-and-raised Republican who runs for and ultimately wins office, the governorship and then the presidency.
In the gap between a historical figure and a fictional invention, Sittenfeld creates an ideal space for interrogating what it means to be an "American Wife." How does Alice maintain--or attempt to maintain--her personal integrity when her values are challenged or threatened? How does she wield the power and leadership women are permitted to assume within the domestic sphere to subvert Charlie's political aims and actions? Is it sufficient? The author leaves the reader to consider these questions without shaping the narrative to pass judgment, and the book's ending struck me as perfect.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I don't usually buy books without having read the author at least once, but this one I picked up and read the synopsis and I was interested. I would more likely give this 3.5 stars, not a full 4, but it was a good book. It certainly wasn't a quick read, it took me a week, about 2 hours a night. I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I don't see myself reading it over & over again, but I would recommend it.
The middle of this book is so good, so juicy, in its class and gender commentary that I almost forgive the end. The last section is essentially a think piece on Laura Bush, like less interesting episodes of the good wife. I applaud the ambition of the novel, but Sittenfeld is so good at carefully observed studies of region/class/manners that the Bush stuff feels too broad.
An interesting read. Alice is a complex character. Juggling the roles of wife to a Republican president and a Democratic voter.
I have such mixed feelings about this one. While I am glad that I read it, Sittenfeld failed to convince me to respect the main character's choices. The book was inspired by and loosely based on the life of Laura Bush, and attempted to articulate how such a liberal young woman could mute her own political beliefs later in life as the First Lady married to a conservative President. I finished the book more frustrated with the protagonist than anything else, and I don't think that was Sittenfeld's intention.