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3.38 AVERAGE
3.38 AVERAGE
As someone who isn’t that in to politics, especially from the 1950s, it was kind of hard to follow who all the people were, but I did enjoy the thrill and suspense of this book.
This is obviously no great piece of literature (and I'm sure it was not even intended as such), but it sure is a page-turner, and a lot of fun to read!
I'm personally not a big fan of the recent prevalence of conspiracy theories in both works of art and more worryingly in real life, but I guess I found the one(s) featured here just about plausible for the context of the world of the book. (Note: look, I know cover-ups and conspiracies do exist, but I'm not into paranoiacally seeing them everywhere. That way lies madness.)
I had to suspend my belief a bit more in the case of Margaret, whom I adore and want to be the star of the next book - if there is a next book with these characters.
But I definitely have no problem with her strong intellect and moral compass. She's definitely a woman after my own heart, and somebody to strive to be more like. The best male-written female character I've come across in a while.
I also really enjoyed the relationship between Margaret and the book's main-er character, her husband Charlie. It really is fucking great to see a relationship between husband and wife being portrayed as yes, not always working 100%, but for it to nevertheless not fall apart in any huge way, as is just about the norm in fiction. As if the only drama or interest can be created only when people succumb to seductions or stop communicating with each other completely.
What I found a bit...cute and funny is the way president Eisenhower is kind of presented as God here. I don't know how close the depiction in the book gets to the real man, but just as a character he came off a bit too...speaking-like-a-book-y.
I think Tapper does a good job making the reader feel like he's reading a story really taking place at that time, almost...as if the book was actually written at that time. Almost - because it just inevitably - and thankfully - is more "woke" than a piece of fiction from that time likely would have been.
I gather Tapper is really into history, political history specifically, and you can really tell. He fills the book with many nerdy tid-bits. Sometimes they're incorporated almost seamlessly, sometimes a bit clumsily, but I personally didn't mind even those. Yes, there are writers who can do this better, but Tapper is a first-time fiction author, so I'm cutting him some slack.
I think my favourite flourish in the book are the streams of scraps of conversation that pop up a few times in the book. You can pretty much feel the pool/ocean of babble wash over you.
Oh, and the notes, sources and further-reads at the end are hella cute, and very welcome. A nice touch.
***Might update with fave quotes at some later point.***
I'm personally not a big fan of the recent prevalence of conspiracy theories in both works of art and more worryingly in real life, but I guess I found the one(s) featured here just about plausible for the context of the world of the book. (Note: look, I know cover-ups and conspiracies do exist, but I'm not into paranoiacally seeing them everywhere. That way lies madness.)
I had to suspend my belief a bit more in the case of Margaret, whom I adore and want to be the star of the next book - if there is a next book with these characters.
Spoiler
Nevertheless, by the end of the book I started to suspect her of superhuman-ness. She sure managed to survive a lot in the course of the book, all the while being pregnant. I wish people in my family were made of such stern stuff.But I definitely have no problem with her strong intellect and moral compass. She's definitely a woman after my own heart, and somebody to strive to be more like. The best male-written female character I've come across in a while.
I also really enjoyed the relationship between Margaret and the book's main-er character, her husband Charlie. It really is fucking great to see a relationship between husband and wife being portrayed as yes, not always working 100%, but for it to nevertheless not fall apart in any huge way, as is just about the norm in fiction. As if the only drama or interest can be created only when people succumb to seductions or stop communicating with each other completely.
Spoiler
And it's nice to see married/in relationship people acknowledge attraction to other people w/o it inevitably ending up in cheating. Or treason.What I found a bit...cute and funny is the way president Eisenhower is kind of presented as God here. I don't know how close the depiction in the book gets to the real man, but just as a character he came off a bit too...speaking-like-a-book-y.
Spoiler
Aside: Methinks the personal agent circle the president has here is probably Trump's wet dream. But he could never understand the point about filling it with people of character.I think Tapper does a good job making the reader feel like he's reading a story really taking place at that time, almost...as if the book was actually written at that time. Almost - because it just inevitably - and thankfully - is more "woke" than a piece of fiction from that time likely would have been.
I gather Tapper is really into history, political history specifically, and you can really tell. He fills the book with many nerdy tid-bits. Sometimes they're incorporated almost seamlessly, sometimes a bit clumsily, but I personally didn't mind even those. Yes, there are writers who can do this better, but Tapper is a first-time fiction author, so I'm cutting him some slack.
I think my favourite flourish in the book are the streams of scraps of conversation that pop up a few times in the book. You can pretty much feel the pool/ocean of babble wash over you.
Oh, and the notes, sources and further-reads at the end are hella cute, and very welcome. A nice touch.
***Might update with fave quotes at some later point.***
While I enjoyed "The Hellfire Club" by Jake Tapper, I wouldn't recommend it. The plot was interesting but extremely tangled. The characters (the fictional ones) were likeable, but transparent and flat. The moments exchanged with "real" historical characters were not entirely believable. Tappers writing relatively well constructed, but neither challenging nor lyrical, it just was. Methinks he should stick to The State of the Nation from now on.
3.75 stars! The plot was all over the place and was dry. I did learn a few historical facts despite the fictitious characters and storyline.
Had a hard time getting into this initially, but it really picked up for me in the last third of the book and I am looking forward to reading the next book.
The Hellfire Club by Jake Tapper was a political thriller that was all kinds of interesting and intense. It takes place in the 1950s and focuses on Charlie who has been appointed to Congress. He's a young veteran, and he's not quite sure of what awaits him in his new DC life. The story begins at the end with a concerning situation. It then rewinds back to the beginning of Charlie's time in DC explaining how he got from then to now. Political thrillers are not normally my thing, but y'all this one kept me reading and wondering as the story of what happened was pieced together. Through his time in DC, Jake is exposed to a whole new world of secrets, alliances, and shady dealings. He tries to make sense of it all, while also figuring out who he can trust - and who he can definitely not. While this is fiction, it's also built around historical events, including the McCarthy trials/concerns about communism. Many of the characters are the power players of the time, and it was fascinating to read about them in this way. It was also both fascinating and terrifying to consider some of the parallels of this time with the current realities. This one took me on one heckuva ride, and I so enjoyed it. Maybe I'll have to check out this genre more!
3.5 stars.
It says something that I read this book in one sitting— and very much enjoyed it.
The story was engaging and the level of research and thought that went into plot points were of particular note. However, it lost steam somewhat when it became bogged down with maddeningly minute details (such as commenting on clothing and the various body types of each passing character, major or not). I can understand why some details are extremely important to include— but it often seemed like a formulaic crutch. It made pace uneven in areas and jarred focus away from the action. The beginning and end were strong, which seems to be a theme in reviews.
Would definitely recommend.
It says something that I read this book in one sitting— and very much enjoyed it.
The story was engaging and the level of research and thought that went into plot points were of particular note. However, it lost steam somewhat when it became bogged down with maddeningly minute details (such as commenting on clothing and the various body types of each passing character, major or not). I can understand why some details are extremely important to include— but it often seemed like a formulaic crutch. It made pace uneven in areas and jarred focus away from the action. The beginning and end were strong, which seems to be a theme in reviews.
Would definitely recommend.
adventurous
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
informative
medium-paced