Reviews

"We know each week who has been fired, and, therefore, you're editing in reverse." Braun noted that President Trump's staff seems to have been similarly forced to learn the art of retroactive narrative construction, adding, "I find it strangely validating to hear that they’re doing the same thing in the White House."

Look, there's no denying that that Patrick Radden Keefe is a remarkable journalist. Every article in this collection is gorgeously written, with the access only a journalist who puts his heart and soul into building out his connections can achieve.

I'm just not sure if all of these articles should've been bound together in a book. It is a lot to be barraged with some of the worst of humanity again and again. When Radden Keefe writes in long form, yes, there are bad actors, but they are in the context of one story. Here, it just feels like a relentless line-up of case studies telling you why humanity is kind of the worst. I also really did not need to read another truly frustrating article about a man who never should have been President of the United States, and yet probably will be again.

For that reason, I appreciate two things about this book immensely. 1) Radden Keefe's article about the death penalty is immensely interesting, welland also highly nuanced and compassionate - his traits as a writer which make his longform works [b:Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty|43868109|Empire of Pain The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty|Patrick Radden Keefe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611952534l/43868109._SY75_.jpg|68254444] and, in particular, [b:Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland|40163119|Say Nothing A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland|Patrick Radden Keefe|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1537315266l/40163119._SY75_.jpg|62303430] truly exceptional. 2) I appreciate the inclusion of his bittersweet profile of Anthony Bourdain, which adds a bit warmth to the collection, while not diverting from the "Rogues" theme. Bourdain had his issues, but it was nice to escape from the truly reprehensible and just read about a subject for whom Radden Keefe clearly had a great deal of fondness.

"When the violence suddenly ruptures the course of our lives, we tend to tell ourselves stories in order to make it more explicable."

sarakiyo's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative tense medium-paced

3.0

emiliemaya's review against another edition

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adventurous informative reflective slow-paced

4.0

gardnercla1re's review against another edition

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dark informative mysterious reflective slow-paced

4.5

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