A review by brianlokker
Democracy: An American Novel by Henry Adams

3.0

Although this novel is set in the 1870s, it describes a Washington DC political scene that, in its broad outlines, is not much different from the current reality, at least for the cynical reader. Politics in the capital is all about power, ambition, influence, and money. Adams’s protagonist, the young, well-to-do widow Mrs. Madeleine Lee, has moved to Washington from New York in order to learn about how democracy works. She soon becomes a fixture in the upper echelon of Washington society, and her friendships with powerful and connected people enable her to get a close-up view of the inner workings of government. Her final reaction? “Democracy has shaken my nerves to pieces.” Mine too, Madeleine, mine too.