A review by evaribaker
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

5.0

I can't remember the last time a book took me this long to read. There were times I dozed off reading it and times I had to give my brain a rest by reading fluff, but I'm glad I persevered. The story of Hamilton's life is fascinating, but so is the circuitousness of our nation's politics. There were so many times that I had the thought of, "oh my god, and we are STILL fighting this fight." During this current phase of political shitshowdom it was oddly comforting and reassuring. Aside from this political deja vu, the things that stuck with me most were...
1. The idea that anyone could read this and feel like it would make a great musical (I mean, duh, it obviously does...but it just points to the genius of Lin Manuel Miranda that he read this and "saw it"),
2. How the f$@7 has Thomas Jefferson somehow become this mythologized figure in our country's history when he was actually such a clueless short-sighted idiot (not to mention racist, but that I already knew)? I realize everyone has their flaws...but no. I just don't get it.