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A review by huerca_armada
Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World by Donald Antrim
5.0
Last summer I received a copy of Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World as a part of a book club. I picked it up, read the first few pages, and set it back down again -- not because I found it boring, but just from getting caught up in the milieu. In most instances, having set the book down for such a long time before finishing it would be a mark against the book for myself. How could something really be so good if I could just step away so easily from it?
Which isn't to say that Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World wasn't sitting there at the back of my mind, waiting to rear its head when I least expected it. The short passages I had read -- of the aftermath of ex-mayor Jim Kunkel's launching of Stinger missiles at the Botanical Garden reflecting pool, his subsequent trial by the community, and a death sentence carried out like that of the regicide Damiens's -- stuck with me, cropping up from time to time. Finally, I caved in about a week after the New Year and cracked it open again, and was taken away.
Antrim's portrait of a beachside community is a lush one, warm and effervescent. After some unnamed and vaguely hinted at social unravelling, the seaside town which titular character Peter Robinson has transformed; mines are planted in the lightly forested border between two rivalrous families' properties, members of the community sharpen stakes to place in front-lawn pits to ward off intruders, all while staunchly keeping up with social functions of any small town. Can't you find some time to attend the Rotary luncheon this coming Sunday? Digging your snake-filled moat out can wait, you know -- and don't forget to bury the ex-Mayor's foot to free up some freezer space when you get a chance.
At its core, Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World is a novel that cuts into the insanity underscoring American suburbia in all its dimensions. Its eclectic, darkly humorous, a wild shot from the hip that leaves you reeling by the time the last page is being turned. If you're a fan of the gonzo, you would be sore to miss this one. Cannot recommend it enough.
Which isn't to say that Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World wasn't sitting there at the back of my mind, waiting to rear its head when I least expected it. The short passages I had read -- of the aftermath of ex-mayor Jim Kunkel's launching of Stinger missiles at the Botanical Garden reflecting pool, his subsequent trial by the community, and a death sentence carried out like that of the regicide Damiens's -- stuck with me, cropping up from time to time. Finally, I caved in about a week after the New Year and cracked it open again, and was taken away.
Antrim's portrait of a beachside community is a lush one, warm and effervescent. After some unnamed and vaguely hinted at social unravelling, the seaside town which titular character Peter Robinson has transformed; mines are planted in the lightly forested border between two rivalrous families' properties, members of the community sharpen stakes to place in front-lawn pits to ward off intruders, all while staunchly keeping up with social functions of any small town. Can't you find some time to attend the Rotary luncheon this coming Sunday? Digging your snake-filled moat out can wait, you know -- and don't forget to bury the ex-Mayor's foot to free up some freezer space when you get a chance.
At its core, Elect Mr. Robinson for a Better World is a novel that cuts into the insanity underscoring American suburbia in all its dimensions. Its eclectic, darkly humorous, a wild shot from the hip that leaves you reeling by the time the last page is being turned. If you're a fan of the gonzo, you would be sore to miss this one. Cannot recommend it enough.