Helpful Score: 15
When I started this book, I had no idea that the premise was roughly based on the life of Laura Bush. Which was probably a good thing, because if I HAD known that, this liberal-leaning reader probably would not have picked this book up.
However, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was hooked right from the beginning, and I was only 75 pages in when I started telling friends about this great book I was reading. The first half of the book was SO good, filled with twists and turns and little bits of foreshadowing.
The main character, Alice Lindgren, is a school librarian with a tragic past. We see her as a young teen before the tragedy occurs, when suddenly an accident happens and her world changes. Skip forward in time to a young adult on her own in the 70s, when she meets her husband, who seems wildly mismatched for Alice.
The story of their courtship and marriage moved quickly, and I was quite engrossed. More foreshadowing, more intimate descriptions of their privileged lives and not-so-perfect marriage. I couldn't stop reading.
But then, all of a sudden, we move forward nearly 20 years, and her husband has been governor and is now president. The story slowed down, became more introspective. I felt robbed. I wanted to know the details of how the couple ended up in the governor's mansion. I wanted to understand Alice's feelings about the road to the presidency. Ultimately, these elements were revealed, as flashbacks, but not as engagingly as the previous two-thirds of the novel.
When it finally dawned on me that this novel was a fictionalized account of George and Laura Bush, things finally started to make sense. But I felt jolted out of a fictionalized world, into an all-too-real world, and I couldn't stop thinking about how much I disliked the people this book is based upon.
If I could, I would give the first part of this novel 5 stars, and the last part closer to 3 stars.
I do recommend this novel. The author is extremely talented, with an extraordinary gift for prose. I look forward to her next novel.
Note: I read the Advance Reader's Edition for this book.
However, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was hooked right from the beginning, and I was only 75 pages in when I started telling friends about this great book I was reading. The first half of the book was SO good, filled with twists and turns and little bits of foreshadowing.
The main character, Alice Lindgren, is a school librarian with a tragic past. We see her as a young teen before the tragedy occurs, when suddenly an accident happens and her world changes. Skip forward in time to a young adult on her own in the 70s, when she meets her husband, who seems wildly mismatched for Alice.
The story of their courtship and marriage moved quickly, and I was quite engrossed. More foreshadowing, more intimate descriptions of their privileged lives and not-so-perfect marriage. I couldn't stop reading.
But then, all of a sudden, we move forward nearly 20 years, and her husband has been governor and is now president. The story slowed down, became more introspective. I felt robbed. I wanted to know the details of how the couple ended up in the governor's mansion. I wanted to understand Alice's feelings about the road to the presidency. Ultimately, these elements were revealed, as flashbacks, but not as engagingly as the previous two-thirds of the novel.
When it finally dawned on me that this novel was a fictionalized account of George and Laura Bush, things finally started to make sense. But I felt jolted out of a fictionalized world, into an all-too-real world, and I couldn't stop thinking about how much I disliked the people this book is based upon.
If I could, I would give the first part of this novel 5 stars, and the last part closer to 3 stars.
I do recommend this novel. The author is extremely talented, with an extraordinary gift for prose. I look forward to her next novel.
Note: I read the Advance Reader's Edition for this book.
Helpful Score: 12
What to say? It felt a little "wrong" to read this masterfully written "fictional" account of the First Lady's life and marriage, but I daresay I have much more respect for her as a woman, wife, mother and citizen than I did before. Some extremely personal scenarios and thinly veiled references to the Bush family and administration make for entertaining reading. Over 500 pages long, but I could not put it down. Loved it.
Helpful Score: 7
I absolutely loved this novel. The book is not about politics. Campaigns and elections are glossed over. It really is a story of a marriage and a family. You see Alice Lindgren live with the choices and compromises she had made. Her marriage really required her to choose one world over another and the book is a story of how she lived with those choices. It is a fictionalized account of Laura Bush's life with illusions here and there although I didn't find that very important or specially convincing. What was captivating was the story of a couple who made each other happier than anyone else had ever mad them, but seemed wrong for each other in temperament and beliefs. I've always wondered how people make those relationships work and this is one authors version of how it could happen. There is an abortion subplot and Alice Lindgren is very clearly, and strongly prochoice.
Helpful Score: 6
In American Wife: A Novel by Curtis Sittenfeld, the heroine is Alice Blackwell, a mother, former librarian, and well-liked First Lady. She is married to Charlie Blackwell, a member of a wealthy, politically connected family. He is a born-again Christian, a teetotaler, and the controversial current president. Sound familiar?
I really enjoyed this book. As a character study, it probably raised more questions than it answered; and there's also a chance that readers will become too obsessed with drawing parallels and wondering where the line between fact and fiction has been drawn.
Even with its flaws, this is a great read and I would definitely recommend it.
I really enjoyed this book. As a character study, it probably raised more questions than it answered; and there's also a chance that readers will become too obsessed with drawing parallels and wondering where the line between fact and fiction has been drawn.
Even with its flaws, this is a great read and I would definitely recommend it.
Helpful Score: 4
I loved the beginning of this book, the story slowed when it moved to current time. I wanted to learn more about the time leading up until then. Well written and moved fast. I have to say I found it interesting and it sparked me to do some checking on Laura Bush to see to what extent this paralleled her real life. I was amazed at what I found. Highly recommend no matter what you view is on the Bush family.
Helpful Score: 3
I found this to be a very engaging book. While I realized quickly (I didn't know ahead of time) that it is loosely based on real people, I found it to be a great work of fiction...and that's how I recommend others read it--keeping in mind it is fiction.
Helpful Score: 3
American Wife is based on the life and decisions of Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States. If loosely based or not is to be discussed by persons that are interested in the Bushs' autobiography.
The book most definitely has its up and downs and surely at times gets downright boring.
Especially disappointing to me was that the life in the White House and the presidency fell way too short and were stuffed with unnecessary information.
The middle part of the book was the best one to me but I didn't find myself caring for the characters which has nothing to do with the whole world knowing the Bushs' but the missing personality in the characters.
What I found beautifully captured are Charlie Blackwell's (George W. Bush) missteps in language. :-)
The questions that I'm asking myself is, the book obviously is not a biography, it is fiction but feels like a biography. As for the fiction part there just isn't enough to go with except that the author is very in favor of the female character.
The book most definitely has its up and downs and surely at times gets downright boring.
Especially disappointing to me was that the life in the White House and the presidency fell way too short and were stuffed with unnecessary information.
The middle part of the book was the best one to me but I didn't find myself caring for the characters which has nothing to do with the whole world knowing the Bushs' but the missing personality in the characters.
What I found beautifully captured are Charlie Blackwell's (George W. Bush) missteps in language. :-)
The questions that I'm asking myself is, the book obviously is not a biography, it is fiction but feels like a biography. As for the fiction part there just isn't enough to go with except that the author is very in favor of the female character.
Helpful Score: 3
I know little of Laura Bush's background and this book made me curious. Unfortunately, the novel is very uneven. The early days read better than the precidential years. Too often, the author resorted to a summary of events rather than telling the story of the characters.
This is a beach book, nothing more, and not a very good one.
This is a beach book, nothing more, and not a very good one.
Helpful Score: 3
I absolutely loved this book. I am not a fan of the Bush family, however after reading this book I have ordered the Laura Bush biography to find out what was fiction and what was real. This story is written wonderfully and it is very gripping. It is over 500 pages and it did take me fours days to read (which is somewhat unusual for me)but it really could have been longer because some very important p[arts were rushed (such as the elections and decisions to run). In any case I finally got my copy from the library after sitting on the waiting list for months. i am sorry I do not have a copy to share as I know that many others will be as touched as I was to read such a wonderful book. I will be checking on more from this author.
Helpful Score: 3
As you've probably heard by now American Wife is loosely based on the life of Laura Bush. We are given a look into four distinct times in the life of Alice Blackwell. From Alice as a third grader to a significant day in her life as First Lady the story draws you in.
Alice Lindgren was an only child raised by her parents and paternal grandmother in a small Wisconsin town. With no extended family to grow up with she was a quiet, reserved child with a great love of reading books. A terrible accident occurs when Alice is seventeen and it changes her life forever.
The next period in her life covers the time when Alice is in her early thirties. She's become an elementary school librarian who doesn't lament not having a husband or starting a family. Just then Charlie Blackwell walks into her life and after first turning Charlie away she's swept into a whirlwind romance that leads to the next period in the book.
Charlie was raised the exact opposite of Alice; with wealth, privilege and plenty of family around to encourage his loud and boisterous teasing. Charlie becomes obsessed with his legacy and brings Alice into a world where she doesnt feel that she belongs.
Lastly, we get a look into Alice's life in the White House. This period covers just one day however Alice flashes back on some of her thoughts up to this point in her life and the decisions she's made that have ultimately come down to this day and the effect it can have on Charlie's presidency.
I loved the idea that this book was based on Laura Bush's life. It opened my eyes to seeing politician's wives in a different light and it made me more interested in learning about our current First Lady.
The characters are endearing and the writing so real the events in Alice's life really touched me and left me thinking about American Wife long after the last page was read. The one downside to the book was that some of the stories seemed to drag on longer than was necessary. I honestly feel that the book wouldn't have suffered if the writing was condensed a little more. Other than that it was a great read that lived up to the hype and my expectations. I recommend this book to all general fiction lovers.
Alice Lindgren was an only child raised by her parents and paternal grandmother in a small Wisconsin town. With no extended family to grow up with she was a quiet, reserved child with a great love of reading books. A terrible accident occurs when Alice is seventeen and it changes her life forever.
The next period in her life covers the time when Alice is in her early thirties. She's become an elementary school librarian who doesn't lament not having a husband or starting a family. Just then Charlie Blackwell walks into her life and after first turning Charlie away she's swept into a whirlwind romance that leads to the next period in the book.
Charlie was raised the exact opposite of Alice; with wealth, privilege and plenty of family around to encourage his loud and boisterous teasing. Charlie becomes obsessed with his legacy and brings Alice into a world where she doesnt feel that she belongs.
Lastly, we get a look into Alice's life in the White House. This period covers just one day however Alice flashes back on some of her thoughts up to this point in her life and the decisions she's made that have ultimately come down to this day and the effect it can have on Charlie's presidency.
I loved the idea that this book was based on Laura Bush's life. It opened my eyes to seeing politician's wives in a different light and it made me more interested in learning about our current First Lady.
The characters are endearing and the writing so real the events in Alice's life really touched me and left me thinking about American Wife long after the last page was read. The one downside to the book was that some of the stories seemed to drag on longer than was necessary. I honestly feel that the book wouldn't have suffered if the writing was condensed a little more. Other than that it was a great read that lived up to the hype and my expectations. I recommend this book to all general fiction lovers.
Helpful Score: 3
I am reminded every time I read a book by Curtis Sittenfeld that she is one of my favorite authors. She has a way of making you fall in love with the characters so much so that they stick in your head for days or even weeks.
I must admit that I probably wouldnt have read this book if it were written by a different author, since its based loosely on the life of Laura Bush(and Ive never been a fan of the Bushes). I assure you that it is not political. The tragedy that happens in the beginning of the book is, in my opinion, the worst thing that could happen to someone. I HIGHLY recommend this book or any book by Sittenfeld. Prep is probably my favorite stand-alone book ever.
I must admit that I probably wouldnt have read this book if it were written by a different author, since its based loosely on the life of Laura Bush(and Ive never been a fan of the Bushes). I assure you that it is not political. The tragedy that happens in the beginning of the book is, in my opinion, the worst thing that could happen to someone. I HIGHLY recommend this book or any book by Sittenfeld. Prep is probably my favorite stand-alone book ever.
Helpful Score: 2
One of the best books I have read in awhile. I will certainly look into reading more of this author's books. She takes the reader through the stages of a president's wife, from her teen years to her 60's. We have a look into her life as one accident defines who she is for many years, and the ups and downs of married life. I forgot as I read it that it appears to be loosely based on the life of Laura Bush. The political aspects of the book are downplayed while the relationships are portrayed from many angles. Awesome writing...hard to put down once started. I do agree with a reviewer before me that although the beginning and middle read very quickly, the end (present time) is a little slower to get through. I highly recommend "American Wife" though!!
Helpful Score: 2
This is the wordiest book I have ever read. I finally finished it by scanning the pages to see what happens at the end. I get the irony of it but it certainly was not original or really part true. Her political message was not lost but frankly it simply was not interesting to me.
Helpful Score: 2
I really enjoyed this book! I read it so fast because it kept me intrigued. I did not know that this was based on George and Laura Bush. Although I am not sure if it is more fictional than some truths. Nontheless it was still a great read. I think this book makes me more interested in them as a couple, and maybe I will look into reading some of their autobiographies.
Helpful Score: 2
The plot began most entertaining, in fact I was very intrigued. But unfornately I was not intrigued the entire 555 pages. I felt there was quite a bit of political bruhaha referred to in a hidden fashion which i found irritating. In fact, I found myself skipping and skimming. Overall, some parts were most entertaining, but some were like watching CNN.
Helpful Score: 1
The book is divided into four parts. I enjoyed, somewhat, the first two. The last two parts were tiresome, to say the least. She could have written an enjoyable and well written piece of fiction by cutting it in half. The last part was jammed together in a very unappealing manner and was ..boring. I was looking forward to reading it but I was enormously disappointed. The connection to the Bush family was remote at best.
Helpful Score: 1
It's one of the few books that I COULD put down. A real snoozer.
Helpful Score: 1
If you like Sittenfeld's other books, then you will probably like this one. I liked it.
The author takes what we know about Laura Bush and creates a fictional story around it. So don't think it is a biographical story--it is fiction. Lots of introspection as is common in this author's works. I thought the plot moved along nicely through the four parts.
The author takes what we know about Laura Bush and creates a fictional story around it. So don't think it is a biographical story--it is fiction. Lots of introspection as is common in this author's works. I thought the plot moved along nicely through the four parts.
Helpful Score: 1
Well written and very interesting. I never liked "shrub" - and never voted for him, though I always liked her. My opinion remains the same. Good book - highly recommend.
Helpful Score: 1
I enjoyed reading this book and thought it was well-written. I found myself wondering how much was actually based on fact. Would recommend this to those enjoying a good story.
Helpful Score: 1
Very interesting, detailed story about the woman that may or may not be Laura Bush. I enjoyed the book immensely until the last 3rd where it became much more introspective than the first 2 thirds. The pace definitely slowed down---overall, very well written and worth your time.
Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this book. Although it was fiction I feel that it gave me real insight into the former first lady. No matter your politics this book was a great read.
Helpful Score: 1
An interesting read that after a day of reflection, I still find myself not absolutely enjoying this book. A piece of fiction loosely based on Laura Bush's life, but at times felt not so loose and not so fiction.
A story of a woman from a small town who ends up married to the President of the United States. In her younger years, she causes an accident killing a classmate and has an abortion at a very young age. While her future mate is working for the family company and drinking away his days. They meet, fall in love and marriage follows soon after. Unlike the Bush family, they have a child quickly. Although like the Bushs, he purchases a baseball team, leaves the family business and then gets into politics.
For my thoughts - this is the first time I have read a book that is loosely based on a real person and I have read her biography. If I pitted the two books against each other, I would hand her biography off to anyone I passed. I guess I am just not a fan of books where I am unsure as to whether it truly happened to the person. I either want true fiction or true story.
A story of a woman from a small town who ends up married to the President of the United States. In her younger years, she causes an accident killing a classmate and has an abortion at a very young age. While her future mate is working for the family company and drinking away his days. They meet, fall in love and marriage follows soon after. Unlike the Bush family, they have a child quickly. Although like the Bushs, he purchases a baseball team, leaves the family business and then gets into politics.
For my thoughts - this is the first time I have read a book that is loosely based on a real person and I have read her biography. If I pitted the two books against each other, I would hand her biography off to anyone I passed. I guess I am just not a fan of books where I am unsure as to whether it truly happened to the person. I either want true fiction or true story.
Helpful Score: 1
What a wonderful surprise! I chose this book not knowing anything about it, and ended up loving it. Excellent character development, and nice flow to the story. Changes the way I see Laura and George Bush...in a positive way.
A huge snooze.
I waited so long to read this book and expected something interesting. The author drones on and on and on about the tiniest details. I made it to p. 188 and probably wouldn't have gotten that far if I hadn't been sitting part of the time in the dentist's office.
Feel guilty for passing this on to another member, but others might like what I most assuredly did not.
I waited so long to read this book and expected something interesting. The author drones on and on and on about the tiniest details. I made it to p. 188 and probably wouldn't have gotten that far if I hadn't been sitting part of the time in the dentist's office.
Feel guilty for passing this on to another member, but others might like what I most assuredly did not.
Not much to say except I was disappointed in this book. I just didn't like the main character at all.
I had no idea this book was "loosely" based on the life of Laura Bush when I first chose it on Paperback Swap. I originally chose it because I loved "Prep" and the characters that Curtis Sittenfeld creates, and this book lived up to those same expectations. Though I have to admit, I enjoyed the early years of Alice Blackwell much more so than the 1600 Pennsylvania part of the book. Sittenfeld was spot on with the character "Charlie" (i.e. G.W. Bush). Like the other reviewers, I would love to know how much of the story is true and what Laura Bush thought of it.
Great book. I enjoyed the characters and the story line. Just reminded me of the way things were when I grew up. No wonder we are what we are. HAHAHA Seriously it was a very good read.
I am disappointed in this book, but up until the last fourth I would have recommended it. Once you get past the sensationalist concept of basing a novel on a loose version of First Lady Laura Bush's life, it's actually very well written, emotive, sympathetic, and fascinating.
But then Sittenfeld inexplicably chooses to jump forward past not just her husband's election to president, re-election, and the beginning of the war but also past the *decision-making* process that led them there. Sittenfeld cheats the reader out of any sort of explanation as to why or how the title character, Alice, and her husband Charlie (the "GWB" character) would jump from Charlie's tentative step into sports team management to re-entering politics, much less to running for president. I can only assume this is due to the author's ignorance of the campaign and/or election process. Perhaps if these were original characters who did not hang from the skeleton of real-life people, this would not be a big deal, but Sittenfeld cannot have it both ways. We either want to see the juicy fictionalized "inside story" or we want a completely independent love story. This book works well (even very well) as the latter, and once I get over my irritation I will still appreciate that about it. But don't go into this expecting historical fiction because from that perspective, this book is a set-up that lacks pay-off.
But then Sittenfeld inexplicably chooses to jump forward past not just her husband's election to president, re-election, and the beginning of the war but also past the *decision-making* process that led them there. Sittenfeld cheats the reader out of any sort of explanation as to why or how the title character, Alice, and her husband Charlie (the "GWB" character) would jump from Charlie's tentative step into sports team management to re-entering politics, much less to running for president. I can only assume this is due to the author's ignorance of the campaign and/or election process. Perhaps if these were original characters who did not hang from the skeleton of real-life people, this would not be a big deal, but Sittenfeld cannot have it both ways. We either want to see the juicy fictionalized "inside story" or we want a completely independent love story. This book works well (even very well) as the latter, and once I get over my irritation I will still appreciate that about it. But don't go into this expecting historical fiction because from that perspective, this book is a set-up that lacks pay-off.
I called Amy (my best friend since college who reads even more than I and should have her own blog) a few weeks ago to tell her that somehow technology and my focus on writing have combined to thwart my reading habit. Reading was not a habit that I wanted to kick. I told her that I needed a book to give me a jump-start. I wanted a book that would pick me up, throw me onto the couch and force me to read, kind of like Fieldwork did last year.
Among some other books, Amy recommended American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld (who is female, by the way), so it was off to Quail Ridge Books where I bought it and three or four others which I snuck into the house while my husband was caught up on a conference call and put on my bookshelves like they had been there forever. (To those who are new to Live and Let Di, Quail Ridge Books is the best independent bookstore ever, located in Raleigh, and worth every mile that you drive past every big-box bookstore in the area. At Quail Ridge, you will find employees who are well-read and an owner, Nancy, who might just wander the stacks with you to help you find the perfect book. If you are not local, I strongly recommend subscribing to QRB's newsletter which comes weekly and combines reader recommendations with store events, making you want to read more and more and more.)
It's no secret that American Wife's main character, Alice Lindgren from small town Wisconsin, is slightly more than loosely based on Laura Bush. When I started reading the book, I wanted to know what parts were "true" and what parts were fictionalized. After just a few chapters, I didn't care. Alice grew up in a traditional midwestern small town, living with her parents and her paternal grandmother. She was a typical, bookish teenager whose life was ruled by the manners, respect and discipline that were expected at the time. Her life lies before her, mapped out with the expectations of a career in teaching, marriage and children. Her aspirations go no further.
A tragic turn of events turns her life upside-down when she inadvertently runs a stop sign while predictably, carefully driving the speed limit, and kills a boy on whom she had a crush who happened to be driving the opposite way in the intersection at that time. This is based on a true event in Laura Bush's life. In the wake of this life-changing event, Alice reacts in unexpected ways while still maintaining her focus on family and community expectations and her natural desire to make others feel comfortable.
Alice is the most non-confrontational, frustratingly compliant protagonist you will ever love. Her story is told in a narrative that unfolds based on her address at various points in her life. To some she embodies the caricature of the spinster librarian. But eventually, the meekish librarian (who is, incidentally, a Democrat) meets Charlie Blackwell, the privileged son of a wealthy, politically ambitious family. Charlie is a party guy. He'd rather play golf and tennis than show up at the family business to do his job. He's the life of the inevitable cocktail parties and family gatherings that pepper their lives.
They marry and their lives move them eventually to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Throughout their marriage, Alice is mostly accommodating to Charlie, his habits and underachieving. But she surreptitiously continues to indulge her compassion and liberal leanings through her actions and contributions.
Amy told me, before I read the book, that when she read it she WANTED Laura Bush to BE Alice. And who knows, maybe she is. Maybe the more Mamie than Hillary First Lady has a rebellious side that remained hidden in deference to the office her husband held. Maybe as she waved getting on that helicopter, she was joyously planning her life as a private citizen and mentally shaking off the shackles of her role. Time will tell.
If you want to read a book review of American Wife that puts mine to shame, click here. The New York Times has a habit of having famous writers do book reviews. This one is by Joyce Carol Oates, a favorite author of mine, and is terrific. This is not always a good thing as this review by Jay McInerney, proves. It's nothing more than a plot summary of The Garden of Last Days and McInerney's status as a published author does not make it worth the columns of newsprint it wasted.
Among some other books, Amy recommended American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld (who is female, by the way), so it was off to Quail Ridge Books where I bought it and three or four others which I snuck into the house while my husband was caught up on a conference call and put on my bookshelves like they had been there forever. (To those who are new to Live and Let Di, Quail Ridge Books is the best independent bookstore ever, located in Raleigh, and worth every mile that you drive past every big-box bookstore in the area. At Quail Ridge, you will find employees who are well-read and an owner, Nancy, who might just wander the stacks with you to help you find the perfect book. If you are not local, I strongly recommend subscribing to QRB's newsletter which comes weekly and combines reader recommendations with store events, making you want to read more and more and more.)
It's no secret that American Wife's main character, Alice Lindgren from small town Wisconsin, is slightly more than loosely based on Laura Bush. When I started reading the book, I wanted to know what parts were "true" and what parts were fictionalized. After just a few chapters, I didn't care. Alice grew up in a traditional midwestern small town, living with her parents and her paternal grandmother. She was a typical, bookish teenager whose life was ruled by the manners, respect and discipline that were expected at the time. Her life lies before her, mapped out with the expectations of a career in teaching, marriage and children. Her aspirations go no further.
A tragic turn of events turns her life upside-down when she inadvertently runs a stop sign while predictably, carefully driving the speed limit, and kills a boy on whom she had a crush who happened to be driving the opposite way in the intersection at that time. This is based on a true event in Laura Bush's life. In the wake of this life-changing event, Alice reacts in unexpected ways while still maintaining her focus on family and community expectations and her natural desire to make others feel comfortable.
Alice is the most non-confrontational, frustratingly compliant protagonist you will ever love. Her story is told in a narrative that unfolds based on her address at various points in her life. To some she embodies the caricature of the spinster librarian. But eventually, the meekish librarian (who is, incidentally, a Democrat) meets Charlie Blackwell, the privileged son of a wealthy, politically ambitious family. Charlie is a party guy. He'd rather play golf and tennis than show up at the family business to do his job. He's the life of the inevitable cocktail parties and family gatherings that pepper their lives.
They marry and their lives move them eventually to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Throughout their marriage, Alice is mostly accommodating to Charlie, his habits and underachieving. But she surreptitiously continues to indulge her compassion and liberal leanings through her actions and contributions.
Amy told me, before I read the book, that when she read it she WANTED Laura Bush to BE Alice. And who knows, maybe she is. Maybe the more Mamie than Hillary First Lady has a rebellious side that remained hidden in deference to the office her husband held. Maybe as she waved getting on that helicopter, she was joyously planning her life as a private citizen and mentally shaking off the shackles of her role. Time will tell.
If you want to read a book review of American Wife that puts mine to shame, click here. The New York Times has a habit of having famous writers do book reviews. This one is by Joyce Carol Oates, a favorite author of mine, and is terrific. This is not always a good thing as this review by Jay McInerney, proves. It's nothing more than a plot summary of The Garden of Last Days and McInerney's status as a published author does not make it worth the columns of newsprint it wasted.
A very interesting read about Laura Bush's life. I was not a Bush presidency fan, but truly found this book intriguing and interesting to think about Laura Bush and what the presidency and being married to George Bush was like. Quick read for 400+ pages.
I ordered this book out of curiosity because of the thinly disguised fictional biography aspect. I didn't expect it to be a page turner -- it was.
If you're looking to read a biography of Laura Bush - don't go to this book for that. If you are looking for a great page turner, a book that you will find hard to put down, a book you seek out even when you should be doing something else, then this is a book for you!
Didn't really like it. Almost stopped reading it because it just didn't ring true. I felt like the author did not really like the main character, Alice. It just wasn't as good as Prep by the same author.
I loved this book. A wonderful look at the behind the scenes world of a long term relationship. Not just the parties and the money but the people themselves.
Bizarre and interesting I would love to know how much of this is true.
Started out fantastic. The tale of the woman killing her lover in an auto accident was compelling , based on Laura Bush. It went pretty quickly until she married the "square" rich politico. I got bogged down there and still haven't picked it back up again.
Please note, I do not give two stars to the narrator. The narrator did a wonderful job, it was the book itself I didn't like.
Sittenfeld uses Laura Bush as the inspiration for the narrator of American Wife. The difficulty is, I don't know what's fact and what's not. If I wanted to read a memoir by Laura Bush or a biography about Laura Bush, that's what I would have picked up.
Throughout the novel I kept thinking to myself, "What's Sittenfeld's political objective with this?" There were times when I thought she was trying to use the main character, Alice, to justify Bush's character, and then others where even Alice doesn't understand why Bush's character does things. I just don't know.
The main character has a controversial medical procedure which I feel was too much of the book. I found myself thinking, just get to the end all ready.
If this book didn't use Laura and George Bush as inspiration, I think it could have been a pretty darn decent novel about a woman learning about herself while struggling with the realities of marriage. However, I couldn't tell fact from fiction and it frustrated the buggers out of me
Sittenfeld uses Laura Bush as the inspiration for the narrator of American Wife. The difficulty is, I don't know what's fact and what's not. If I wanted to read a memoir by Laura Bush or a biography about Laura Bush, that's what I would have picked up.
Throughout the novel I kept thinking to myself, "What's Sittenfeld's political objective with this?" There were times when I thought she was trying to use the main character, Alice, to justify Bush's character, and then others where even Alice doesn't understand why Bush's character does things. I just don't know.
The main character has a controversial medical procedure which I feel was too much of the book. I found myself thinking, just get to the end all ready.
If this book didn't use Laura and George Bush as inspiration, I think it could have been a pretty darn decent novel about a woman learning about herself while struggling with the realities of marriage. However, I couldn't tell fact from fiction and it frustrated the buggers out of me
If you think this book is about Laura and George Bush then think again. It might loosely be based on Laura Bush's life but really it is just a good fictional book. I liked the book, at times it was slow, but overall it was a good read. I recommend it to others. There were times when I thought I was reading about Laura or George and then something would happen that would yank that image right out of my head. So I have to say, read the book, enjoy it for what it is -- fiction!
Interesting take on the Bush [Jr] regime. Besides being a librarian, makes me like Laura all the more. If the parallels in this story are true, it's all the more readable. Made me glad I don't vote Republican.
Loosely based on Laura Bush's life. It was well written but too wordy in places -- I found myself browsing sections instead of reading.
This is a book VERY loosely based on a character similar to Laura Bush. Her man is a spoiled son of a priviledged, overbearing family that push him to his level of incompetence. Sound famililar? All in all the "wife," whose back story has a lot to do with her choices, falls for the guy. The story line follows her being subsummed by his neediness, lack of self-worth and eventually his rise to a position neither he or she were suited for: The President of the US. The writing is easy to follow. Along the way I found myself being angry at this woman who has so much more going for her and at the same time being enraged by the sheer lack of empathy (read "love") the guy has for his wife.(less)
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great read!
I liked it, but wish it wasn't embellished from real women's experiences.
I came to this book after the twist was widely known, so I knew from the beginning that Alice Blackwell is a fictionalized Laura Bush. I think that the process of coming to realize that this is the case would have been electrifying, and I'm sorry I couldn't read this book without prior knowledge, but I do feel the book stands strong even with its secret revealed.
Sittenfeld's Laura Bush is fascinating. She has liberal values, but no passion about them. She has class consciousness, but she unquestioningly forgives the extremely privileged people in her life for not trying to understand their effect on less privileged people. She has morals, but doesn't really make her decisions based on them. She's passive, private, almost quiescent. Her decisions seem to be based on her emotional reactions to past events, rather than on a strong moral character. And, being married to a politically controversial and even divisive person, her own moral positions on political issues is constantly questioned by the public -- but Sittenfeld gives us a Laura Bush who is motivated by completely different issues, and who lacks both the channels and the inclination to explain her inner self to the public.
One thing this novel exceeds at is explaining how an unremarkable, slightly liberal school librarian could be charmed, then swept off her feet, then wed by George Bush. In fact, as others have pointed out, this novel may be more successful in explaining George Bush to us than it is at explaining Laura. Sittenfeld's descriptions of him ring absolutely true.
In the final section of the book, the public harm done by the Bush administration forces Sittenfeld's Laura Bush to examine her own culpability, which focuses all the experiences she has in the first part of the book into this one question. Although I found several preceding parts to be a bit slow, the book really picked up for me as this moral question came into focus. Many readers were dissatisfied with Alice's conclusions, but I felt there were consistent with her character, and every compromise she had made, and I thought the novel as a whole was successful. Recommended.
Sittenfeld's Laura Bush is fascinating. She has liberal values, but no passion about them. She has class consciousness, but she unquestioningly forgives the extremely privileged people in her life for not trying to understand their effect on less privileged people. She has morals, but doesn't really make her decisions based on them. She's passive, private, almost quiescent. Her decisions seem to be based on her emotional reactions to past events, rather than on a strong moral character. And, being married to a politically controversial and even divisive person, her own moral positions on political issues is constantly questioned by the public -- but Sittenfeld gives us a Laura Bush who is motivated by completely different issues, and who lacks both the channels and the inclination to explain her inner self to the public.
One thing this novel exceeds at is explaining how an unremarkable, slightly liberal school librarian could be charmed, then swept off her feet, then wed by George Bush. In fact, as others have pointed out, this novel may be more successful in explaining George Bush to us than it is at explaining Laura. Sittenfeld's descriptions of him ring absolutely true.
In the final section of the book, the public harm done by the Bush administration forces Sittenfeld's Laura Bush to examine her own culpability, which focuses all the experiences she has in the first part of the book into this one question. Although I found several preceding parts to be a bit slow, the book really picked up for me as this moral question came into focus. Many readers were dissatisfied with Alice's conclusions, but I felt there were consistent with her character, and every compromise she had made, and I thought the novel as a whole was successful. Recommended.
Much better than I expected! Holds one's interest throughout!
