Drury, Allen. Advise and Consent. New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1959.
Reason read: Not to state the obvious but November is election month and unless you have been living under a rock you know we have to elect a new president.
Confessional: I just couldn’t finish this…maybe because of the election? I’m not sure. I just feel as if this country is broken – very, very broken and reading about politics, even fictional, at this time is not a good thing.
The inside flap to Advise and Consent states it is “…a story so sweeping and complex in its conception that each segment alone would make an enthralling book.” Right. I’m sure that’s why the entire story is over 600 pages long. Drury has crafted five segments: Bob Munson’s book, Seab Cooley’s book, Brigham Anderson’s book, Orrin Knox’s book and Advise and Consent.
Advise and Consent opens with the announcement of the President of the United State’s controversial appointment of Bob Leffingwell as Secretary of State. Right away Drury’s language is witty and mischievous as if there is a twinkle in the eye of the storyteller. If you have ever watched “House of Cards” then you know how deviously politics can be played out. Advise and Consent is no different.
Author fact: Drury covered politics as a reporter for multiple publications including The New York Times.
Book trivia: Advise and Consent has a few drawings by Arthur Shilstone.
Other book trivia: Advise and Consent won a Pulitzer.
Other, other book trivia: Advise and Consent was made into a movie.
BookLust Twist: from Book Lust in the chapter called “Politics of Fiction” (p 189)
~*LunaSea*~ 