Book Review: Sammy's Hill

First let me say that I do love Al. And because of that I was prepared to love this book.

I thought 'his daughter has to be well-educated - she went to Harvard' and 'she has to be a good writer - she edited The Harvard Lampoon! and wrote for Saturday Night Live and Futurama!'

For goodness' sake, they profiled her on Fresh Air. And this book has gotten all sorts of reviews that cite it as 'quick, funny and absorbing'.

Oh lord, how misleading those credentials are. I have lost all respect for Harvard, the comic institutions who hired her to write, and I will never trust a New York Magazine book review again!

Now, you know that I love drivel. I can waste an entire weekend reading best-sellers and bodice-rippers. I am not precious when it comes to the literature I am willing to pollute my mind with - but this just goes beyond.

It is total nonsense.

Poorly-written total nonsense that attempts to take Helen Fielding-esque approach to Capitol Hill and its intrigues (health care policy!) and dramas (a zit developing on the nose of our heroine, right before she is about to see the man she is gagging for!)

It is sad. So very very sad.

Maybe it's because I am trying to listen to it while I drive that the impossible syntax and utterly false scenarios are so grating, but I haven't even been able to make it past disk 2. Everything that happens to the heroine just reeks of an attempt at Lucille Ball zany-ness, and doesn't seem at all plausible.

Example: she leaves for work (at the Senate!) one morning with shoes that don't match - a sneaker and a sandal.

Unless she is pregnant or mentally ill, this seems just incredibly unlikely. Supposedly she isn't either of the above, but that could be the plot twist in the third act that makes this whole pile o' mess work. Crap, I guess I have to keep listening to it.

I guess this is more of a warning than a review, but I thought you should know.

Luckily, I only checked it out from the library.

p.s. Anna Quindlen's Rise and Shine was pretty good and I am currently reading The Emperor's Children which is starting off slow, but seems to have potential.

p.p.s. I am feeling a bit salty today - especially regarding books. I just snapped at some Barnes & Nobles employees (I know that I shouldn't shop there - but it is the only book store by my office!) because they had closed down the art and design section for a signing by Taylor Hicks! Like I care about that washed-up American Idol hasbeen and his army of great unwashed tourist fans. Ahem.

so perhaps my... umm.. review may seem unduly harsh.

p.p.p.s. I saw Simon Doonan (author of Confessions of a Window Dresser - HILARIOUS!) and Kelly Ripa (author of nothing sofar as I know - thank goodness) whil I was out at lunch. This is apropos of nothing, just thought you should know.