The First First Gentleman by Gerald Weaver
| The First First Gentleman by Gerald Weaver | |
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| Category: General Fiction | |
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Reviewer: Stephen Leach
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| Summary: A thought-provoking speculative tale about a couple who create a media sensation with their campaign for the White House. | |
| Buy? Maybe | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 584 | Date: August 2016 |
| Publisher: London Wall Publishing | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0993291753 | |
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Anyone picking up The First First Gentleman might be forgiven for snorting with laughter and making a sarcastic comment about how timely and potentially satirical it sounds. In a way they’d be right – but probably for different reasons.
TFFC is not a satirical mirror-image of current events, but it’s the sort of story that could only have been written right now. Throughout the story of Melinda Sherman’s campaign to become the next President of the United States, it’s hard not to keep current events in mind – indeed, I wondered several times how I’d view this book if I’d read it five years ago, or even in ten years’ time.
Gerald Weaver’s writing is incredibly sharp – it doesn’t lose focus anywhere. I quickly found myself quite strongly attached to both Melinda and Garth, hoping that they would come out on top, and groaning when things started not to go their way. I’ve always regarded American politics as a bit more than slightly incomprehensible to anyone who isn’t a US citizen, but didn’t find myself confused.
For all my praise, though, I don’t think TFFG it needed to be as long as it was. It feels overwritten in places, particularly in the first half of the novel, with long stretches of narration often plonked at the front of scenes to introduce new characters or locations. This bugged me a couple of times – it felt clunky and unnatural, almost as though Weaver didn’t trust the reader to develop their own opinions on the characters.
Ultimately, however, The First First Gentleman is a fresh and funny story which managed to surprise me once or twice. It might not be to your taste if you prefer lighter or more fantastical fiction, but it’s an interesting read regardless of your political leanings.
I’d like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag for review.
If political fiction’s your thing, you might enjoy The Broker by John Grisham or Rodham: What if Hillary hadn't Married Bill? by Curtis Sittenfeld.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The First First Gentleman by Gerald Weaver at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The First First Gentleman by Gerald Weaver at Amazon.com.
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