"America America" by Ethan Canin (Random House, ISBN
9780679456803, $27.00)
Oh, suffer the do-gooders. Those poor elected officials, seduced by power,
who truly want to change the world. They often accomplish just that, and
just as often, they become victims of their own dual natures.
“America America,” Ethan Canin’s brilliant new novel conjures the whole
political pageant, from the first setting up of chairs to the final plea for
funds. He shows us loyal aides and backers; hungry journalists and all the
temptations of women, travel and contributions. Our narrator is Corey
Sifter, who crosses class lines when he hires onto the grand New York Estate
of the Metarey family, backers of the 1972 presidential campaign of Sen.
Henry Bonwiller, a man of the people who’s determined to do good.
Sifter describes the action from a distance, first as “the help,” then as a
scholarship student in a school for the privileged, and then, finally, as
the publisher of a local newspaper. With the words of a master storyteller,
Canin’s exquisite novel transports us into the bright fast world of politics
and illuminates the sweet promises and steep prices of power.
Review by
Sarah Bagby,
June 26, 2008
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