Impeachment szn is here, and boy is it depressing! Here’s the cure: Dave Eggers’ new novella. (At least I think it counts as a novella, feel free to politely correct.)
I’m going to try to avoid politics in this review, because it’s too easy to go on a tangent and talk about how horrible, ridiculous, immoral, etc. the current administration is, and I’m guessing you already know this by now. Anyhow!
A book-length satire is typically not my thing, but Dave Eggers so is. The Circle captivated me and I’m convinced of his genius, plus when I saw this one had a glowing B.J. Novak blurb, I had to jump for it. Also, we all need a little humor right now.
The Captain and the Glory brings us back to the beginning of this mess, way back in early 2017. It’s sad how fondly I remember this time in retrospect. Eggers reminds us that this has been absurd from the beginning, and frankly, he doesn’t have to do a lot to make this satire funny — a sobering thought. Nevertheless, the story is delightfully funny, complete with illustration, and the thought of the inspiration for this particular story happening upon it and opening it brings me great joy.
The Captain and the Glory, as I’ve said, is a rather short book — perfect, in my opinion, for a coffee table read. Put it out in the living room before the family comes over for Thanksgiving dinner, perhaps! (I dare you!)
Without giving too much away, I’ll tell you that, if you are worried this story will make you sad, the end is actually quite heartening, and made me smile. We’re going to get through it, after all.
Much love,
Although Knopf provided me with a free review copy, this did not in any way affect my review.
