Rodham

i went in to this with a really cynical attitude. I like Curtis Sittenfeld's work a lot, and was a fan of American Wife, which was a similar undertaking to Rodham, but with a clearly fictionalized Laura Bush. But that is the difference; American Wife was clearly fiction inspired by a real person. I was deeply uncomfortable with the idea of creating an alternate life for a living breathing universally known woman. It seemed really unfair to Hillary who has seen her life hijacked and recast by so many people and ought to be able to reclaim her own narrative without anyone, whether it be Rush Limbaugh or Curtis Sittenfeld, putting their grubby hands all over her truth. A secondary concern, I assumed it would he a hagiography. Hillary is a show more goddess divine and everything would have been great if it wasn't for men (particularly men like the randy -- possibly rapey Bill Clinton.) Honestly maybe it was sort of a hagiography, but it was more too. It was a great story that stuck surprisingly close to to real life, it was funny and charming, and gave us a behind the curtain look at politics rooted in public service (as opposed to DJT politics rooted in personal gain and ego masturbation) that made me really miss West Wing. More than that, it was a clarion call to women to claim their lives, to tune out as much of the static as possible about needing a man and needing to please others all of the time, to stop judging other women by standards set by men for their pleasure, and to stop overlooking the boys-will-be-boys behavior that got us into the seething pit of hell in which we currently find ourselves. I loved it. I found myself excited to listen to this whenever I had a moment. Speaking of which, I did listen to this, and the reader, Carrington MacDuffie, was absolutely amazing. It felt like Hillary was talking, but MacDuffie was not doing an impression. The reading was lively and straightforward, and she did other voices of both genders without sounding absurd which is often and issue in audiobooks. This should definitely be an Audie candidate! show less

It took me about 26 hours to read this book over the weekend, and I could not put it down except for a few hours of sleep. Rodham is a historical counterfactual: what would happen if, instead of understanding Bill Clinton's infidelities, accepting his third proposal of marriage, and staying in Arkansas to become first lady and everything else we know from history, Hillary had left the state after a year and Bill had married a sweet second-grade teacher instead? It's hard to describe much of the book without spoiling, but suffice it to say that their paths do cross again and she still goes on to run for president before the end of the book, after several times being tempted to take the easy way out (in that way, she almost reminded me of show more Jesus, not a comparison I think the author necessarily intended!).

I see that a lot of people who read this book are fans of Hillary. I picked it up more because I don't particularly love her, and I wondered how I'd feel about a Hillary who made different choices. The answer is, she's a lot more impressive and relatable. But what made me love this book was the stab of recognition in a scene early on where she contemplates staying in Arkansas with Bill. She has always felt she doesn't quite deserve to be with his devastatingly handsome and magnetic self (for the record, I never saw the appeal but I know he was considered quite the pantymelter). Her harsh (or pragmatic?) self-appraisal is so devastating in the way it internalizes the prejudices of the world and tries to bargain with that world that after that I had to stick with her and see what happened.

Some readers say it was inappropriate for Sittenfeld to write so intimately about people who are still alive, including explicit imagined details of their sex life, but I'm OK with it. It's safe to say that Hillary and Bill's public lives have passed into the realm of history. Sittenfeld never claims to know anything beyond what they've revealed in their memoirs, so their imagined romance is no more wrong than a novel about any of the kings or queens or movie stars or murder victims of history. And then, by leaving Bill and taking a different path, the Hillary of the book becomes a different person from the real one who became First Lady of Arkansas and the country. Reimagining how things might have gone differently makes incredibly fruitful reading for the rest of us. I'm glad Curtis Sittenfeld didn't shy away from it. show less

Complete Hillary fan-fic, but if you can get past the idea that HRC is completely moral, has made only two or three mistakes in her life, and that all she does is for the good of the world (mixed with a good amount of close-to-ruthless ambition), you'll find a really smart, imaginative companion piece to Sittenfeld's "American Wife" here. Sittenfeld, with the above caveats in mind, has written such a smart book, taking into account enough domestic USA realities to give her book the ring of plausibility. She ventriloquizes characters like Bill Clinton & others superbly. (I won't spoil the surprise, but the one that comes in at the end of the book is absolutely on point.) She mixes in quotes people have actually said so it all has the show more ring of truthiness -- yes, that person could say that because they DID say that. She even includes an item or two from the Wikileaks' leaked emails, though not the most damning. And that's probably the weakest part of the book. Sittenfeld's Hillary lives in a world where neoliberalism doesn't exist, making her somewhat incoherent with real-world Hillary, a founder of the DLC, a PAC funding the Dem neoliberal turn. Also, Sittenfeld's Hillary doesn't have much to say about foreign policy; again incoherent with real-world hawk Hillary. It is, though, a great book about white women (including their blindness to their own privilege) and power. I read it in one long sitting; couldn't put it down. So, while I'm far, far to the left of Hillary & her ilk, I really liked this book and respect the heck out of Sittenfeld for having written it. show less

Curtis Sittenfeld is a fantastic writer. If you didn’t think that before and after reading Rodham, think of it this way. Who could take not one, but two of the most recognised people in America and beyond and create a fascinating story that expertly blends the real with the fictional? In other hands, this story could be at the very best a hot mess. In Sittenfeld’s hands, it’s brilliant.

I must admit to being a little squeamish about reading about real people but equally fascinated to see how this book would fan out. I know more of Hillary than I do Bill, as her time in politics coincided with my adulthood rather than childhood. I chose not to Google and Wikipedia my way through Rodham to see what was true to life and what wasn’t show more (although I was desperate to do so). I think that made for a better reading experience as I was often surprised by the turn of events and wasn’t disappointed by what wasn’t included. (Being Australian, I don’t know the details of either of the Clintons’ political lives and beyond). Overall, I loved this book and now I’d like to read the real Hillary’s books. She comes across in the novel as she does in real life – smart with a lot to say, put forward as well-researched arguments. But with the fictional Hillary the reader gets a lot deeper inside her mind, revealing the vulnerabilities, the uncertainty and the errors of judgement that make her human. With this, I was able to see behind the speeches and the pantsuits and reflect on her as a person.

The story begins as Hillary moves from Wellesley to Yale to study law. There she meets a red-haired, bearded Bill Clinton (Google for pics) and they fall in love. Despite the warnings from her friends, Hillary goes with Bill to live in Arkansas where he will make his first foray into politics (ultimate destination: The White House). Ultimately, Hillary makes the difficult decision not to marry Bill and embarks on a university career in Chicago. From there, she will begin her own political aspirations, starting in the U.S. Senate and eventually joining in the Democratic race for president. It won’t be an easy ride, as her past comes back to haunt her (and of course, being a woman doesn’t help). The race for the 2016 presidency gets the most page time, with a surprise opponent and the tips and tricks of a campaign taking on a wild ride. I think my favourite part of this section is how Donald Trump is portrayed. Sittenfeld absolutely nails his speech and his tweets. Given that I’ve been able to buy and read this book freely, I think it’s safe to say that Trump hasn’t read this book. Bill Clinton’s character was conflicting for me. On one hand, he was charming and seemed to have good intentions. On the other, he was just that bit unsettling – too charming, too gracious.

Rodham made me ponder about many things – feminism, sexual assault, race and politics. Yet it isn’t all serious. The saxophone scene made me giggle and gag in equal parts (at this point, I hadn’t seen pictures of young Bill Clinton). The fictional Trump’s tweets and actions had me laughing. I wish Barack and Michelle Obama had some more page time, but maybe that’s a story for the future. I also gained a new appreciation for the mechanics of U.S. politics – the endless campaigning in small towns and half empty halls and the need to write at least one book in the lead up to your presidential run. (So different from Australia, where some states might be lucky to see the leaders once or twice and books tend to be written after time in politics). Overall, it’s very well written and captivated my attention throughout. I can’t wait to see what Sittenfeld does next. After her fictional biography of a thinly disguised Laura Bush and a retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in Cincinnati and now Rodham, the sky is the limit.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com show less

I enjoyed reading Sittenfeld's novel of "what if Hilary didn't marry Bill." What if she met him, fell in love, went to Arkansas, but said No the third time he asked her to marry him, due to his inability to keep his fly zipped. She knew that, on that score, she'd never be able to trust him. In this alternate version of her life, she leaves Arkansas and ultimately ends up as a law professor at Northwestern. I don't want to give the story away, but she does portray Hilary as a bright, hard-working single woman. I would say that Bill is not portrayed in a flattering light as time goes on.

It's entertaining, and Sittenfeld did her research by reading, among other things, their autobiographies.

I wouldn't imagine that either of their lives show more would have followed the trajectory set forth in the novel if they had never married. Without their bond, neither would have reached high office. He is brilliant and charismatic, but a bit wild; she is brilliant, not charismatic, but organized and mentally tough. They are a good team. So 3.5 stars. show less

What Might Have Been

In this cross between alternative history and alternative biography, Curtis Sittenfeld poses the question: What would have become of Hillary had she picked up on Bill Clinton’s red flags and walked away from him? The answer is a mixed bag: An interesting peek into a famous relationship and how it might have evolved over the years; speculation on Hillary’s solo road to the U.S. presidency; and at least one suspect association.

That Hillary Rodham Clinton has been subjected to very effective demonizing by opponents on the right and that she herself has sometimes acted in bold ways that alienated even those supporting her, these are no secrets. Buried not so deeply in this novel written by someone who appears to like show more her is a criticism that dovetails with that directed at her by her opponents. All the signals about Bill were there and being a very astute woman she should have picked up on them and more importantly acted on them. Had she done so her life would have been different in important ways that would have both satisfied her intellectual abilities and benefited the country. Sittenfeld softens Hillary’s real-life decision by portraying the Hillary-Bill romance in detail in the very good first third of the novel, focusing on her feelings of love for Bill and his engaging and beguiling charisma. Readers can understand what drew her to him and had her ultimately resolving herself to his flaws to remain with him.

Contrary to the real Hillary, this version of her made the painful decision to break up with him and move on. That leads readers into the last two-thirds of the novel, imagining what her personal and political life would have looked like with her as a free agent. What transpires in the novelist’s alternate world is pretty much what you would expect, with some notable exceptions that include Carol Moseley Braun and Donald Trump. Politics is a rough game and though Hillary is a person of integrity (in the novel and in real-life, irrespective of obvious human flaws), the prize can’t be had without dipping a toe in the mud. Readers will probably have mixed opinions about this trip through the political world.

Then there is Bill, and it should come as no surprise that Hillary can’t escape him, nor that she carries a torch for him, for what might have been, for a very long time. Bill fares as you would expect Bill to, an indomitable character in real-life and on the pages of this novel. Talk about the Teflon President, or even the Teflon Don, neither have anything on the fictional Bill. In most ways, this Bill gets it all, even though his political career in Arkansas blows up spectacularly, as foreseen by the fictional Hillary. But even so, he remains big, successful, and above it all, the dominate Bill.

One more thing, something we probably forget about Hillary and most prominent figures with gravitas. They are as human as we are, which means they are sexual. Get ready, then, readers, because the fictional Hillary has a good deal of sex, many sexual thoughts, and self-commentary on her physical appearance and transformation over the years. show less

What Might Have Been

In this cross between alternative history and alternative biography, Curtis Sittenfeld poses the question: What would have become of Hillary had she picked up on Bill Clinton’s red flags and walked away from him? The answer is a mixed bag: An interesting peek into a famous relationship and how it might have evolved over the years; speculation on Hillary’s solo road to the U.S. presidency; and at least one suspect association.

That Hillary Rodham Clinton has been subjected to very effective demonizing by opponents on the right and that she herself has sometimes acted in bold ways that alienated even those supporting her, these are no secrets. Buried not so deeply in this novel written by someone who appears to like show more her is a criticism that dovetails with that directed at her by her opponents. All the signals about Bill were there and being a very astute woman she should have picked up on them and more importantly acted on them. Had she done so her life would have been different in important ways that would have both satisfied her intellectual abilities and benefited the country. Sittenfeld softens Hillary’s real-life decision by portraying the Hillary-Bill romance in detail in the very good first third of the novel, focusing on her feelings of love for Bill and his engaging and beguiling charisma. Readers can understand what drew her to him and had her ultimately resolving herself to his flaws to remain with him.

Contrary to the real Hillary, this version of her made the painful decision to break up with him and move on. That leads readers into the last two-thirds of the novel, imagining what her personal and political life would have looked like with her as a free agent. What transpires in the novelist’s alternate world is pretty much what you would expect, with some notable exceptions that include Carol Moseley Braun and Donald Trump. Politics is a rough game and though Hillary is a person of integrity (in the novel and in real-life, irrespective of obvious human flaws), the prize can’t be had without dipping a toe in the mud. Readers will probably have mixed opinions about this trip through the political world.

Then there is Bill, and it should come as no surprise that Hillary can’t escape him, nor that she carries a torch for him, for what might have been, for a very long time. Bill fares as you would expect Bill to, an indomitable character in real-life and on the pages of this novel. Talk about the Teflon President, or even the Teflon Don, neither have anything on the fictional Bill. In most ways, this Bill gets it all, even though his political career in Arkansas blows up spectacularly, as foreseen by the fictional Hillary. But even so, he remains big, successful, and above it all, the dominate Bill.

One more thing, something we probably forget about Hillary and most prominent figures with gravitas. They are as human as we are, which means they are sexual. Get ready, then, readers, because the fictional Hillary has a good deal of sex, many sexual thoughts, and self-commentary on her physical appearance and transformation over the years. show less