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nina_reads_books's review
4.0
The Speechwriter is a very funny, satirical, takedown of politics, political staffers and the public service from someone who has lived it. The author, Martin McKenzie-Murray, is a former journalist and political adviser. The book reeks of insider knowledge and is a wildly exaggerated though nevertheless highly amusing parody of life in the Canberra bubble.
The speechwriter of the tale – Toby – finds himself in prison being forced to ghost write letters for criminals to avoid assault. He decides to write his own memoir with a little help from his obliging (though a bit scary) cellmate, Garry who oversees the storytelling and constantly interrupts Toby (through very funny footnotes) to question his memory of events. The memoir covers his first foray into speechwriting at age 10 up until his fateful stint as the Prime Minister’s speechwriter.
This book was a blokey, vulgar satire without a shred of political correctness. In fact some of the things Toby describes were so un-PC I almost gasped out loud. Did he really just write that?? Don’t expect to take anything in this book seriously but do expect to experience a surreal ride!
I found The Speechwriter very funny. The use of footnotes to allow Garry to interject into the story was an excellent device. And as a career public servant I found the ribbing of the public service hilarious. Personal favourite bits include epic use of bureaucratese – “I guess what I want to say to you, mate,” he’d say, “is that we must move towards retrieving holistic policy approaches from the demands of programmatic specificity.”
And then the best mocking of the public service’s famously difficult process for getting fired! Toby has an epiphany and says “It all made sense now. I was professionally immortal. We all were. The dreamers, the drunks, and lechers. The idle and parasitic. The saboteurs and whistle-blowers. The good, the bad. All of us were fixed to a profuse and infinite teat – the cost was suffering the difference and derision of the Minister’s office.”
I want to thank @scribepub for my #gifted copy.
The speechwriter of the tale – Toby – finds himself in prison being forced to ghost write letters for criminals to avoid assault. He decides to write his own memoir with a little help from his obliging (though a bit scary) cellmate, Garry who oversees the storytelling and constantly interrupts Toby (through very funny footnotes) to question his memory of events. The memoir covers his first foray into speechwriting at age 10 up until his fateful stint as the Prime Minister’s speechwriter.
This book was a blokey, vulgar satire without a shred of political correctness. In fact some of the things Toby describes were so un-PC I almost gasped out loud. Did he really just write that?? Don’t expect to take anything in this book seriously but do expect to experience a surreal ride!
I found The Speechwriter very funny. The use of footnotes to allow Garry to interject into the story was an excellent device. And as a career public servant I found the ribbing of the public service hilarious. Personal favourite bits include epic use of bureaucratese – “I guess what I want to say to you, mate,” he’d say, “is that we must move towards retrieving holistic policy approaches from the demands of programmatic specificity.”
And then the best mocking of the public service’s famously difficult process for getting fired! Toby has an epiphany and says “It all made sense now. I was professionally immortal. We all were. The dreamers, the drunks, and lechers. The idle and parasitic. The saboteurs and whistle-blowers. The good, the bad. All of us were fixed to a profuse and infinite teat – the cost was suffering the difference and derision of the Minister’s office.”
I want to thank @scribepub for my #gifted copy.
samvdp's review
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
e11en's review
dark
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, and Drug use
hannahbanks's review
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
halfpotato_halfcheese's review
3.0
****3.5 stars****
A dive into Australian politics from a very different angle.
Retrospectively looking at issues that come up in Australia politics in this way, had me considering what really needs to be the focus for our politicians. I wanted to hear more from Garry and his take on things. A easy but interesting read.
A dive into Australian politics from a very different angle.
Retrospectively looking at issues that come up in Australia politics in this way, had me considering what really needs to be the focus for our politicians. I wanted to hear more from Garry and his take on things. A easy but interesting read.
rahhow's review
3.0
3.8
Genuinely enjoyed myself.
The world-building felt a tad unbalanced which affected the tone in certain pockets of the book. But what really caught my attention was the main character's interaction with other people. The dialogue in this book singularly categorises this book to be satire and for that, it was a fun read.
Genuinely enjoyed myself.
The world-building felt a tad unbalanced which affected the tone in certain pockets of the book. But what really caught my attention was the main character's interaction with other people. The dialogue in this book singularly categorises this book to be satire and for that, it was a fun read.
scribepub's review
A savage, laugh-out-loud satire that hits the ground running and never lets up.
Tony Martin
Whether it’s a farce or a forecast, The Speechwriter is a romp. Only a flint-eyed journo could write a fiction so absurdly believable. And believably absurd. Could not put it down even after I coughed up regular cocktails from laughing. Bravo, and damn you Martin.
Tim Rogers
The Black Mirror Australian politics has been waiting for … A strange, joyful, absurd, and cutting take on politics, spin, and modern-day media.
Zan Rowe
When I began reading, I thought it was farce. By the end, I understood it was closer to realism … brutal, hilarious, harrowing.
Sean Kelly
An entertaining story of folly set in a unique, exaggerated world of backroom politics. The Speechwriter will most likely appeal to readers of Steve Toltz, as well as fans of TV comedies like Veep and Utopia.
Brad Jefferies, Books+Publishing
Martin McKenzie-Murray’s skewering of Australian bureaucracy and political lethargy is one of the funniest books I’ve read in years.
Keeping Up With the Penguins
You’ll laugh out loud.
Happy Magazine
A satire needs heart as much as cleverness to be effective, and in these moments Martin McKenzie-Murray delivers.
Marie Matteson, Readings
The novel’s main subject is the absurdity of the disconnect between politicians’ public announcements and the reality of events. Fans of Martin McKenzie-Murray’s journalism will have been looking forward to this book, and there are some clever insights and some laughs to be had.
Kerryn Goldsworthy, Sydney Morning Herald
Tony Martin
Whether it’s a farce or a forecast, The Speechwriter is a romp. Only a flint-eyed journo could write a fiction so absurdly believable. And believably absurd. Could not put it down even after I coughed up regular cocktails from laughing. Bravo, and damn you Martin.
Tim Rogers
The Black Mirror Australian politics has been waiting for … A strange, joyful, absurd, and cutting take on politics, spin, and modern-day media.
Zan Rowe
When I began reading, I thought it was farce. By the end, I understood it was closer to realism … brutal, hilarious, harrowing.
Sean Kelly
An entertaining story of folly set in a unique, exaggerated world of backroom politics. The Speechwriter will most likely appeal to readers of Steve Toltz, as well as fans of TV comedies like Veep and Utopia.
Brad Jefferies, Books+Publishing
Martin McKenzie-Murray’s skewering of Australian bureaucracy and political lethargy is one of the funniest books I’ve read in years.
Keeping Up With the Penguins
You’ll laugh out loud.
Happy Magazine
A satire needs heart as much as cleverness to be effective, and in these moments Martin McKenzie-Murray delivers.
Marie Matteson, Readings
The novel’s main subject is the absurdity of the disconnect between politicians’ public announcements and the reality of events. Fans of Martin McKenzie-Murray’s journalism will have been looking forward to this book, and there are some clever insights and some laughs to be had.
Kerryn Goldsworthy, Sydney Morning Herald
dreamingofeternalreading's review
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
keepingupwiththepenguins's review
5.0
After the past few years, you’d be forgiven for thinking political satire is dead. The Speechwriter proves it isn’t so. Martin McKenzie-Murray’s skewering of Australian bureaucracy and political lethargy is one of the funniest books I’ve read in years. The absurdity is unshakably familiar, but dialed up to eleven. The tone is endearingly nihilistic: the fed-up straight man to the world’s clown car. A highly recommended read for anyone who needs a wry laugh and a shot in the arm!
My full review can be found on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
My full review can be found on Keeping Up With The Penguins.