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gabedurham's review against another edition
4.0
This book is so funny: high schtick, much unlike the others.
The sly point this book seems to make is that a citizen who models her own actions on the actions of a world leader would be a cunning, erratic sociopath. It’s as entertaining as it sounds.
The sly point this book seems to make is that a citizen who models her own actions on the actions of a world leader would be a cunning, erratic sociopath. It’s as entertaining as it sounds.
timcooper99's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
djspiderman's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
kannolikitten's review against another edition
2.0
I loved Lydia Millet's book, Pills and Starships, so I was very excited to jump into another book of hers, especially one that was political satire. Unfortunately, I had a hard time keeping focus (whether that the book or the pandemic is anyone's guess), and it was extremely difficult to find anything redeemable about the main character. The concept of the book (and the short length) kept me reading, but past that it was really hard to keep going at times. If I had more objective knowledge of Bush senior's presidency, this book may have been more enjoyable, but that might be a cop out in this case as policy/events seemed to be just thrown in and the primary focus on G.B. (as Rosemary would reference him) was to feed Rosemary's obsession.
melanie_page's review against another edition
4.0
The character descriptions were fantastic, their interactions realistic, hilarious, depressing. The more I read about George Bush, though, the less I liked the book. I feel like the author might have used any president Americans frequently mock. Rosemary could have been obsessed with anyone, anything, and I would have still like her and her relationships with Russki, Apache, and the ex-cons the best.
melanie_page's review
4.0
The character descriptions were fantastic, their interactions realistic, hilarious, depressing. The more I read about George Bush, though, the less I liked the book. I feel like the author might have used any president Americans frequently mock. Rosemary could have been obsessed with anyone, anything, and I would have still like her and her relationships with Russki, Apache, and the ex-cons the best.
xterminal's review
3.0
Lydia Millet, George Bush- Dark Prince of Love (Scribner's, 2000)
The idea of anyone finding a president sexy-- at least, any president we've had since, oh, Teddy Roosevelt or so-- strikes the same kind of nerve with me as does the idea of having weird leechlike creatures infest peoples' bodies and turn them into mutant zombies (see? there's Night of the Creeps again!). The idea that someone could take such a feeling to the obsessive heights of the stalker is right up there with having dinner at Alf Packer's house. And that's exactly what Lydia Millet gives us in her second novel, George Bush, Dark Prince of Love. It's sick, it's twisted, and every once in a while it's extremely funny.
There's always a rather nasty outsider's-perspective criticism (Millet comes originally from Toronto, though she now lives in Arizona) rumbling just beneath the surface, rather like the ground as her three-hundred-pound plus protagonist, an ex-con named Rosemary (we're never told her last name), goes by. Rosemary is a real peach, the kind of person you never want to be on the wrong side of-- after all, she may decide to wire your office with plastique. Through a rather odd coincidence, Rosemary finds herself feeling as if she has a spiritual connection with George Bush, and we see the four years of G.B.'s presidency through the decidedly jaundiced eyes of Rosemary as she alternately deals with her life as is and tries to get herself into positions where she might manage to usurp Barbara's place in the estimations of the man of her dreams.
Thought the book weighs in at a rather slim 159 pages, it still feels like it goes a tad long. There are some sections about halfway through that bog down. But then, one could argue, that's exactly how Bush's presidency went. Amen. So I'm willing to give Ms. Millet the benefit of the doubt, at least enough to go searching for her first novel, Omnivores. Work this twisted deserves an audience. ** 1/2
The idea of anyone finding a president sexy-- at least, any president we've had since, oh, Teddy Roosevelt or so-- strikes the same kind of nerve with me as does the idea of having weird leechlike creatures infest peoples' bodies and turn them into mutant zombies (see? there's Night of the Creeps again!). The idea that someone could take such a feeling to the obsessive heights of the stalker is right up there with having dinner at Alf Packer's house. And that's exactly what Lydia Millet gives us in her second novel, George Bush, Dark Prince of Love. It's sick, it's twisted, and every once in a while it's extremely funny.
There's always a rather nasty outsider's-perspective criticism (Millet comes originally from Toronto, though she now lives in Arizona) rumbling just beneath the surface, rather like the ground as her three-hundred-pound plus protagonist, an ex-con named Rosemary (we're never told her last name), goes by. Rosemary is a real peach, the kind of person you never want to be on the wrong side of-- after all, she may decide to wire your office with plastique. Through a rather odd coincidence, Rosemary finds herself feeling as if she has a spiritual connection with George Bush, and we see the four years of G.B.'s presidency through the decidedly jaundiced eyes of Rosemary as she alternately deals with her life as is and tries to get herself into positions where she might manage to usurp Barbara's place in the estimations of the man of her dreams.
Thought the book weighs in at a rather slim 159 pages, it still feels like it goes a tad long. There are some sections about halfway through that bog down. But then, one could argue, that's exactly how Bush's presidency went. Amen. So I'm willing to give Ms. Millet the benefit of the doubt, at least enough to go searching for her first novel, Omnivores. Work this twisted deserves an audience. ** 1/2
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