Primary Colors

Klein, Joe as Anonymous

ISBN 10: 0679448594 / ISBN 13: 9780679448594

Published by Random House, NY, 1996

About this Item

A very nice copy in collector's condition--tight, bright and clean. Unclipped. The widely ballyhooed and thinly disguised story of Bill Clinton's 1992 primary campaign, this book received much media attention, mainly due to the "Anonymous" author. The story is supposed to be so authentic that it could only have been written by an inside staffer. It was a major Washington pastime to guess the writer's identity. Nearly half of the book focuses on the critical New Hampshire Primary. The second half explores the arbitrary romances and foibles of the characters. The real strength here is in the characterizations. Jack Stanton, the governor of a small Southern state, is seeking the Democratic nomination. He "has his flaws, but his stamina, optimism and appetite for life are spectacular." Susan Stanton as Hillary is every bit as brilliant, perceptive, and determined as her many fans might imagine. It is fun to guess the identity of the other characters. Is that Mario Cuomo? Jessie Jackson? James Carville? This novel is more informative about politics than any government textbook, and certainly far more fun. When Anonymous was later revealed to be author and Newsweek correspondent Joe Klein, a chorus of criticism was heard from his media colleagues who accused him of sullying his journalistic integrity by writing and publishing this book. They were probably just jealous. Basis for the film featuring John Travolta and Emma Thompson. Seller Inventory # 000283

Bibliographic Details

Title: Primary Colors

Publisher: Random House, NY

Publication Date: 1996

Binding: Hard Cover in Dust Jacket

Condition: Near Fine

Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine

Edition: First Edition, First Printing

About this title

Synopsis:

A brilliant and penetrating look behind the scenes of modern American politics, Primary Colors is a funny, wise, and dramatic story with characters and events that resemble some familiar, real-life figures. When a former congressional aide becomes part of the staff of the governor of a small Southern state, he watches in horror, admiration, and amazement, as the governor mixes calculation and sincerity in his not-so-above-board campaign for the presidency.

Review:

The famous -- or infamous -- roman a clef about the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign. You've read the hype; now read the book.

Primary Colors has its rich rewards as a savvy insider's look at life on the stump. But it travels far beyond mere gossip and expose and discovers a convincing world of its own, peopled by smart cookies, nutcases, and wheeler-dealers, whose public and private lives illuminate each other -- sometimes by casting dark shadows. This story spans the novelistic spectrum from bedroom farce to high moral drama, and it paints a picture of the political state of the nation so vivid and authentic that one finds in it the deepest kind of truth -- the kind of truth that only fiction can tell.