The Pastiche of a Presidency, Imitating a Life, in 957 Pages (NYT book review, not wholly positive)

The New York Times ^ | June 20, 2004 | MICHIKO KAKUTANI

[Hildy]

A little off topic: Jay Leno had a funny one the other night. Said, "Did you hear Bill Clinton is going to talk about his infidelities on 60 minutes this Sunday. 60 Minutes? Dontchya think he should be on 48 Hours instead????"

[jern]

To: MICHIKO KAKUTANI
From: New York Times Editorial Board
Re: Clean out your desk on Mon. 6/20

[Carolinamom]

950 pages of words = cheap doorstop when it goes on the remainder shelf.

[thinkingman129]

Yeah! You're right, it's a relief to poke fun, but Hillary isn't going away. I don't know how it is possible to educate the masses on discernment when the media is so leftist yet denies it every step. If only our educational system really taught people to pick things apart and think about things.

[finnman69]

LOL, I can only imagine that Gail Collins, Krugman, Maureen Dowd are having a cow over this review about now.

[finnman69]

Or Rush, this could be Rush's lead item Monday.

[McGruff]

Since the admin moderator pulled my thread I'll comment here.

'Sloppy, self-indulgent and often eye-crossingly dull... the sound of one man prattling away, not for the reader, but for himself and some distant recording angel of history'...


NYT BRUTAL BOOK REVIEW FOR BUBBA

[jocon307]

Kakutani rules! I have always thought she is an excellent book reviewer, she never pulls a punch. I am so glad they gave it to her to review, and I think she's put it fairly, all around.

She's also made me want to read US Grant's autobiography.

[jocon307]

"This is one memoir that can be safely said to be written by its subject."

Yes, let's give old Bill some credit for that while we're having fun reading the pans!

[Ruth A.]

A reviewer with integrity. Wow. Nothing like a stream of conscienceness autobigraphy with the world's most garralous and self-absorbed man.

[Ann Archy]

I hope she doesn't get Arkancided.

[mrustow]

I hope Michiko is polishing up her resume, because she will not last very long at the New York Times.

Nah -- now if she panned HILLARY! and The Big He, she'd need to get a new job.

[Aeronaut]

Good writing. This reporter has the talent necessary for a move up to a major paper.

Spewing. That's really funny!

[beebuster2000]

I am devastated. I was so looking forward to a good read. Now what?
well, there' always Louis L'Amour

[Howlin]

He does a persuasive job of explicating his more successful initiatives like welfare reform and deficit reduction

Shoved down his throat by the GOP!!!

I heard that he says that when he tried to tell George W. Bush that bin Laden was the bigget threat to this country that Bush changed the subject.

And repeated again in this "telling" is the story of watching Martin Luther King's speech at the Lincoln Memorial live on TV in his living room in Little Rock; I'm almost positive that lie has been put to rest right here on FR.

[bannie]

zombies in Haiti and ruins in Pompeii

This guy seems to think that everything in time and space involve him.

[bannie]

I wonder if Gennifer Flowers in included in this huge volume.

[Kaslin]

Approbiate picture I think

---

[RichInOC]

I still have problems imagining Bubba being interested in any woman large enough that he could fit into her undies. Maybe Monica in her Anna Nicole Smith period, but she wasn't that big when she was working for him.

[Howlin]

Here's an even better definition:

pastiche

Main Entry: pas·tiche
Pronunciation: pas-'tEsh, päs-
Function: noun
Etymology: French, from Italian pasticcio
1 : a literary, artistic, musical, or architectural work that imitates the style of previous work; also : such stylistic imitation
2 a : a musical, literary, or artistic composition made up of selections from different works : POTPOURRI b : HODGEPODGE

In other words, slung together!