The Running Mate

I had initial reservations about reading the book. I am not a fan of American literature harping on about the ghosts of 'Nam' and especially not politicians so doing. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how Klein handled it. The book itself has fantastic witticism, intelligent prose and was introspective. I liked the manner in which Klein initially portrays the senator aas a 'golden boy' only for this image to be felled in our eyes during the Senatorial election race. I like the fact that the love interest had a history and complications that came with it. I further loved the 'best friend' who is disillusioned by the Senator when he falls in love and 'loses his head' because it implies certain characteristics of a successful Presidential candidate and also about focussed politicians in general.I enjoyed this book tremendously and recommend it to all. I must admit I liked this book more than I did Primary Colours. It is more mature and I think better executed.

I heard Joe Klein speak at my school, Millsaps College, and was impressed enough with his insider knowledge to give Primary Colors a second read. Knowing who "Anonymous" was didn't change the context of the book much. It was still a novel about wondering who wrote the novel. The guessing game of which politico he was tabloiding overshadowed any literary aspects of the novel. This speaks volumes to why THE RUNNING MATE is so much smarter that PRIMARY COLORS. The characters are composites of our favorite pundits, but the most important dynamic of the book is character and truth, not shock and satire. The character portraits are as compelling as the political portraits. We open as our character has his marriage proposal rejected, while fighting a sexual misunderstanding and failing at a run for the presidency. The descriptions of the veteran Senator returning to Vietnam afterwards are particularly powerful. THE RUNNING MATE is delightfully complex. You voyeuristically watch the Senator as he manipulates the people that watch him. We love the characters for the traits that make them great Americans, while simultaneously watching those same traits damn them. I particularly like how Klein uses many of the events from original novel as a backdrop. The events of Primary Colors seriously affect the new characters. It makes Klein's political timeline a universe of its own. When he spoke at Millsaps, Klein mentioned that he wanted to "write the great modern novel about politics." And this time he has succeeded. This one is definitely a serious work that deserves another read, to catch the subtleties of Klein's observations of modern politics.

Joe Klein gets it. He gets Washington dinner parties, grip-and-grin photo sessions with constituents and their kids, blended families, old friends, grown-up romance, and what people think about during -- and after -- the really tough moments. Who knew that inside the sharpest (in both senses of the word) political reporter there was a tender-hearted novelist struggling to get out? Freed from the stunt aspect of the "anonymous" first novel, we get to see Klein's real chops as a 21st century Balzac. What fun to see him having fun making it all turn out the way he'd like to see it. Highly recommended!

Imagine putting your 80 cents into a soda machine and having a bottle of expensive wine roll out. This is essentially what will happen to the reader who begins The Running Mate looking for an easy weekend read. Joe Klein had taken us through the looking glass to a world that while not unlike ours has one key difference: the political landscape, in all it's complexities and intricacies, is open for all of us to see. This in turn creates a novel that, while remaining an entertaining read, also works on the level of a socio-political commentary on the order of Orwell's Animal Farm. Characters may appear larger than life and events may seem otherworldy but that's Klein's point: the current political environment and those who participate in it have become detached from the rest of us and now live in a world of cartoon-like wackiness. As you might imagine, it's not a pretty place- one would not blame Klein for staying anonymous. With books like this he won't have to worry about running out of enemies but for the reader with an open, adventerous mind this is the guy to vote for.

I begin with a bias whenever I read anything written by Joe Klein. I think he's the best political journalist around, and an immensely gifted novelist. My bias re-asserts itself in my comment about "The Running Mate": It is a hugely entertaining book, very wise, very sobering, and just beautifully written. I couldn't put it down, and I was sorry that the book ended.