I loathe politics, but I enjoyed this book as much as Tarloff’s more recent The Man Who Wrote the Book (which I heartily recommend, as well).
Face-Time recounts the story of a Presidential love affair, told from the perspective of the woman’s boyfriend — himself the lead speechwriter for the President. While work-related love triangles are probably somewhat common, having the “boss” figure be the President is (we hope, anyway) uncommon. The book presents a deep investigation into love, trust, power, guilt, and I suppose politics although you needn’t understand or even like politics to enjoy the story.
There are only a handful of characters, and the plot is simple. The narrator is an intelligent man with a wry sense of humor, and Tarloff’s outstanding writing shines throughout. The dialog is impeccable, and even better, the narrator’s internal analysis (which probably represents a significant percentage of the text) is fascinating and heartfelt.
This would probably be an uncomfortable read, if your spouse has been unfaithful. The narrator’s pain is so pure, so evident, that at times I felt like I do when someone talks about grisly oral surgery or, even worse, prostate procedures: empathy can kill! Tarloff sets up wholly wretched situations but populates them with likeable, even admirable characters, whose justifications and rationalizations are completely reasonable. It’s impossible for the reader not to project himself into the story, to ask “what would I do?”
This book should probably be required reading for couples prior to marriage!
Patronize these links, man:
posted to area: Fiction
updated: 2001-08-16 19:00:00
