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alice_speilburg's review against another edition
3.0
Looking back on this novel, I decided it wasn't anything ground-breaking. Perhaps because for me, it questioned a lot of things that I already question. Is the young generation of today as politically active as the generation of the 60s, and should they be? With all the noise in the media and pop culture, is it even possible? Are we destined to be just like our parents, or do we strive to be the opposite? When we're looking for a partner in life, is our first, young choice destined to be terribly tragic a la Romeo and Juliet, so that ever-after we lean toward something safer and more stable?
At the end, I was still grappling with these questions. The entire novel was a swirl of uncertainty, with its book within a book structure, and with real characters constantly mimicking fiction to a degree that made Karen (and me) question their sanity and certainly their sincerity. Kids who play James Bond grow up to actually try to take down evil government. Karen and her friends read the 007 novels before any of the movies existed. They were, if you will, the "true believers" in Bond, as they later became the "true believers" in righteous politics. Everything is a mirror of something else.
Thought-provoking? Yes. Complex? Incredibly so. But it seems like just the sort of book that a journalist can write. Kurt Anderson has been the editor-in-chief of New York Magazine, a columnist for New York, The New Yorker, and Time. He currently hosts a public radio show, Studio 360. Being so much in the public eye, responsible for shaping onions on so many events, Anderson wrote a novel that questions the importance of his own influence and that of the rest of "the media," from books and movies to the 24-hour news cycle.
Sensationalists, true-believers of James Bond who fantasize clandestine plots to a righteous end, will love this book. The rest of us, playing our roles as average readers, will simply find it entertaining.
(Reposted from my blog: lamplightandink.wordpress.com)
wrentheblurry's review against another edition
I made it to page 56 before stopping. The writing style is fine. Alternating the time frame (between the present and the '60s) is nifty. I also liked the interplay between Karen and her granddaughter...but beyond that, I couldn't get into it. I didn't care enough about the characters or what was happening to them. Still, while the subject matter halted my reading, it's probably a decent read for others, particularly those who came of age in the '60s.
alison_marie's review against another edition
2.0
*I won an advance copy of this book as a Goodreads Giveaway.*
After spending so long reading this book, I find myself totally indifferent after I'm done. I didn't love it, nor did I hate it. I enjoyed the historical parts of the book, but I found present-day Karen a bit grating. Everything just seemed to take forever to happen, and while Anderson is a good writer, I think this book could easily be 100-150 pages shorter but still keep the story intact.
After spending so long reading this book, I find myself totally indifferent after I'm done. I didn't love it, nor did I hate it. I enjoyed the historical parts of the book, but I found present-day Karen a bit grating. Everything just seemed to take forever to happen, and while Anderson is a good writer, I think this book could easily be 100-150 pages shorter but still keep the story intact.
cait331's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed Kurt Anderson's novel, True Believers, and thought it was very well written.
The protagonist, Karen Hollander (or Hollaender), is a strong female character who tries to unlock the secrets of her past in order to write an autobiography. Despite the difficulties she faces--her daughter's belief that her memory is failing, various government organizations impeding her investigation, and old friends trying to prevent her from telling her story--Karen never stops searching for the truth.
The story itself was captivating and I was eager to discover just what it was that Karen and her friends did in 1968.
It's obvious that Anderson did a significant amount of research while writing this novel, which makes it all the more fascinating.
I would definitely encourage others to read this book. Not only is it entertaining, but it gives readers a glimpse into the past. For those of us who weren't alive during the 60s, it is interesting to see how young adults might have felt about President Johnson's actions and American society as a whole.
* In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received the book for free from Goodreads First Reads. *
The protagonist, Karen Hollander (or Hollaender), is a strong female character who tries to unlock the secrets of her past in order to write an autobiography. Despite the difficulties she faces--her daughter's belief that her memory is failing, various government organizations impeding her investigation, and old friends trying to prevent her from telling her story--Karen never stops searching for the truth.
The story itself was captivating and I was eager to discover just what it was that Karen and her friends did in 1968.
It's obvious that Anderson did a significant amount of research while writing this novel, which makes it all the more fascinating.
I would definitely encourage others to read this book. Not only is it entertaining, but it gives readers a glimpse into the past. For those of us who weren't alive during the 60s, it is interesting to see how young adults might have felt about President Johnson's actions and American society as a whole.
* In compliance with FTC guidelines, I disclose that I received the book for free from Goodreads First Reads. *
pearloz's review against another edition
2.0
It just wasn't very good. Growing up in the 60s, the Narrator obviously will mention all the cliched cultural touchstones. Oh, you caught that new guitarist Jimi Hendrix? Oh, you saw the movie by that new french director? Oh, you went to see MLK speak? Oh, you were hitchhiking and met some hippies going to a weekend concert? Oh, you were watching RFK's last speech? Oh, you hated the war and protested? It felt like he was trying to write something significant but instead wrote something rote. It was all so expected.
The operations were a strange interesting element, and the book would've been a lot better if they'd gone ahead w/ Operation Lima Bravo Juliet, but in the end it was just kids being childish.
The operations were a strange interesting element, and the book would've been a lot better if they'd gone ahead w/ Operation Lima Bravo Juliet, but in the end it was just kids being childish.
coachadnycbooks's review against another edition
4.0
What a great book! Highly recommended. The writing style was really enjoyable and the story interweaving with historical events in the tumultuous 60's made it hard to put down.
thejoyofbooking's review against another edition
5.0
True Believers thoroughly captured my imagination and transported me back into the 60s, to a time when the political activism meant much more than wearing buttons and running voter registration drives.
Between the intriguing story of Karen’s coming-of-age years and her kick-ass modern life as an almost shoe-in for the Supreme Court nomination, True Believers showcases a complex portrait of a woman with thrills and regrets and a firm determination to reckon with her past on her own terms.
There’s an incredible amount here to discuss, and this would be a fantastic book for book clubs. In fact, I’ve been nagging other people to read it quickly so we can talk about it – it’s the kind of book that begs discussion and probing. Highly recommended.
Between the intriguing story of Karen’s coming-of-age years and her kick-ass modern life as an almost shoe-in for the Supreme Court nomination, True Believers showcases a complex portrait of a woman with thrills and regrets and a firm determination to reckon with her past on her own terms.
There’s an incredible amount here to discuss, and this would be a fantastic book for book clubs. In fact, I’ve been nagging other people to read it quickly so we can talk about it – it’s the kind of book that begs discussion and probing. Highly recommended.
debi_g's review against another edition
4.0
Narrator Karen Hollander takes her time, acquainting us with her past and her present so that we can clearly see the links between them. She speaks like actual intellectuals do, using language that ranges from erudite to indelicate. [In fact, I relished having to use my dictionary app to learn some terms that I'm eager to begin using.] The other characters are interesting, though not necessarily likable.
I liked the book, its story, and its style, but although I can see the intent and method, I would have enjoyed a quicker pace. I did enjoy the inclusion of iconic events, the cameo-style characters, the songs, the books, and the rest of "real" life, demonstrating how the puzzle of experiences assemble as art or personality or history.
Disclosures:
I am a fan of Kurt Aenderson's radio program, Studio 360. (Grok it? Aenderson?)
I received this ARC via Goodreads.
I have read a 007 book, nor have I seen a Bond movie.
I read True Believers (and wrote this) under the influence of influenza. I watched season one of Homeland and the documentary Commune during breaks from reading. The combination made for interesting dreams and topical overlap.
I liked the book, its story, and its style, but although I can see the intent and method, I would have enjoyed a quicker pace. I did enjoy the inclusion of iconic events, the cameo-style characters, the songs, the books, and the rest of "real" life, demonstrating how the puzzle of experiences assemble as art or personality or history.
Disclosures:
I am a fan of Kurt Aenderson's radio program, Studio 360. (Grok it? Aenderson?)
I received this ARC via Goodreads.
I have read a 007 book, nor have I seen a Bond movie.
I read True Believers (and wrote this) under the influence of influenza. I watched season one of Homeland and the documentary Commune during breaks from reading. The combination made for interesting dreams and topical overlap.
beccacraven's review against another edition
2.0
*** I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. ***
This book was erroneously billed as a political thriller. Besides the presence of some guns and the name-dropping of every government security organization at least once per chapter, there was nothing in the book itself to "thrill" the reader.
This is a verbose guilt trip by the (stereotypically) Catholic narrator of the story, a book about writing a book about the late-1960s. Was the thrilling part supposed to be whether she'd succumb to pressure to drop the endeavor altogether? Maybe... but if that's the case, I wish I'd been able to read the book that the narrator was supposed to be writing instead of this one.
Not super impressed with this one, obviously.
This book was erroneously billed as a political thriller. Besides the presence of some guns and the name-dropping of every government security organization at least once per chapter, there was nothing in the book itself to "thrill" the reader.
This is a verbose guilt trip by the (stereotypically) Catholic narrator of the story, a book about writing a book about the late-1960s. Was the thrilling part supposed to be whether she'd succumb to pressure to drop the endeavor altogether? Maybe... but if that's the case, I wish I'd been able to read the book that the narrator was supposed to be writing instead of this one.
Not super impressed with this one, obviously.