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A review by shachargannot
Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson
3.0
I have had Benjamin Franklin: An American Life on my shelf for several months now, but couldn’t bring myself to read it with our political world in shambles. I couldn’t bring myself to read about the founding of the United States and one of the greatest Founding Fathers when the antithesis of democracy was sitting in the White House. I finally picked up this book only after the inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
I can’t say that my awe for Franklin and early America throughout the book. Yes, I liked reading about his humbling beginnings and his hunger to acquire more knowledge, but I found myself angry when he stayed in London for the first time, and then the second, and then France. Being away from his wife and children for such an extended period of time was infuriating to me. And his relationship with his wife was nothing like I understand John and Abigail Adams’ relationship was.
I understand that Franklin was a great inventor, but I found the lengthy descriptions of his experiments and tinkering to be a bit much. His interpersonal relationships, on the other hand, I enjoyed quite a bit -- I especially found his relationship with his loyalist son to be an interesting one.
To be honest, I don’t know if I really “got” what I wanted out of reading this biography. I suppose I know more about Franklin and his historical circumstances. But I didn’t really enjoy the read, and found myself looking forward to finishing it. I also don’t know that I retained more information than I would have had I watched a documentary.
I can’t say that my awe for Franklin and early America throughout the book. Yes, I liked reading about his humbling beginnings and his hunger to acquire more knowledge, but I found myself angry when he stayed in London for the first time, and then the second, and then France. Being away from his wife and children for such an extended period of time was infuriating to me. And his relationship with his wife was nothing like I understand John and Abigail Adams’ relationship was.
I understand that Franklin was a great inventor, but I found the lengthy descriptions of his experiments and tinkering to be a bit much. His interpersonal relationships, on the other hand, I enjoyed quite a bit -- I especially found his relationship with his loyalist son to be an interesting one.
To be honest, I don’t know if I really “got” what I wanted out of reading this biography. I suppose I know more about Franklin and his historical circumstances. But I didn’t really enjoy the read, and found myself looking forward to finishing it. I also don’t know that I retained more information than I would have had I watched a documentary.