A PROMISED LAND
by Barack Obama
In his intro to this massive tome, Barack Obama mentions how, as he began the project of writing a memoir about his time in office, the size of the book grew and grew until he had to split it into two books. Reading it then I thought, "Oh, so the first part must be Dreams From My Father," which I had read and enjoyed. But as I reached page 600, and he hadn't finished describing his first term in office, I realized there is another tome to come that will cover his re-election and second term. I am going to be honest with you all, I will not be reading it.
A Promised Land is an excellent book; Obama is a thorough and compelling writer, and I feel better informed about the world and its recent history for having read it. However, I found it stressful to be reliving some very turbulent moments from the not-so-distant past, and contemplating just how much worse things would become shortly after. So many of Obama’s personal anecdotes are funny and heart-warming, but the detail with which he recounts each policy and decision, each meeting and debate makes for dense and at times difficult reading.
I think when I picked up this book, I thought I'd get some of that “hope-y, change-y” feeling that Obama always inspired. Instead, I found myself shocked by how broken the system was even then, and depressed by how much worse things have gotten. I don't mean to discourage anyone from reading this book; it is excellent. But know what you are getting yourself into, and buckle up for a dramatic ride. (Lily)
