Right from the moment Donald Trump threw his hat into the presidential contest ring, I have been following updates about him. So, when I got to know about this book, I naturally wanted to read it.
Unlike other books, the problem with this one was that, the most explosive or sensational points had already become headlines in major global news platforms, even before the book became available for purchase. So, when I bought the book and read it, it didn't have the sort of impact it should actually have had.
Almost all persons connected to the Trump administration figure in this book. It is all about how he dealt with them, how they dealt with him, what they did, what they didn't do, how he hired them, how he fired them, what they thought about the President etc. And, Michael Wolff adds his own interpretations to all of that.
If you have been following news headlines related to Trump, a lot of pages of this book will just evoke a feeling of deja vu. You would get a little more of insights into those controversies, their contexts, and implications.
There are references to Trump as a person, and his habits as well. Apparently, he reprimanded the housekeeping staff for picking up his shirt from the floor. And he said, “If my shirt is on the floor, it’s because I want it on the floor.”
Wolff writes about Trump, "Personal dignity — that is, apparent uprightness and respectability — is one of his fixations. He is uncomfortable when the men around him are not wearing suit and ties."
After a point, the book becomes boring and predictable, with lots of details of intrigues, deals and strategies. As I reached the end of the book, I was wondering if Trump doesn't have any pleasant side to him at all. I don't know if he doesn't really have; or the author hasn't been able to get that out, or he didn't want to highlight that in the book.
If Trump is a person who has no quality worth writing home about, then how did he reach the position he is in now?
View my list of books on Goodreads
We've heard so much about this book, haven't we? There was so much noise about it. I know what you mean when you say it becomes boring after a bit.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to read it sometime to know what it was like to hang around that famous white building. :)
Thank you, D.Nambiar, for dropping by. Do read it when you get time, and tell us what you felt about it.
DeleteOh, don't even get me started. Sorry the book wasn't better. But with that subject, how could it be good? (Whoops, that's me getting started...)
ReplyDeleteYes, Liz, the very mention of Trump can elicit very sharp opinions from people. Thanks for dropping by.
DeleteI've found it hard to form an educated opinion about Donald Trump, there is so much conflicting reports of him everywhere. Some think he is wonderful, some not so much! I watched a documentary series on Netflix recently called "Dirty Money", in which he featured, and it was interesting to learn more about how he's made his money and reached the position he is in today. I pray for America's sake that the good reports of him are truer than the bad ones.
ReplyDeleteYes, Hannah. All individuals will have their pluses and minuses. You get to hear so much about Trump's minuses. I am sure he has a few pluses as well.
DeleteI do not belong to any party. I am an independent. In my opinion, Michael Wolff is a liar. According to Business Insider, Wolff acknowledged in an author's note that he wasn't certain all of the book’s content was true. He said several of his sources lied to him. He said he just allowed the reader to judge whether those claims are true.
ReplyDeleteDuring the publicity tour of his book, he said in an interview that President Trump is having an affair with Nikki Haley. She denied it. (Per Wikipedia)
Erik Wemple of the Washington Post said that Wolff was engaging in a "remarkable multimedia slime job". The New York Post editorial board called Wolff's claim an "ugly, sexist rumor". Bari Weiss in The New York Times said that Wolff was "gleefully" spreading "evidence-free detail". After several interviewers pressed him about the rumor, Wolff later said that "I do not know if the president is having an affair."
These newspapers are no friends of Trump.
Thanks Rajan, for bringing up this point that Wolff relied on other people's versions. I wanted to mention that in the post, but forgot.
DeleteIt's strange that Wolff made all those remarks.
When someone goes on and on, in one single direction, it not only becomes boring, you begin to suspect the motives.