WWW.WEDNESDAY

WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here. 

1. What are you currently reading?  

Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn. Our narrator is Chet, a dog who flunked out of police school. Chet lives and works with his human companion, Bernie, a down-on-his-luck private investigator. The mystery at hand involves threats against a show dog named Princess.

I just cracked this one open, so I don't have much to say about it. It was gifted to me by someone I gave The Art of Racing in the Rain to. He figured if I enjoyed a dog narrator then, I'll enjoy one now, though I can see already this book doesn't have Racing's artistic aspirations.

And that's OK. Just as I enjoy a popcorn movie at the theater every now and again, I can have fun reading lighter fare.

 

2. What did you recently finish reading?  

Bobby Kennedy: A Raging Spirit by Chris Matthews. This book was a difficult read. Not because of the writing -- Chris Matthews is far more graceful in his prose than his TV persona suggests. No, it was hard because of Bobby is such a challenging topic.

This is, after all, the kid JFK used to call "Black Robert." He could be a prig. He could be without nuance. He had an unfortunate penchant for seeing the world (in his wife Ethel's words) "as black and white hats." His puritanical outlook made it hard for him to fit in -- at college, in the service, in the workplace.

Then he fell into politics and he hit his stride. He was successful in running John Kennedy's campaigns, he was effective as an activist Attorney General. He believed he was making a difference. He was happy. But that happiness ended in the worst way possible after only 1000 days.

 

President Kennedy's death transformed his brother. He became more sensitive and almost achingly empathic. He yearned to close the gap between generations, between races, between classes. Bobby was driven to run for President himself because he believed he could do real and lasting good. Then the unthinkable becomes inevitable, and Bobby himself is murdered. At just 42. 

The parallels between 1968 and 2018 are inescapable. Reading this book is like walking around with a pebble in your shoe. Bobby annoys and reminds and cajoles you into doing what you can to help your country now, when your country really needs you.

3.  What will you read next?  

Maybe another biography? Or a mystery. My TBR pile is stacked dauntingly high with both.