Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue”, which I read recently, is a fascinating book in many ways. The book told me so many things about Sarah Palin that I had never suspected before. For instance:
1. Sarah Palin writes beautifully. She writes much better than how she speaks or twitters. Sample this (and all this in just page 2):
A robin’s egg sky arced overhead, the brisk kick in the air hinting at winter’s approach. Like a family conga line, we wound our way among the vendors and exhibits: from pork chops on a stick to kettle corn, veggie weigh-ins, and livestock competitions. A local dance troupe took to the stage and music blared, competing with the constant hum of generators and squealing kids on rides.
All right, the language may be a little over the top,but compare this with a few recent tweets:
Who hijacked term:”feminist”?A cackle of rads who want 2 crucify other women w/whom they disagree on a singular issue; it’s ironic (& passé3)
Dr.Laura=even more powerful & effective w/out the shackles, so watch out Constitutional obstructionists. And b thankful 4 her voice,America.
Dr.Laura:don’t retreat…reload! (Steps aside bc her 1st Amend.rights ceased 2exist thx 2activists trying 2silence”isn’t American,not fair”)
Clearly, her speeches and tweets are written by incompetent ghostwriters. She should fire them immediately.
2. It’s not surprising that Sarah Palin writes well, considering what a prolific reader she has been since childhood : (page 27)
From The Pearl to Jonathan Livingston Seagull to Animal Farm and anything by C.S. Lewis, I would put down one book just long enough to pick up another. The library on Main Street was one of my summer hideaways. I wandered through the stacks, thumbing through the smalish collection as though it were a secret treasure.
3. See that, Katie Couric? Actually, do you know that Sarah Palin only agreed to be interviewed by Ms. Couric out of pity? (page 256)
“Katie wants people to like her,” Nicolle said. “She wants you to like her.”
Hearing all that, I almost started to feel sorry for her. Katie had tried to make a bold move from lively morning gal to serious anchor, but the new assignment wasn’t going very well.
4. And as for the part about Putin rearing his head over Alaska? Again, we misunderstand. All she wanted to do was give us a geography lesson. (page 274):
Lower 48ers grow up seeing our state tucked with Hawaii in a little square off the coast of Mexico on the nightly news weather map. So I began by trying to squeeze a geographical primer into a ten-second sound bite, explaining that only a narrow maritime border separates Alaska from Russia, that we’re near the Pacific rim countries, and that we’re bordered by Canada.
But Katie interrupted and I did not complete my answer. I wish now I had stopped her and said, “Here’s the geographical context. Now may I answer your question?”
5. OK, but what would she have said instead?
There was much Katie appeared not to know, or care to hear about. For instance, that Alaska’s geographic position makes our relations with Pacific Rim countries of great strategic import, and that we’re the air crossroads of the world. That Russian bombers often play cat-and-mouse with our Air Force near Alaska’s airspace.
Indeed.
There is a lot more, and this is surely a fascinating work of fiction biography autobiography (there, I finally got that right!)
When you consider that you are getting an insight into the thinking of someone who might well become a future US President/ Vice-President/ some kind of kingmaker, it makes for a kind of riveting reading.
Do read this book if you can get hold of it. If you can’t find it under “Non-Fiction”, try “Fiction” or “Horror”. (Blame the book-reading, dorky, liberal librarian for misfiling it).
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*Sigh of relief* For a second there, as I started your reading your post, I missed the sarcasm. I am glad to know that all is well in lekhni’s world
Your last para was spot on and hats off to you for enduring this book.
Yes, all is well in my head
But the book is, in a word, fascinating. I thought the interviews (with Couric et al) told me alll I needed to know about Palin, but no, her defense of her actions tells me even more..
I’d rather just read your review.
What can I say? It’s a fascinating insight into the mind of someone who is most likely going to run for POTUS in 2012. Also tells you a lot about her supporters and how a part of America thinks now.
You’re braver than I am, Lekhni.
(and on a side note, will Palin’s ghostwriter please contact me? I may have a lucrative job offer for her to write my blog for me)
No, no, you are mistaken – surely the book is not ghostwritten? Come on, it must be her own writing, given all those years she spent in the library reading ?
Well, I am not surprised with her eloquence!!! I don’t intend to read the book as but speaking of Ghostwriters, you should check out the film directed by the genius..Polanski
We differ there – I am allergic to Polanski. In my mind, you cannot separate the person from the filmmaker.
I missed the sarcasm int he beginning! Thank God, you did not actually like the book!
Very entertaining review though!
I realize that I have been too subtle
In my defense, I thought Palin’s words speak for themselves. Take, for instance, her statement that she actually thought people would think Alaska is near Hawaii, and wanted to make it clear that Alaska is, in fact, near Russia.
Incredible.
The true horror is that she could become President of the United States of America
Can you imagine her tweeting about that? Should make for serious litter-ature.
I wouldn’t have thought that would be a serious possibility even a year ago, but now when you see people like Sharron Angle and Christine O’Donnell, I don’t know what to believe
What does it say if millions of Americans were willing to vote for Sarah Palin to become POTUS, but not for Hillary Clinton?
You are a better person than I am, Lekhni, for venturing into the Horror book section and reading this. But I LOVED reading your review – bravo!
I’m back in the blogging world after a long break – lots of interesting catching up to do here!
It’s wonderful to see you are back! I was wondering if you were still hibernating in Croatia
(Or the summer equivalent of hibernation, whatever that would be.) Does being “back in the blogging world” mean we can expect blog posts? Hoping it does 
Lekhni: Thanks for asking! I got back from Croatia some weeks back; it was followed by a trip to India; and that was followed by a debilitating case of laziness. Pure sloth. I’m back in an enfeebled state – I have written one paltry new post (do take a look when you have the time and inclination), have a ton of blog reading to catch up on, and that darned laziness virus keeps popping back to life with distressing frequency!
Taking a look right now! Do you know, I have been checking your blog religiously every few days for weeks now, hoping, if not for a blog post, atleast a reply from you to the commenters
(see how desperate your readers are)
Loved Shyam’s new category: litter-ature! Brilliant!
Yes, I agree. I was thinking to myself that you can see she is British – she has mastered the knack of pithy put-downs
I would never actually waste my time or money to check this book out at the library, purchase it or otherwise borrow it in any fashion with the intent of reading it. I am glad you have undertaken this deed for me!
I am capable of realizing the interest of a book, or seeing it’s value without agreeing with what it says. For example, I have read Mein Kampf by Hitler, yet I detest bias. That book, however, does have value and it is important that some people read and understand it. It’s not a best-seller, obviously, but it has historical importance.
Palin’s book on the other hand is, like most things I have heard from Palin, garbage. At least with Mein Kampf I was able to learn something, however tragic the things it may have led to. Palin’s book is a bit more reminiscent to me of paper weight or kindling for a fire place. There may be importance there somewhere, but I think you could surmise most of it from watching the endless number of guffaws she entertains us with (perhaps this is why they’ve kept her off the TV as much!).
This is not to mention a separate thing: everyone and their brother writes a book whenever they get a few moments under the spotlight. It is–to me anyway–rather bland when everyone writes a “This is About Me!” book. Please do get over yourself and your self-marketing. Given the billions of people in the world, there are very few of us who will have such unique lives that we can’t have heard about something similar from somewhere else.
I can only hope this book goes away with Palin and that she does not run for President. I would actually consider moving from the US, despite that I am a natural citizen.