I read this because Aaron Sorkin has announced his intention to make a film out of it and I hope he does because it's a great yarn. It lacks a sympathetic hero and all that crap but its a fascinating look at the John Edwards story, the glamour boy who wanted to be President. He had self made wealth, a dead son, looks, Southern connections, charisma, a smart wife. He also had flaws - a lack of desire to be any sort of politician other than President (he was a one term congressman), lack of focus on policy and at heart seems to have been dumb - so dumb as to have an affair with a woman while his wife was dying of cancer and think he could get away with it. To make things worse he got Young to claim to be father of his mistresses baby. Did anyone think that would work? Ever?
There are other terrific characters too: devoted, bright Young; his womanising, social rights preacher dad; the driven, smart Elizabeth Edwards who goes kind of mad via the actions of her husband and Young, but would have been a far better president than her husband; Young's long suffering wife; billionaire Bunny Mellon who was devoted to Edwards; jovial trial lawyer Fred Barton who also helped Edwards; new age mistress Rielle Hunter, prone to tantrums and over sharing about her sex life; Hunter's spiritual adviser.
The book is well written and feels as though Young tries to be fair. It's full of moments which would make great scenes and great little details. Young seems happy to portray himself as an idiot as much as Edwards.
A "what if" - if Edwards had resigned from politics when his wife fell ill and nursed her, he would have been a very strong chance in 2016. But he couldn't wait.
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