Customer Reviews

Big Ugly

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I would like to be William Weld's neighbor. I've never met him but he must be a very entertaining fellow.

Terry Mullally, our hero - and it would be very difficult not to associate with him, is guided by some deep instinct that may rely on luck. But I don't think so. WW has painted a picture of a natural and charming navigator.

This book was a delight. I am impatient for the next story of Terry's political career.

I think the author must have a lot of friends in West by God Virginia - he describes Terry's visits to the State with great sympathy and respect for the particular characteristics of it's native families.

The story climaxes well - but, it was one of those stories where reading each page was a pleasure.

Written from an insider's perspective, BIG UGLY is an entertaining,satirical look at presidential and congressional politics. William F. Weldpaints a political picture that makes Animal House appear to be a tame, frat house. Terry is a superb antihero type of character who makes the sleaze flow. His spouse provides amusing, anthropological glimpses into the DC zoo. The support cast of legislative and executive Beltway Bandits add a feeling of authenticity that makes understandable the ironic contradiction of contracting out under commercial activities Vs enforcement of the Davis-Bacon Act. Like MACKEREL BY MOONLIGHT, the BIG UGLY is an entertaining, but somewhat frightening political satire.

I work in Gov. Weld's former haunt, the Mass. Legislature, and know what an entertaining fellow he is. What I was not prepared for is how good a WRITER he is. A quick wit and good humor don't always translate into an ability to plot and compose, but the Gov. sure does have it. Now that New York has him, I hope he can find even bigger arenas for Terry Mullally, a murderer, thief and first rate politician. What next? The Vice Presidency or the Cabinet?

An excellent and entertaining read. I'm really disappointed there are not more titles to this series. It's easily as good as Sue Grafton's alphabet mystery series. I eagerly await the next installment.

I'm quite familiar with Bill Weld and as far as I know, he hasn't quit his day job as a politician. In fact, I've heard rumors that he's going to move to NY to run for governor. So the fact that he could write an entertaining book like Big Ugly is remarkable. I really enjoyed reading it. I wouldn't consider it for five stars, but it is a solid four, based on Weld's ability to weave lots of insider information into his story.

Not since All The Kings Men has the full dimension of American politics been explored, exposed, and celebrated.

Terry Mullally arrives in Washington to take his seat as the junior senator from Massachusetts and right off the bat lobbyists are offering him money. He backs the wrong guy for Senate Majority Leader, winds up on the Judiciary Committee and is thrown into an ethics and corruption investigation against the attorney general.

Add in Mullally's own dubious past, back room power plays, underhanded dealings, quirky politicos along with Mullally's own dilemmas, foibles and problems and you have a delightfully humorous read. As a plus, if you don't know how your congress works, you will by the time you finish this book. And I can guran-darn-tee you, that you'll wind up believing that the real crooks in America are the ones in Washington.

I simply cannot give a rating higher than 3 stars. Former Governor Weld did a much better job with "Mackerel." Trying to impress us with his vast knowledge of the inner workings of the halls of Congress, he missed and instead jumbled the plot and confused the situation. It was in fact boring in many places and took an effort to finish. Leave us hope his third offering is considerably better. The bottom line, however, is that I shall read his third offering to help him toe the line.

I finished most of its book in one train ride from Philadelphia to Washington. All I ask of a novel is that I be entertained, and that it not take up too much of my time (which I think is ordinarily better spent on more serious stuff). This book wins on both counts.