Customer Reviews

The Franklin Affair: A Novel

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

 

 

First of all, let me declare myself to be a Jim Lehrer fan. His novel White Widow forever carves a place for him in American literature. Lehrer adds to an impressive list of books with this latest mystery. As usual, his premise is very intriguing and he manages to deliver an enormous amount of Franklin scholarship in a clear and breezy style. Not only does Lehrer furnish us with a first rate mystery regarding the secret life of Ben Franklin, he also addresses the more profound question: What is historical truth and how can we ever really know it? in an entertaining and deceptively sly book.

Jim Lehrer has written an entertaining little novel around a group of Ben Franklin scholars. It begins with the death of the oldest member, Wally Rush. Upon his death, R. Taylor, his protege and fellow Franklinite receives a letter from him, allegedly from the late 1700's accusing Ben of a crime. As Taylor conducts a low key investigation, we find out more about R., Wally and the rest of the Franklin "crowd". Intriguing, but not a "real" mystery.

A nice story for a Sunday afternoon, particulary if you're the type to enjoy Colonial Williamsburg or Phila. streetscapes. Very nice if you have some first or second hand knowledge of professional historians.

I could not help but think of Rebecca Lee as an Ann Coulter with black hair, and kept envisioning Jim Lehrer, like affable Wally morphing slowly into Ben Franklin with age. I will read another Lehrer novel for sure.

At once a mystery in the conspiracy (i.e., "DaVinci Code") mode while also being a gentle and fond poke at academia, "The Franklin Affair" is an old-fashioned, fun read that only misses the mark slightly by leaving a few loose ends dangling. It's rare that a book these days leaves you wanting more, but this one does. In particular, it leaves you wanting a definite resolution to the central mystery. On the other hand, since the premise of that mystery is rather shocking, maybe the ambiguity is wise. No matter, "The Franklin Affair" is a brisk, clever, playful page turner that is sure to give a particular chuckle to American history buffs, who will recognize that nearly every character is named after a signer of the Declaration of Independence.

An excellent fast read that kept me spellbound in one three and a half hour sitting. How fitting for Franklin's 300th birthday. He would probably be pleased with the whole work--especially his professional historian friend R's contribution to his reputation as well as that of another neglected Founding Father--James Madison that I wish more had been made of.

Sewn into the hem of an eighteenth-century cloak stored away in a museum, curators in the early twenty-first century discover twelve pages of handwritten notes, in code. When eventually deciphered these pages seem to indicate that shortly before his death, Benjamin Franklin paid an unemployed dock worker a sum of money to murder, thereby silence, the lowly-born woman who had given birth to Franklin's illegitimate son William. The notes are apparently the minutes kept at a sort of judicial hearing attended in secret by Washington, Hamilton, Adams, and Madison, in order that the question of Franklin's guilt or innocence, and what to do about the accusation, be decided. Are the pages a modern forgery, an eighteenth-century hoax, or did one of the most beloved Founding Fathers truly spill blood to preserve his reputation? I wish I knew. After finishing this novel, I still don't. Lehrer wastes his first eighty pages on flimsy character building, then it's true he finds his stride for about the next hundred, but the trouble is, I'll tell you now, the ending is one of those variety that makes your head hit the table, because it's so frustrating. Books that fail to answer questions are rudely-composed. Why write what you don't finish?

Simply had little to do with Ben Franklin. Wanted a historical tale of intrique and got little of any interest. Do not want to ruin it for those that have not read it, but if you are looking for anything of any content about Ben Franklin, this is not the book. Left a few things open, lets hope it is not for a sequel.

I enjoy reading Jim Lehrer, his writing is plain and simple and easy on the mind. I enjoyed the book but I guess I hoping for something more sinister, like having to do with the Declaration of Independence or a betryal. Needless to say to are two seperate story lines, one interesting (murder) other not so interesting unless you are a writer. If you like Jim Lehrer you will like the book. Others have laid out the premises so if you want to know what happens read the other reviews. There were other books of Mr. Lehrer I enjoyed more like the Special Prisioner and White Widow.

Let me begin by writing that I am no scholar of the Franklin, nor can I say I like what little I know about him. It may simple be an Anglican prejudice, but something about the idea of an intrigue to rain on dear Ben's lovely reputation caused me to pick up this slim little volume-- I was not prepared. The accusation lodged is of so horrible a nature that I had to remind myself it was fictional, and I was further disappointed by the fact that R. Taylor (the hero of the page) not only fails to solve the mystery, but leaves the reader devastatingly close to believing that Franklin really was guilty. Furthermore, R himself suffers from serious women troubles (oscillating between his on-off fiance Samantha and the lovely Clara Hopkins), which also remain completely unresolved. Where then, is the merit? Well, I was personally delighted by the window (if the view is indeed accurate) into the world historical enthusiasts... the sort of people who devote themselves entirely to a person or persons they've never met. The idea of spiritually communing with someone who's been dead for some two hundred years is... extraordinary! There is enough color within this private microcosm to churn out a pretty good literary Turner, though sadly Lehrer does not see fit to use all of what was available. In certain ways it failed to satisfy me, though I cannot say I was completely disappointed.

... I don't recommend this book. I enjoyed it all the way to the last page. But after receiving several paper cuts trying to find the additional pages that should be there, I felt like I was "R", the main character, trying to determine if someone had pulled a hoax on me. That said, if there is a part 2 (I haven't found anything indicating there will be), I'll buy it. Mr. Lehrer raised a lot of interesting situations -- I'd like an end to complement the beginning and middle.