3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
From Sam Friedman, May 25, 2008
This review is from: Open Line (Paperback)
At a time when far too many Americans are clueless not only about American history (with many believing the U.S. beat Russia in World War II), but about current events as well (with ignorant voters believing Barack Obama is Muslim and perhaps even foreign born--even though one must be American-born to serve as president!), Ellen Hawley hits the nail on the head with her brilliant satire, "Open Line."
The key to good fiction is whether a reader can believe the characters, as well as the story they live out in the book. Not only did I not have any trouble recognizing characters like those in "Open Line" as key elements of our politically-degenerated culture, but the tale Ms. Hawley weaves--about a bored radio host nearly setting off a national movement by off-handedly suggesting, tongue not so firmly in cheek, that perhaps the Vietnam War never really happened--was so realistic it was frightening.
In the old days of yellow journalism, shameless newspaper reporters and editors would say a writer shouldn't let the facts get in the way of a good story. Unfortunately, we've come full circle, with thousands of mainstream news outlets fighting for attention, credibility and ad dollars with rogue bloggers and YouTube correspondents. The result is that journalism is being increasingly diluted and even polluted with unverified and unreliable "news" reporting, irresponsible speculation by "expert" analysts, as well as outright, often calculated lies.
In such a poisonous atmosphere, it is quite plausible that a desperate radio talk show host could propel herself to a national platform by riding a wave of paranoia (not all unjustified) about government "black ops" and full-fledged misinformation. Given the fact that Vietnam ended a generation ago, younger, more gullible listeners would not think twice about such crazy talk, while a significant, deranged minority who actually lived through the events themselves might actually believe America never really fought the war in the first place.
As a novelist, Ms. Hawley does a masterful job weaving her web of intrigue and doubt. The story builds a momentum all its own, until I had to stop and remind myself a few times that it was only fiction--the book, that is, not the war!
Ms. Hawley deftly draws right-wing fringe groups, striving politicians and opportunistic business leaders into the mix, until her main character becomes merely a pawn in a much bigger geopolitical game to confuse, enrage, and eventually motivate the easily misled American public to think and vote a certain way. It's fear mongering fueled by ignorance--there is no shortage of that in real life today.
I did find myself more than once wondering where Ms. Hawley was going with all this, and how in the world she would resolve the story. But she pulled off a key plot twist that leaves you satisfied and opens the possibility of a sequel down the road.
Also, I think this would make a terrific movie!!!
Go get this book! It's a quick, compelling read that will make you think long after you've put the book down.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun and fast-reading political satire, May 6, 2008
This review is from: Open Line (Paperback)
Don't start reading Open Line unless you are ready to stay up all night until you finish it! Hawley creates a fascinating scene, pulls you right in, and keeps you there with a rich tapestry of details sprinkled with wit like, "you'd get arrested for malicious condiments" if you insisted on having a picnic in a forbidden public place.
With a few quick words, Hawley lets us into her characters' inner conflicts: "No sane human being, she told herself, would take them for a couple, and then a few minutes later she had to tell herself the same thing all over again."
The descriptions in Open Line are elegantly simple and highly evocative: "Her voice ran high on the scale, threatening to spin into the infrared." Or "Annette closed the door, putting a slab of painted wood and a drywall sandwich between herself and that easy voice."
All in all, an entertaining tale of how a handful of opportunists can use the media to make an idea -- any idea -- seem real and plausible.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
superb satire, June 9, 2008
This review is from: Open Line (Paperback)
In the Twin Cities, late-night radio talk show host Annette Majors jokes on the air that the Vietnam War was a government hoax. Whereas before she made her sublime commentary, Annette seemingly was going nowhere in radio; after the remark she suddenly has more than fifteen minutes of fame as her show is so hot it goes into national syndication.
Even her personal life awakens when rich Republican supporter Walter Bishop begins to court her. Walter uses her "belief" to launch a presidential bid for a relatively unknown wannabe and radical conservative Stan Marlin who supports her stand. Heeding their advice, Annette refuses to back down from her stance that there never was a Vietnam War. While some Viet Vets thinks she is a buffoon; others protest; and some still reliving their horrors seek closure through her.
This superb satire showcases the power of the media in which misinformation, disinformation, omissions, and fabrications are the norm. The key to this terrific tale is the players seem genuine especially Annette whose eloquent defense of her radical revisionism rings true. For those who reject the underlying concept remember there is an Iranian president denying the Holocaust; many people disbelieving the moon landings and a prominent right wing talk show host who using clever questioning of the vice president made it sound like Richard Clarke was below the inner security sanctum before 9/11. It is not WHAT HAPPENED as McClellan has said, it's the spin. Well written and entreating, fans who appreciate a biting condemnation of the news will understand that Eisenhower's military-government complex omitted the third partner the media.
Harriet Klausner
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