Customer Reviews

Purple Dots

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

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this, the first Jim Lehrer novel I've read. I found it to be a witty, insightful probe into the complicated inner sanctum of our nation's capital. The two main characters were quite realistic, both with foibles and strengths. I particularly enjoyed the details regarding restaurants and hotels and such, being a frequent visitor (and soon to be resident) of the fabulous amalgam that is Washington. Although I felt that the subplot of the fish hatchery scheme was a stretch, it did contribute to the conclusion in an interesting way. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys political thrillers with a satiristic subtext--plus, I read it in 2 evenings! I'll certainly read more of Lehrer's earlier offerings.

Jim Lehrer, in Purple Dots, puts us in the confirmation hearings of veteran CIA agent, Josh Bennett, as the new agency director. Josh finds himself, not only in a fishbowl, but the key to the advancement of a secret political agenda. Can his loyal friend and retired co-worker, Charlie, prevent damage to Josh's reputation? The author develops two symbolic themes. First, the cleansing properties of water and its ability to sustain life are shown in the need for Josh to restore honor and professionalism to CIA operations. Second, the symbiotic nature of fish propagation parallels how politics works in Washington. Lehrer's mystery describes how much camaraderie men can experience without actually building a treehouse. The humor and action flow as though you are watching Purple Dots "the movie."

I didn't know Jim Lehrer wrote novels - amusing, articulate & suspenseful political thrillers. A rather telling expose of how a nomination can be torpedoed before it gets out of the bay & the bargaining that goes on behind the scenes. Both Charlie & Marty are likable rogues - one because he's seen it all & the other because he can't believe all he's seeing. One has an enduring marriage, likes his creature comforts & has a cadre of loyal retired spooks still active in the old bomb-the-opposition game. The other because he's so green & full of self-righteous perfect dreams. When the two of them clash the fun begins. & those purple dots? Ah, how petty are the things with which we barter. I enjoyed the romp. For my full review do check out [my website].

"Purple Dots" is causing talk in Austin at the moment for two reasons: it's being used as an example of what's wrong with political parking perks as Mayor Watson is trying to make nice with Austin-bashing legislators, and some Bush watchers may be reading its description of CIA director of covert Operations "Bushong" (p.37) as a thinly-veiled satire directed at Dad and, by implication, Texas Governor Bush. As for the novel, itself, it does fall apart at the end, but up to that point it's decent reading for anyone interested in the ins and outs of Washington politics as seen by an insider. What Politex finds particularly interesting is Lehrer's "Brooks Brothers" style, a use of language and a way of thinking from a recent, by-gone era that his loyal readers probably find comforting.

pbs newsman jim lehrer has a new novel "Purple Dots" that is fun to read because it anwers the question i've often asked myself, "why does Congress do the things it does" in an amusingly satirical way. the book tells the story of a presidential appointment for director of the CIA and how his congressional confirmation becomes the struggle between his friends and a senator and his staff over the nomination. there are many games to be played out before the issue is resolved. Many of these have the ring of authenticity as well as being funny. The actions of the appointee's friends captures the fellowship and spirit of those who have worked together in prior relationships in an intense way. the friends who are all retired live on a charming area of the w. va. panhandle that gets some vivid description of the good life after retirement. all in all this is a good read ...but don't take it seriously.

This COULD have been a good read. It is probably the most unsatisfying book I have read in a long time. The only reason I bought it was I have great respect for the Author as a journalist and Don Imus hawking it on his show. Mr. Lehrer could have served the reader by including the menu's from all the restaurants instead the wasted page after page of what they ate. I am not aware of fresh water fish having sex- I thought females spewed eggs on a bed and the males did their things to the eggs. I suggest that Mr. Lehrer read Stein on Writing and Zuckerman Writing the blockbuster novel. The characters in this book are flat and the only one I liked was the fat lawyer.

Mr. Lehrer should keep his day - night job.

Steve Roberts

I would recommend the book. The first 2/3 was very intriguing and the reader wanted more. The main event was rather "silly" and not believable, but the reader accepted the outcome and admired the CIA throughout the book.

I expected something of a mystery with plot development. Wow, the plot never got higher than 6"s off the ground. The story was weak without any mystery and it had no development of charaters. The dialogue seemed to be at a 6th grade level because the story's character seemed to behave as 6th graders. If you read, Ludlum, Clancy, DeMille, Follet don't spend time opening this book. For those reviewers who thought this book had great insights into behind the scenes work of the government, you need to expand your reading list. The idea of the purple dots could have been a great story, but it never got off the launch pad. Most people have more excitement driving to work than what this story provided.

I have great respect for Jim Lehrer as a journalist. I had hope for his ability as a novelist. I was very disappointed.

I think the word that best characterizes Purple Dots is "simplistic". The plot, the characters, and the dialog lacked the depth necessary to sustain believability or two hundred sixty-two pages. These and other issues give the novel an amateurish flavor.

Details of what people eat is supposed to add color, but is nothing more than tedious. The climax lacks any ounce of credulity. And his attempt to capture the ambiguity of real life comes cross as a thin coat of gray-wash.

Mr. Lehrer had some good ideas. He tries hard to create two strongly drawn characters, each a protagonist in his own right, and the antogonist of the other. He also attempts to capture the strange horse trading that obfuscates purposes and drains integrity from the day-to-day operation of our government. And he uses an interesting device -- having two narrators give their respective take on the same set of events. Unfortunately his skills fall well short of the task.

In his role as a journalist, Jim Lehrer has effectively used my time on many occasions. That softens the conclusion that as a novelist he wasted it.

As Publishers Weekly review says: "Lehrer maintains admirable objectivity: no character is ultimately sympathetic . . . " But admirable or not, Lehrer's objectivity is a bit too much for an inveterate fiction reader like me. In contrast perhaps to many readers, I enter the world of fiction already believing, in fact, that the vast majority of people, specifically including those in government and big corporations, are generally honest and otherwise moral. But when I read mystery fiction, I want to be transported into a world of smart-good-people overcoming smart-bad-people. I can achieve that in PURPLE DOTS only by switching viewpoints between Henderson and Madigan. But that's akin to playing chess with oneself: it can be OK, but it's not totally satisfying to do it. But Lehrer's writing was good enough that I would generally recommend this book to others and definitely give another of his fiction books a trial.