Belated Bewitchment: Meeting the Kennedys on the page

Last night I finished Dominick Dunne's A Season in Purgatory. To the book's credit, the breathless race to see whether justice would prevail or not kept me up past my bedtime... but I can't say that the reading experience was entirely satisfying. Certainly, the descriptions of the family were apt and I had that "insider" sensation of being able to match historical figures to their fictional shadows... but I wish the interior of each character had been more deeply explored... or maybe I would have liked it better if Harrison's initial fascination with Constant had been drawn out, but, I suppose that he was meant to stand for justice, so temptation had to be pushed aside. I'm glad I dove into fiction for a change, but I find my impressions of this one are still jumbled!

One of the blessings of good books is that they always contain within them signs that point the way to new subjects and new books. I belatedly found my way to the Kennedys (those horrible, wonderful, fascinating creatures) when I confronted my lack of historical knowledge about events happening in America after World War II. In school, my history classes never made it very far past the Civil Rights Movement. I knew that JFK had been assassinated, but I didn't know that Robert had. When I began to read about the years following 1945, I met new figures in the Civil Rights Movement. At that very moment, the online library service I use (https://wvreads.overdrive.com/) was featuring Walker's book for Black History Month. I borrowed it and listened to the voices it brought back to life, emerging shaken and impressed.

This is another one of those reads that eludes easy evaluation. The advantages enjoyed by the young Kennedys makes it difficult to sympathize with them even in tragedy and knowing the end of the book (it's in the title) made the final third seem overlong. On the other hand, I can imagine fans of Downton Abbey enjoying the glimpse into the world of the English estate -- a world that would ultimately end after the war.

I've saved the best for last in this particular post and the highest praise I can offer is that upon concluding the book, I looked up its author to see if I could send him a letter of thanks. Unfortunately, Mr. Manchester passed away in 2004, so this small post must serve as my little tribute.

This book took my breath. JFK died around page 200 and I found myself surfacing, looking around, wondering how the remaining pages (500 of them) could ever possibly be filled... but then the magic of the narrative kicked in, swept my feet out from under me, and carried me to the final, terrible, heartrending lines. Manchester takes his reader into the heart of the story; the pacing and immediacy are brilliant - and liable to leave one a little breathless! I surprised myself with a few tears when I read Chernow's Hamilton, but Manchester's work was so emotional that it blocked those tears and left me staring bewildered into the dark, wondering what might have been.

A final note: today's title comes from the effect of The Family on Harrison in A Season in Purgatory. He is often cautioned about being bewitched or drawn in. Knowing some of the wonderful and terrible deeds of the Kennedys, I consider it good advice for those headed off into the realm of history!