SPOILER: Lincoln dies!
SPOILER: Booth also dies!
Heh heh heh, totally ruined that ending for all of you! BOOM!
How insufferable am I? Oh yeah, I will actually give out failing grades when I pan books sometimes.
This book was slain by it's author. He had an interesting story to tell, interesting things to say in it, and he obviously had done lots of research, to the point where perhaps he felt like he knew everything there was to know on the subject. And so he then ventured upon conjecture.
I rate the book a 4 instead of a 3 (yes I actually do think pretty hard about the specific number) because he makes you feel some sympathy or empathy with Booth by the end of the book, which is no small feat considering the guy was probably just a crazy killer. A total psychopath. A nut with a messianic complex. Actually he doesn't sound like such an unreasonable guy when Swanson ventures inside his head.
When Swanson ventures inside his head? Yes.
Author [inset] slays book.
Swanson speculates frequently not only on what people did or what they said to each other at times when it is completely undocumented, but even takes it upon himself to speculate on what they were thinking at the time. And he does it in the most obnoxious way I could think of.
"Did he, as he paused at this moment in writing his review, think that this failing of Swanson was because the man had an overactive imagination? Or did the writer of the review simply think that Swanson crossed the line because of his familiarity with his subjects?" Yeah he does it like that.
We read this book for our book club (thanks for the choice, Alex!) and this part of the writing pissed off everyone in the group. It is not, I repeat, not, a recommended book, unless you are very patient. I guess I do know a lot more about the Lincoln assassination now... but at what cost?!
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