Executive Times
		2008 Book Reviews
		The Rake by William F. Buckley, Jr.
Rating:			**
		(Mildly Recommended)
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	Uncaring I hoped that reading William F. Buckley, Jr.’s new novel. The Rake, during the presidential primary season would be a rewarding experience. After all, with Buckley’s fine writing and wit, the choice of a presidential aspirant as protagonist should be great reading. Instead of that delight, I found a mildly entertaining story, but weak character development and a slow plot. By the middle of the book, I didn’t care what would happen to the characters. Some readers will find parallels between the central character and former President Clinton, and that will bring a little glee. Here’s an excerpt, from the beginning of Chapter 3, pp. 21-23: Grand Forks, May 1969 As election day for senior positions on the Student approached, all eyes were on Reuben Castle. The national attention Zap Day had received and the ingenuity of his idea weren't lost on those who would be casting a ballot for editor in chief. They were—they prided themselves journalists, after all. It had been a smashing publicity coup, no doubt about it. But—was a stunt of that kind really appropriate for an aspirant editor in chief of the Dakota Student? There were two schools of thought. The doubt worked to the advantage of Maria Cervantes. She was, in any case, the meritocratic favorite. Among the Student's staff, Reuben had evolved from companion to demigod to colleague with alien interests. His critics looked on him primarily as the president, secretary, and treasurer of Reuben Castle, Inc. His labors for the Student, after his super-successful run in the freshman competition, had been irregular—flashy, episodic, and theatrical, culminating in Zap Day. Maria, meanwhile, was a week-after-week performer, punctual, thorough, accomplished. She had the problem that she wasn't liked very much. Her comprehensive efficiency was accompanied by a certain sourness of disposition, though perhaps it was her prickliness that engendered her perfectionism. Shrewd judges on the senior staff doubted she would be elected. Eliminating her left as principal contenders Reuben, and Eric Monsanto—history major, partygoer, and UND enthusiast, who was fully conversant with the paper's commercial life. Over a couple of beers at the Hop See Lodge's oily little bar, the outgoing editor spent an argumentative two hours with the outgoing business manager. Neither was (quite yet) twenty-one; still, they drank their beer safely at the Hop See. Minnesota had its blue laws, but like everything else undertaken at the Hop See, these laws were lightly observed. The dutiful monthly inspection by the Vice Lady (that was the name the student drinking community gave to Sergeant Lucille Grimmelfarb) took place without fail. She drove in to check up on the Hop See on the first Monday of the month, regularly, at six P.M., and in anticipation the bar was squeaky clean in its clientele. Elderly tipplers knew they could get a free drink from management on those Mondays, when their patronage was especially valued. Today was not a Vice-Lady Monday, so Jack Bergland quaffed his beer without fear of interruption. He reaffirmed to his partner in power and fellow lame duck, Eileen Sanborn, his conviction that Reuben Castle was the best prospect for editor of the Student. "You can have him," Eileen said. "What I don't want is for you editorial people to reach over and draft our boy, Monsanto, to be editor. He's made to order for business manager. It did occur to you—didn't it, Jack?—that the Dakota Student depends rather heavily on advertising revenue for our publishing operation? " "Yes. -Yes, dear." Jack retaliated against her condescending tone by calling attention to her sex. "And it may have occurred to you, Eileen, that advertisers want a student paper that's read, not a yellow page for the pizza houses." "Okay okay. What do you want to quarrel about? It's fine by me if Reuben gets your chair. But once he becomes editor, I think you'll find he won't be spending a whole lot of time on the paper. He's in a hurry for something else." "What else? They're not going to elect him mayor of Zap." That brought a smile. "No. But, well—almost anything else. There are other mountains for Reuben to climb. He's too young to run for Congress. Maybe he'll crank up a constitutional amendment to remove the age limitation." "So? On the matter of personal ambition, your boy Monsanto isn't going to spend all his life on the Student selling ads." "I'm not saying he will. And I don't deny he'd rather be the editor than the business manager. But after the first ballot—which will probably put Castle in the lead—the office of business manager will beckon, and he'd be a fine manager." She looked up at Bergland. "But it's true, Jack. Rico would like to be editor." "So would three other guys." "And—if you don't mind—two girls." If the 2008 presidential campaign becomes stranger than fiction, consider taking a break from the news and read The Rake. Steve Hopkins, January 22, 2008
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