Power Pages: Pitch-Perfect Works Of Political Fiction

NPR | By Dick Meyer

Published September 13, 2008 at 12:00 AM EDT

"Three Books ..." is a series in which we invite writers to recommend three great reads on a single theme.

In American politics, truth has always been more entertaining than fiction. Maybe that's why there are so few great novels about our 200 years of politicians and their power-seeking antics.

The accepted classic of the genre is Democracy by Henry Adams, a novel as dry and dusty as its title. And then there's Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men. Drawn from the life and times of Louisiana's Huey Long, this is a poetic and unforgettable book. But to say it is about politics is like, well, saying War and Peace is about war and peace.

The three political novels I like best are all perfect for the late summer — addictive, incisive and generous with humor.

Dick Meyer

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

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