Dylan Kakoulli's Reviews > Great Expectations

Well, it’s certainly a very brave (or egocentric?) move to name your book ‘Great Expectations’ -let alone the fact that your predecessor is a novel of epically renowned, legendary-literary proportions, but the sheer simple word association alone (for anyone not aware/read Dickens), leads one to draw very obvious (if mismatched -for me at least) “expectations”.

And yes, clearly as any reader of this here review will note by my star rating (though I’d probably give it at least 2.5 -max!) these “great expectations” were sadly NOT met.

When will you learn Dylan!!!

Anyway, though Cunningham is undeniably a wordsmith by nature, this book was a somewhat skilful -if seriously scattered (and that’s coming from me. Someone who loves to interject small addendums and -hopefully somewhat witty side notes into their reviews -but, and here’s the important thing, I’m NOT a writer or author -shocker I know, so these minor internal monologues if you will, merely serve to amuse and appease myself alone really) account, documenting a time (albeit loosely) inspired by Cunningham’s own experience working as a junior Staff writer on Obamas first political campaign (though here, our political magnate is never duly given his name, and is only ever referred to as “the candidate” throughout -oh Cunningham you tease!)

However, (for me at least) it is this “assumed” ambiguity (and even assumed naivety -I mean, it’s startling obvious) that greatly deterred my interest. As for a book that is supposedly toted to show an insight into such a fascinating moment in (political) time, very little (to hardly any) of the actual mechanical details of the running/working on a political campaign (or American politics in general) are referenced.

And instead, what we are given is a stream of conscious style monologue, documenting a very directionless and disillusioned David, as he embarks on a somewhat coming of age crisis -crossed between -a Bildungsroman style journey, searching for ….?

Anyone?
No?
My point exactly…who knows!

Though if I were to guess -and draw a very GCSEs/a level English “interpretation” if you will, I would perhaps suggest that David is clearly grasping for some sense of direction -maybe even seeking a type of “father figure”, to help guide him through his tumultuous early twenties. Whether that be from the big man himself -God, or the charismatically charming “candidate”, one (and indeed David himself) doesn’t ever really know, or find out!

I know there’s a well known saying out there, “never mix church and state” and I have to say, never has a phrase been more aptly suited.

2/2.5 stars

PS -thank you again for the publishers for sending me a copy to read and review!