Al Franken

What it’s like

Crisp, conversational prose with a comic writer's timing, so a paragraph about procedural votes can land a punchline a few sentences later. The mood is wry and brisk, with self-deprecating asides, sharp portraits of colleagues, and the feel of someone who has spent years in Washington and still finds it absurd. Structure is loose and anecdotal, moving between Minnesota roots, comedy-writing memories, and the grind of Senate work, with the pace quickening in the political fights and softening in the more reflective passages. Its emotional register is dry, frank and occasionally rueful, especially where the author looks back on how his time in office ended. There is no violence and nothing graphic, though the later chapters deal candidly with harassment allegations and public humiliation. It suits a weekend afternoon, a long train ride, or a reader who likes politics served with jokes and wants a sense of how a professional satirist sees the inside of government. It is for readers who enjoy political memoir with a comedian's eye and a sharp, skeptical sense of humor.