The Patriots Club

After reading Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, I needed something light and quick so I picked up The Patriots Club by Christopher Reich. I’ve read some of his books before – breezy, thriller type stuff that is generally based around the financial world. Not great, but usually easy to read and not utter dreck. This was not his best effort. In fact, of the three books I’ve read by him, it’s by far the worst – that being said, it’s light reading. The plot, tangential as it is, is about a guy who gets wrapped up in a secret club, which has something to do with some of the nations founders. There are some interesting, though one expects unintentional, discussions about whether a president needs to listen to the people or whether a more trusted advisor (the Patriots Club, in this case) should really guide the masses. What with unauthorized wiretaps and the news that Bush has slipped in riders to over 500 bills that he’s signed saying he might choose to ignore the law, there is something creepy about the theme of the book. That being said, it’s purposefully fiction and at a 20,000 feet level, so don’t expect any philosophical or political debate of any substance. Again, it’s a decent book. But, it reminded me that I really don’t need to waste my time reading these kinds of books unless I really think they’ll be riveting. It’s hard to stop reading a book even when you know it’s not all that and a bag of chips. With the ever growing piles of unread books (largely thanks to Bookins), I need to be more selective with my spare time!

Rating: 5.5/10.0