Satire is a dying art. Everyone is so easily offended and sarcasm somehow needs to be denoted with a special font these days. Lawrence Wright satirizes the one thing that everyone can agree upon: politics. (In case you were wondering how sarcasm worked) In Mr. Texas, by Lawrence Wright takes on the absurdities of Texas politics, although this book could very easily be extrapolated to any state with only slight editing.I read this in one evening, simultaneously laughing and groaning at the absurdities of political whirlwinds in the great state of Texas.
Sonny Lamb is a hapless rancher, barely surviving in the wilds of west Texas. Suffering from PTSD from his stint in the US Army, he and his wife struggle to keep their ranch afloat. In an odd quirk, he buys his own bull at auction, paying himself for the right to own the animal. This makes him the laughing stock of the community. However, a lightning storm sets the neighbor’s barn aflame.His heroic antics during the fire set off a firestorm in the political world.His actions during the blaze rally the state Republican leaders to throw Sonny into a race for the Texas House of Representatives. What follows is a hilarious look into backdoor dealings, bribes, sordid affairs, and stolen samples at the fertility clinic. In other words -- typical Texas politics.
Despite his complete inexperience and his best efforts to unconsciously sabotage his own campaign, Sonny emerges victorious. As he heads to Austin to take his seat in the Texas House of Representatives, he bucks the control of his political advisors in order to do what he thinks is right. Misstep after misstep seemingly lead to an abrupt end to his brief political career. However, each time he steps in the proverbial excrement, he emerges with new respect among his constituents and most of his peers. Political power, of course, can’t overcome this respect, and plots are hatched to knock him down to size. Still, Sonny emerges unscathed. Or does he?
Does a moment in the heady House of Representatives change Sonny? Is it for the better or for the worse? That is for the reader to decide and they traverse the many pages of Sonny’s adventure. Sometimes you want to laugh out loud while reading this book. Other times you want to shout at Sonny for the decisions that he makes.
Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright offers a glimpse of what could be in the world of politics once you blow away the smoke and smash the mirrors.Is this really how politics work? It definitely isn’t the pinnacle of honor and substance that we’ve been led to believe. There’s no way that this confederacy of dunces could possibly be how the world works, right? This novel is an amusing look at politics and the bloated sense of self importance that so many politicians have. Sonny is a refreshing change of pace. He’s someone we all know. He’s someone we want to run for political office, but the sharks would definitely eat him.
If you want to laugh at the absurdity of politics while enjoying a good book, take a chance with Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright. I don’t care what side of the political spectrum you are. This is a fun read.
Craig Bacon once upon a time had a dream of entering the political realm, but he soon came to his senses.