Boomsday by Christopher Buckley Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Boomsday
Book Review: Light, on-point political satire about a serious issue
Summary: 4 Stars
If you're reading this, you probably already have a glimmer of the plot of Chris Buckley's amusing political satire. The action is set in the political world of the not-so-distant future, many of its cultural trappings recognizable now. As the cost of Baby Boomer Social Security benefits threatens to break the backs and banks of younger workers, a young blogger named Cassandra Devine leads a generational rebellion. She proposes "voluntary transitioning" - that is, tax breaks for elderly Boomers who agree to commit suicide by a given age, thereby relieving rising Social Security costs. Even within this satirical context such a ghastly idea is too far out there to be treated earnestly, so she maintains that she is simply trying to provoke discussion. The concept, however, catches fire, and soon has a Senatorial sponsor and much media attention.
Much in Buckley's satire has the ring of hilarious truth, wittily retold: for example, the pompous trumpets and kettle drums that usher in each broadcast of Greet the Press. Similarly resonant to political junkies is the corrupting role of an elderly advocacy organization, here a Boomer offshoot acronymed "ABBA," but clearly recognizable as the AARP. By the time ABBA has its way with Devine's proposal, it's even more budget-busting than current law. The Boomers are to be showered with more drug benefits and tax breaks, while their "voluntary transition" would be at too advanced an age to save much money. It's a familiar scenario in Washington, where AARP is forever wading into the Medicare and Social Security debates out of ostensible professed concern for fiscal prudence, only to emerge each time with more expensive programs than before.
Similarly pitch-perfect is a conversation that Cass has with a Boomer friend about the Boomers' limitless capacity for navel-gazing. She sarcastically asks him where he was when JFK was shot, prompting yet another self-absorbed recitation of his and his schoolmates' stunned reaction to the event (which Cass, impatiently, cuts off.) The book has consistent fun with the irresistible target of Boomer narcissism. If truth be told, however, the problem with Boomers and Social Security isn't that they're more selfish than other generations, it's just that there are too many of them. Generations earlier than the Boomers took far more out of the program than they put in, even relative to the Boomers.
Other elements of the novel ring less true: The under-30s respond far too readily and unanimously to Cassandra's calls to action, when their real-life counterparts have been a diverse generation that doesn't assert themselves as a unified political force. Under-30s simply aren't manipulated en masse by the simplistic tactics of Cass and her allied Senator.
The novel, though fresh and hilarious in many places, doesn't lack for clichés. Pompous, blowhard, secretly-libidinous Southern Baptist pro-lifer? Check. Dirty-tricks-spinning President? Check. Unlikely romance between cultural opposites? Check. The material is fresher near the beginning of the novel, and drifts further into banality in the later pages.
The novel nevertheless provides interesting food for thought for those interested in Social Security policy. Tongue-in-cheek though Cassandra's proposal is, Buckley's novel understates, if anything, the difficulties that await younger generations. The tortured methodology of Social Security Trust Fund accounting makes it unlikely that the situation will be transparent enough for under-30s to effectively rebel against. In Buckley's novel, by contrast, resistance is spurred when the Senate votes to raise the payroll tax to fund Boomer retirements. In real life, the situation would be far less transparent, and more pernicious: the federal government wouldn't need to overtly raise the payroll tax, but starting in 2017, would have to find other additional revenues to pay off the massive debt claimed by the Social Security Trust Fund. As a result, young workers would likely see their income taxes raised to pay for the massive cost of boomer entitlements, without the government needing to be forthright as to why. Same economics as in Buckley's novel, but less transparency. Young workers may have little idea what is hitting them, and politicians are unlikely to own up.
Particularly daunting is the fact that the overall fiscal situation is worse than even Buckley's exaggerated novel indicates. Cass says in one passage that she's run the numbers, and if only 20% of Boomers "voluntarily transition," Social Security will be solvent. In reality, about 30% of future benefits are unfunded, meaning that not only would 30% of the Boomers need to decline benefits, but so too would every succeeding generation. Buckley's novel, amazingly enough, understates the problem.
Buckley's novel is light, funny, and shines a bright light on a serious issue. It's only a matter of time before the movie comes out. Because of its subject matter, it has the chance to be a more important political satire than its lightness would otherwise justify.
Book Review: Middle of the road for Buckley
Summary: 3 Stars
There are two things you can always count on from Mr. Buckley: spot on political satires and unlikely but thought provoking plots.
This book follows Buckley's standard formula: A heroine who is up against the higher ups in DC who has a flawed hero with a heart of gold helping her out. Surround with outrageous caricatures and crazy situations, and let the reader enjoy the ride.
From the beginning, the action is fast and furious. It doesn't let up until the last page. In this book, Buckley skewers baby boomers' entitlement mentality, pork barrel politics, religious leaders, and blogging. It sounds like an amalgam, and it is a testament that Buckley can tie all of this together and have a fun and riveting story come out.
I really enjoyed this book. It's not as good as White House Mess or Florence of Arabia, but miles ahead of many so-called humorous novels.
Book Review: Next book?
Summary: 4 Stars
I heard Mr Buckley interviewed on NPR, and although I enjoyed his book very much, and have passed it on, I was hoping for more detailed thoughts on the affects of the baby boomers actvities, (suv's, rampant housing developments for retirees, golf courses, water shortages, life extending medicines, global warming, bio fuels, etc)and was looking for some solutions ....Perhaps that will be in a future book....I hope so, as I think he is on the right track with his concerns....Jan GlassBook Review: No "Smoking"
Summary: 2 Stars
Christopher Buckley's title as the master of the "nothing-sacred" school of satire is as steady as ever with his latest novel, 2007's "Boomsday". But black humor only goes so far without interesting characters or story.
Cassandra Devine is 20-something, beautiful, and has something of a chip on her shoulder. High-profile PR flack by day, Red Bull-swilling blogger at night, she sets in motion a taxpayer revolt like no other. Her target: Baby Boomers about to enter retirement and force working America to pay for their martini-soaked Social-Security-funded dotage. Her recommended solution: Kill them all!
Actually, her recommendation for what she euphemistically terms "transitioning" would work on a voluntary basis, and her actual commitment to the idea, like much else in this book, is left vague. "Boomsday" lacks focus in a lot of ways. It seems to be a conscious revisiting of the theme of his best-known novel, "Thank You For Smoking", with a Washington spinmeister pushing death on the masses. Only this time the story gets away from Buckley rather quickly.
Buckley still crafts engaging prose, presenting Cassandra's central thesis with memorable pungency: "Our grandparents grew up in the Depression and fought in World War Two. They were the so-called Greatest Generation. Our parents, the Baby Boomers, dodged the draft, snorted cocaine, made self-indulgence a virtue. I call them the Ungreatest Generation."
But when you make it past the snarky set ups and whip-smart rejoinders, you find little in the way of a story. Buckley's dialogue works for a while, until you realize everyone has the same clever-preppy voice. Cassandra whines about the mess of her life even as she beds a Senator, lands on the cover of Time magazine, and suffers no fallout from her controversial position. Even the shady boss of her PR firm stands beside her, for reasons never made clear. If this is supposed to make us hate Cassandra's elders for holding her down, it's not working.
Maybe Buckley thought of this, and was aiming to shoot Cassandra down at some point, the way he did "Smoking's" anti-hero Nick Naylor. Only he doesn't pull the trigger. He doesn't resolve her story in any way, nor any of the other subplots here, such as an evangelist who discovers sex, a tech-billionaire who craves a Cabinet post, or a President who uses domestic espionage to extend his unpopular administration. They are instead tossed up for evanescent amusement, then conveniently forgotten.
"Thank You For Smoking" isn't a classic; it's a bit facile and lacks the sense of humanity, however dyspeptic, that marks the work of satirists like Swift or Waugh. But its smart narrative mechanics and Naylor's character arc make it a veritable classic beside "Boomsday's" mentality of "whatever".
Read "Boomsday", if you must, for the relevant argument on Social Security and with the understanding Buckley can, and has, done better.
Book Review: Not up to par!
Summary: 2 Stars
Let me start by saying that I have read a lot of Buckley. I have read (in order): Thank You For Smoking, No Way to Treat a First Lady. Little Green Men, and Florence of Arabia.
Anyway, I was disappointed with this book. Buckley's previous works demonstrated his ability to come up with great plots, great characters and especially great dialogue. I thought the books had an okay plot but the characters were lacking. Cass, despite being the protagonist, had no depth and feeling. Her character was not relatable and she was predictable. The other main characters didn't help Buckley's cause. Even more dissatisfying was the dialogue. Albeit, Buckley set the bar really high with Thank You For Smoking, Boomsday didn't event scratch the surface. The dialogue felt cheap and unimaginative. There were one or two good lines but not much more than that. Finally, I felt the book took many cheap shots at being humorous and/or ironic. All fell short. Even the use of modern technology was too forced and not believable.