Readers looking for a well-written book with very little plot and a lot of introspective musing about race, privilege, politics, art, etc. may enjoy Great Expectations by New Yorker writer Vinson Cunningham. Protagonist and confused twenty-something David gets hired as a fund-raiser for the Senator closing resembling Obama towards the end of the first Presidential campaign. As he moves up and around in the organization he finds many interactions and events to inspire his deep thoughts but don’t build much more of a character than we meet at the beginning. I found most of the book too philosophical and rambling for my taste, but the talent of Cunningham still shines through. ( )

Caveat for all: if you don’t like introspective, character-building reflection, do not read this book. If, however, you love the written word in all its beauty and distinguished best, read it and savor it. Cunningham’s writing is erudite, and the storyline often wanders off on engaging tangents as we get to know the narrator.
The novel is loosely based on Obama’s run for president. However, it shows the seldom-seen inner workings of a campaign: the phone calls, money-seeking, travel, and setting up appearances for the candidate, which gain him more money.
While the writing is superb, and I loved every bit of the book, it felt as if the author was trying to throw a bit of everything into his work. I have seen reviews that suggest it would have fared better as a book of short stories, and yes, I can see how that would be a spectacular work. In my opinion, the novel would reach a wider audience if it had fewer selections of prolonged contemplation or those totally off the tenor of the story. Stellar work, though!
Thank you to NetGalley and Hogarth. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, Annick Press, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. ( )

I am a sucker for first person narratives. I get caught up in their voice. Plus, I love a book about the pivotal experience in a person’s life, that moment in time when the world upends their youthful ideals and forces them to compromise or readjust or hold on to their values.

Great Expectations takes us into the life of a young black man who finds himself unexpectedly propelled into the exotic world of politics and money. David left college after his ex-girlfriend had his baby. He had lucked into a tutoring job before his student’s mother promoted his being hired to work for the presidential campaign of a senator who is loosely based on Barack Obama.

Over the next year and a half, David arranges fund raising for the senator’s presidential campaign, traveling from primary state to primary state. He makes friends with the other campaign workers, has romantic encounters, observes the senator’s wealthy backers.

This was politics to me now: not the speech but its harvest, not the spectacle of mass democracy on television but the mess behind the stage.
from Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham

As David tells his story, he makes frequent diversions to his past, including his evangelical church background and struggles with faith. He thinks about many subjects–music, art, books, faith, fatherhood, being black.

David is a passive character, drifting through life. He loved music but didn’t have the courage to pursue it. He is drawn to the church’s idealism and ceremony but is without a certain faith. He quotes writers and hopes to be one but isn’t writing yet.

But he is observant and thoughtful. He realizes his ignorance as he learns about human nature and the gritty reality of politics. At a club he sees a man’s death and how people gave it little consideration. He sees how wealth and power is misused. He considers the kind of man and father he wants to be, uncertain yet how to get there.

Cunningham is a former campaign and White House staffer during the Obama presidency. His portrait of the Senator in the book is vivid and memorable, although we only see him in brief scenes. The candidate becomes tired and weary, pulling himself together to present his well-polished personae while campaigning.

The novel is subtle, introverted, and internalized. It takes us into the soul of a young man as he encounters the tawdry realities of the world that upend his youthful idealism.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book ( )