Critical Consensus for 11/17: Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue
Memoir or political expose? Critics can't decide.
Sarah Palin’s autobiography Going Rogue: An American Life hits stores today with (surprise, surprise) mixed reviews. Early reviewers say that the book’s strength lies in its candid account of Palin’s life pre-McCain, which comprises over half of the autobiography. Palin discusses her childhood on the Alaskan frontier and gives candid accounts of the trials she’s faced as a mother. According to Melanie Kirkpatrick of the Wall Street Journal, Palin’s critics willing to read the autobiography will “find themselves in the company of a woman whose views are more nuanced than they were portrayed to be during the campaign.” Other reviews echo this sentiment, but they also second Kirkpatrick’s more political point, that supporters “won’t find much new ammunition with which to counter those who say that Mrs. Palin isn’t ready for the rigors of the White House.” In the book, Palin avoids in-depth discussion of political issues, instead discussing the campaign itself and what she found frustrating about the process. The book doesn’t do much to support Palin as a political leader, but it gives readers a glimpse of Palin as a multi-dimensional, intelligent woman, now able to speak in her own words.
“Going Rogue [...] is part cagey spin, part earnest autobiography, part payback hit job. And its most compelling sections deal not with politics but with Ms. Palin’s life in Alaska and her family.” - Michiko Kakutani, New York Times
“Mrs. Palin emerges as a new style of feminist: a politician who took on the Ole Boy network and won; a wife with a supportive husband whose career takes second place to hers; and a mother who, unlike working women of an earlier age, isn’t shy about showcasing her family responsibilities.” - Melanie Kirkpatrick, Wall Street Journal
“More often than not, Palin spends chunks of time reciting campaign pablum.” - Mark Kennedy, Associated Press
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