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| Plot Summary of Primary Colors |
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"Told through the eyes of young political consultant Harvey Burton, Klein's debut novel, a thinly-veiled portrait of the 1992 Democratic presidential primaries, is a biting satire of the political game.
When Harvey Burton is approached by representatives of Jack Stanton, the youthful, charismatic governor of a small southern state, he thinks it's just another job. But then a strange thing happens. He actually begins to believe in his candidate. And that could be a problem, because Jack Stanton's candidacy seems to be doomed before it even begins.
As the episodic plot careens from crisis to crisis, Henry and his motley crew of oddball campaign workers must deal with the threat posed by the governor of New York, whose mere existence as a possible contender is enough to drain their funds. Then he has to fend off reporters asking about Stanton's draft-dodging during Vietnam. Then the news of an extramarital affair hits the papers.
And then there are the other candidates to deal with. Most of them aren't serious contenders, but one of them, Lawrence Harris, a retired senator from New Hampshire with an attractive platform and a slick campaign, threatens to snatch victory from Stanton's grasp before the first primary has ended.
When Senator Harris suffers an unexpected heart-attack and slips into a coma, it seems that Stanton and his campaign will win. Until the fallen senator's wife unveils a replacement candidate.
Fred Picker used to be Jack Stanton, a long time ago. Now he's Stanton's worst nightmare: a charismatic campaigner with a knack for playing to the cameras and the help of the sympathy vote. Soon the Stanton campaign finds itself hampered by scandal after scandal as it fights the ultimate uphill battle against a brilliant political mind.
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James Craver, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Primary Colors |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 30%
Tone of story
- Dry-cynical
Time/era of story:
- 1980's-1999
Spying/Terrorism Thriller
Yes
Cloak & Dagger Plotlets:
- election campaign
- political blackmail
Kid or adult book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- politician/elected ruler
Age:
- 40's-50's
How much violence does he/she use?
- none
Ethnicity/Race
- White/American
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- quite fatty
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 60's-90's
Profession/status:
- politician/elected ruler
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist
- kicks
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- Northeast
- Southeast
City?
Yes
City:
- wealthy
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Misc setting
- fancy mansion
Style
Part of a series?
Yes
Person
- mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths?
- 1
Sex
Yes
What kind of sex:
- vague references
- descript of kissing
- touching of anatomy
- licking
- impregnation/reproduction
- actual description of sex
Unusual forms of death
- perforation--bullets
Unusual form of death?
Yes
Amount of dialog
- significantly more descript than dialog
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Click here for more information about this book
Joe Klein Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR:
 James Craver
SCHOLARS:
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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