Hillary Clinton's 'Hard Choices': Here's what the reviews are saying
Hillary Clinton鈥檚 new book 鈥淗ard Choices鈥� has been endlessly examined for hints about whether she鈥檒l be running for president in 2016.
But how is it simply as a book 鈥� something that might tempt you to put your feet up and peruse?
Reviews of 鈥淐hoices,鈥� which was published on June 10, have so far been mostly positive. critic Michiko Kakutani called it 鈥渁 subtle, finely calibrated work.鈥�
鈥淭hough she does not possess the genial explanatory gifts of her husband (showcased in his 2011 book about the economy, 'Back to Work'), [Hillary Clinton] provides the lay reader 鈥� and potential voter 鈥� with succinct and often shrewd appraisals of the complex web of political, economic and historical forces in play around the world, and the difficulties American leaders face in balancing strategic concerns with 鈥榗ore values,鈥欌�� Kakutani wrote. 鈥淭he tone is calm and measured, with occasional humorous asides鈥� For readers who are less policy-oriented, there are personal tidbits strewn lightly throughout.鈥�
writer Robin Abcarian found the book a 鈥渃ompelling chronicle."聽
鈥淐linton's blunt charm goes hand-in-hand with an impressive sang-froid,鈥� Abcarian wrote. 鈥淭he prose of 鈥楬ard Choices鈥� may not have the soaring quality of a transcendent political speech鈥� but it's also mercifully free of the bromides that mar most campaign biographies鈥� The book teems with small, entertaining details about her interactions with foreign leaders.鈥�
Meanwhile, writer David Ignatius called the book 鈥渃lear and at times riveting.鈥�
鈥淭his is a careful book, written tactically to burnish friendships and avoid making enemies,鈥� Ignatius wrote. 鈥淭here are times when the reader feels he is being 鈥榮pun鈥� rather than enlightened鈥� There鈥檚 nothing here that seems likely to get her in trouble with anyone, which is doubtless good politics but a bad thing to say about a memoir鈥� The book opens with an unfortunate gush of clich茅s鈥� But once Clinton gets rolling, she does what鈥檚 most valuable in this kind of memoir, which is to take readers inside her meetings 鈥� sketching portraits of the world leaders with whom she did business.鈥�
And the critic Ed Pilkington also found the book to be 鈥渃arefully crafted."聽
鈥淚n her portrayal of her four years at the State Department, Clinton comes across as a faithful servant, but one with her own firm sense of America鈥檚 role in the world,鈥� Pilkington wrote. 鈥淏etween the lines, she allows herself plenty of wriggle room in which to distance her record from that of the Obama White House, should she need to in 2016.鈥�
