AL FRANKEN, GIANT OF THE SENATE is a book about an unlikely campaign that had an even more improbable ending: the closest outcome in history and an unprecedented eight-month recount saga, which is pretty funny in retrospect. It's a book about what happens when the nation's foremost progressive satirist gets a chance to serve in the United States Senate and, defying the low expectations of the pundit class, actually turns out to be good at it. It's a book about our deeply polarized, frequently depressing, occasionally inspiring political culture, written from inside the belly of the beast. In this candid personal memoir, the honorable gentleman from Minnesota takes his army of loyal fans along with him from Saturday Night Live to the campaign trail, inside the halls of Congress, and behind the scenes of some of the most dramatic and/or hilarious moments of his new career in politics.
I knew of Al Franken due to his comedic background. Not much, mind you. I wasn't a huge follower of SNL. I have become much more aware of Senator Franken as I have watched him within the chaos that has followed the election of Trump - and have become quite impressed with his diligence, his intelligence, and how he quite often seems to make points that others fail to make. Then - I saw him talking about Ted Cruz with Samantha Bee, and frankly - while I was already sort of curious about his new book - that is what sold me. Anyone who can eviscerate that sodden lump of moldy towels deserves a chance. And happily, I got much more than I anticipated.
What pleased me most about this book was the information. Chock full of facts (uh...real ones) that made sense in context, all of them important, and many of them unknown to me. Not the sort of "facts" that would be used to justify pussy-grabbing, or criticizing women's bleeding bits...but the sort of facts that show we still have a long way to go as a country. The sort that show why people are important, and why Senator Franken continues to fight for the common good - when right now, it would be so easy to give up. Yes, there is some humor - my husband shook his head as I laughed out loud here and there. But it's not over the top, and it does a fair amount to showcase the craziness that we call politics.
I'm not from Minnesota, nor have I ever been there. But I can't help but think that those people got it right in electing - then re-electing - Senator Franken. Someone in this day and age who makes an effort to reach across the aisle, to realize that his opponents are still people (except Ted Cruz - he doesn't count), and to still believe that it's worth fighting the good fight? It's a wonderful thing.
