Christopher Buckley: biography, books, reader reviews

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Christopher Buckley is a popular American satirist and writer. The novels "Smoking Here", "Florence of Arabia", "Day of the Boomerang" brought him worldwide fame. Some of them have been filmed. In this article we will tell about his biography and about the most famous works.

Biography

Christopher Buckley was born in New York in 1952. His father was a popular American writer and political commentator who founded a right-wing conservative magazine. In the mid-60s, he ran for mayor of New York, but managed to take only third place, receiving about 13 and a half percent of the vote. The mother of the hero of our article, Patricia, was Canadian by nationality. She was involved in charity work, raising funds for various major projects.

Christopher Buckley graduated from a church school in Portsmouth. He is a graduate of Yale University. There he was a member of a secret ancient student society "Skull and Bones".

Started his professional career as one of the editors of the cultAmerican magazine Esquire. Was a speechwriter for George W. Bush during his tenure as Vice President of the United States.

Creativity

Experience in this position gave material to Christopher Buckley for his first satirical novel "The Turmoil in the White House", which was released in 1986. This is a work in which the work of the White House apparatus is shown in an ironic form. Besides, it was a kind of political memoir.

Christopher Buckley publishes his next book in 1994. The novel "Smoking Here" is gaining great fame. Its main character is tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor, whose job is to promote smoking.

Based on this work in 2006, the film of the same name by Jason Reitman was released. True, the picture has no common plot with the novel. It stars Aaron Eckhart, Cameron Bright, Katie Holmes and Maria Bello.

In the film, one of the key moments is an interview with a pretty journalist, to whom the protagonist suddenly confesses the nuances of his work. He says that he himself is not sure of the validity of the beliefs on which he insists. And all of his cynical rhetoric for which he is famous is just part of the job. Nick does it solely to cover loan payments. When these revelations are published, a major scandal erupts.

In 1998, Buckley wrote a pamphlet novel, The Lord Is My Broker, co-authored with John Tierney. He talks about a failed Wall Street broker who becomes a monk.

Amonghis next works worth highlighting are the novels "Green Men", "They Don't Do This To The First Lady", "Florence Of Arabia", "Boomerang Day", "Supreme Convulsions", "They Eat Puppies, Don't They?". His last satirical novel is currently called "Master's Relic". It was published in 2015.

Buckley also wrote several travel books.

Smoking here

"Smoking Here" by Christopher Buckley is a satirical novel with elements of a thriller. It was this book that brought him fame and popularity.

He wrote the book from his own experience when he worked in the media and advertising business. The protagonist Nick Naylor promotes to the masses the idea that smoking does not bring such harm, as many people around think, this habit should be cultivated in every possible way. For this, the public constantly falls upon him with indignation.

He regularly argues with opponents of smoking, meets at conferences with powerful opponents, managing to get out of the most delicate situations. Suddenly, a hunt is announced for him. The lobbyist is kidnapped, his body is covered with nicotine patches in an attempt to kill him. After that, even if he wanted to, he could not start smoking. Nick begins his own investigation. He comes to the conclusion that cigarette manufacturers, whom he always considered his associates, were involved in the attempt.

The piquancy of the narrative is given by the appearance of world celebrities in it, who sometimes hide behindtransparent aliases.

The protagonist of this work, Buckley, simultaneously becomes both an object and a source of satire. It is noteworthy that when he acts as a satirical object, he is ridiculed not only by the author, but also by himself. As the novel progresses, this self-irony gradually turns into sincere remorse and self-disclosure.

It is interesting that initially it is expressed mainly through the headlines of articles in newspapers. He invents them himself, assuming that journalists could write if they were aware of all the intricacies of his profession. As an example, we can recall the episode when Naylor is offered to bribe a dying cowboy named Tumbleweed, who once advertised cigarettes. Now he is suing tobacco corporations for his he alth problems.

Reviews

In reviews of this work, readers note that the book has an incredibly interesting and entertaining character. Lobbyist Neil Naylor is a professional who masterfully manipulates opponents' weaknesses.

The novel describes in detail the entire "kitchen" of the tobacco industry, which allows you to largely rethink your own actions and beliefs. It became one of Buckley's most popular novels and made everyone aware of this talented author.

Florence of Arabia

This is the sixth satirical book of the hero of our article, which was published in 2004. Christopher Buckley in "Florence of Arabia" talks about a fictional kingdomWasabiya.

At the center of the story is the conflict between the CIA and this microstate, which is due to the fact that one of the crown prince's wives decided to seek political asylum in America when she felt the beauty of Western life.

Boomerang Day

In 2007, the novel "The Day of the Boomerang" was published. Christopher Buckley brings his full knowledge of American politics and journalistic experience to bear on the head of a public relations agency.

Other characters in the novel are a high-ranking representative of the Catholic clergy, a computer tycoon and even an American head of state.

At the center of the event is Kassandra, who proposes an unusual plan for solving the country's economic problems, instantly turning into a key link in the election campaign.