Elinor Lipman's latest novel, Rachel to the Rescue, might not stand the test of time, but for this particular time, it's hilarious ... partly grounded in reality (COVID-19), partly in fantasy (Melania dumps Donald) and entirely in hilarity (Trump's furious tweets about 'Mad Melania' are spot on) as Rachel, her roommates, her trying-not-to-be-busybodies busybody parents, and the guy who works at the wine store all try to figure out what she should do next. This is a great novel for a long and lazy summer afternoon. It feels so good to laugh.
An entertaining romp of a political satire ... As I read this novel full of quirky characters and spry dialogue, I found myself wishing Lipman could have left the news cycle behind. Flashes of politics occur only in the background of the novel, and the smattering of dire current events against the bubblegum fun of Rachel’s personal life creates an unfortunate dissonance. When Andrew Cuomo makes a cameo, I couldn’t help emitting a sympathetic oy vey for Lipman, who paints the New York governor in the flattering light that was common before his rapid fall from grace. While a story is a bond between a writer and her audience, the feather-light political references in this novel feel less like a connection and more like a head-on collision with the all-too-recent past and ongoing present ... Despite its White House-centric plot, Rachel to the Rescue revolves around one young woman navigating her way through a parade of spurned adults behaving badly. It’s the universal story of growing up and learning what matters and who deserves our attention. I have no doubt that readers who are hungry for heartwarming comedy and spicy D.C. gossip will find Lipman’s new novel absolutely delicious.
... only you, dear reader, can judge whether you will be able to enjoy this possibly sociopathic book ... The highlight of this aspect of the book is Lipman’s portrayal of Melania Trump ... Some aspects of the book are pretty lame, most having to do with writer Kirby Champion, who is just too much of a goofball, but this probably won’t wreck the book for you if indeed you are ready for it. Aw, get over it, you’ll be thinking about this too early/too late controversy . . . which means that you probably are getting there yourself. As in, over it. What a nice feeling.
Every concern in the novel is claustrophobically personal, domestic, and sexual, with the actual policies and actions of the Trump administration pushed so far off into the distance they become invisible. None of the characters seem to be paying any attention to anything besides themselves ... To set a breezy screwball romantic comedy against the Trump regime is an odd choice to say the least, like setting a Clueless remake among the children of the Franco regime. What made Lipman’s novel such a queasy read with the prospect of another four years looming was just how unremarkable the characters in Rachel to the Rescue seem to consider his presidency. Her Trump might as well be a kooky studio head in a Hollywood satire, or the humorously narcissistic mayor in a small-town novel—his scams and showboating a generator of laughs and mild wisecracks because the stakes are frivolously low ... Someday, I thought, using the Trump administration as a backdrop for a lighthearted comedy will feel acceptable—or at least, I hope so, since that will signal how firmly these four years have been relegated to our collective rearview mirror ... Only when it feels like there’s no chance of him ever regaining a position of power or otherwise continuing to stir up the forces of hatred and fear does it makes sense to portray him as Lipman does, as not much worse than a coarse buffoon with a wandering eye ... right now any comic narrative as gentle and toothless as this rom-com, set against the bleakness of the past four years, comes across as almost sociopathic in its obliviousness. Lipman’s American publishers were wrong: It’s not too late for Rachel to the Rescue. It’s way, way too soon.
With the light, frothy touch that her fans have come to expect from her witty comedies...Lipman dreamily integrates the tastelessly tawdry world of the Trump administration with the upbeat buoyancy of modern love in this timely political satire.
Taking place before the 2020 election and ending during the pandemic, this political satire, with a millennial protagonist and endearing supporting cast, is funny and entertaining, with a happily-ever-after.
... satirical, strange, and erratic ... The light, playful tone makes for an odd juxtaposition with the political satire ... Readers may get a kick out of the wild romp, but those for whom the Trump term felt darker than fodder for frothy fiction may want to look elsewhere.
