Review by alangner -- The Broadcast by Liam Fialkov

[alangner]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Broadcast" by Liam Fialkov.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Would you watch a TV show that showed what was purportedly past events? Not something like The History Channel or a true crime series where they give you a recreation of what they believe happened, but the events as they actually took place. Would you have blind faith that what you were seeing was the truth, or would you believe it was an elaborate hoax? Would you have concerns that what you believed to be true could turn out to be totally wrong? That's the premise behind The Broadcast.

Two brothers who are estranged: one produces television shows, one is an unassuming man of many talents with self-confidence issues. A woman desperately wanting a child while mourning the one she had to give up. A young man, adopted as a baby by a wonderful family, reaching a stage in his life where he wants to find his roots. A skeptical journalist sure that the public is being defrauded. A private investigator with a grudge. Add in all the peripheral connections with other people and you have your cast.

The book follows these characters, some from before the television show airs, to a climactic conclusion that reveals the source of the videos being broadcast. If you're like me, you'll have an idea of where they're coming from but won't quite be able to figure out the how. Along the way, you'll experience the gamut of the human condition: integrity, treachery, love, hate, despair, joy, and everything in between.

The thing I liked most about the book was its complexity. The author delved deep into human nature, belief systems, and human interaction while centering it all around a television show. Each character was well-developed and tangible. Even at their worst, they were still very authentic. I think the thing I liked least about the book were the sections about the television show itself. They lacked the same connectivity that the chapters about the people had and were boring, in my opinion.

I would give this book 4 out of 4 stars. Although there were several errors in the book, they were almost exclusively punctuation and relatively easy to overlook unless you were watching for them.

I think this book would appeal to anyone who is interested in human interaction. I think people who like history may also be interested in this book, as there was quite a bit of historical data in relation to the television show. If you enjoy a book that makes you feel like you could actually know the characters and immerses you completely, this is the book for you. There is quite a bit around religion/mysticism/spirituality in the book as well as dealing with moral issues, so if you don't like to read about any of that, you might not enjoy it. Then again, you might.

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The Broadcast
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[kfwilson6]

I agree with your assessment that the portions detailing the show itself were quite boring. I found the concept of historical events being shown really interesting, but the execution wasn't what I expected. The crimes were detailed a little better. I was disappointed about how the book ended. I guess I expected a very different explanation for the source of the videos. I would have given this one 3 stars. Great concept, decently executed, but a good bit of room for improvement.