Official Review: The Alleged Woman by Joe Taylor
Posted: 06 Jun 2021, 21:39
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Alleged Woman" by Joe Taylor.]
In his book The Alleged Woman, Joe Taylor uses satire to indulge the reader in the disarray and the dissent that is the American election, all in the back of an unfolding health crisis brought about by the Coronavirus. The plot begins when a woman’s car is found containing Biden’s ballots. This draws the interest of an ineffectual New York-based lawyer, who obtains a series of injunctions to ascertain the number of votes discovered. The lawyer is one among a few real-life characters operating under fictitious or their real names in the satire.
Rudy Gullibilliani, the big-time city lawyer, is incensed that there is a plot to steal the election in the little-known county of Sumter. Even worse, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is worried that this impoverished county might repurpose the used ballots as dinner napkins on Thanksgiving Day. He thinks that this move would be hazardous since scientists haven’t established the lifespan of the Coronavirus on a ballot paper.
I liked this book because of the fresh perspective that the author gave a rather muted and dull subject. Due to close reading, the humor made me discover aspects of the election I hadn’t considered before. A good example of this was the stand that the white supremacists, like the KKK, had during Trump’s presidency, and the role they later played during his re-election bid. It was also interesting reading on Taylor’s draconian view of a group of conspiracists (QAnon) that were made famous during the storming of the U.S. Capitol building recently. Taylor’s suggestion touched on how to curtail the group’s activities in the U.S.
All in all, Taylor’s novel creatively uses irony to promote the reader’s awareness of the Coronavirus pandemic. Despite President Trump’s initial skepticism on the disease, it was touching reading the views of a comical and “smart” character in the novel called President Trumpet. Not only did he embrace a miracle cure for the disease, but he also advocated for the “straightening” of the news channels when he became the president (never mind that he was already the president when he spoke these words!).
On the other hand, I wouldn’t say there was anything I disliked about the novel in terms of weakness, as even the editorial errors were minimal (two) and not enough to affect the book’s rating. I, therefore, rate it 4 out of 4 stars.
Lastly, in an era where truth has become stranger than fiction, we may as well take it easy and read a few scathing political satires just for the laugh. Thus, this book will be suitable for those who are keen on reading between the lines as far as the political climate is concerned. At the same time, the book seemed to tolerate racism in American society. So, those who are offended by this are better off reading elsewhere.
******
The Alleged Woman
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
In his book The Alleged Woman, Joe Taylor uses satire to indulge the reader in the disarray and the dissent that is the American election, all in the back of an unfolding health crisis brought about by the Coronavirus. The plot begins when a woman’s car is found containing Biden’s ballots. This draws the interest of an ineffectual New York-based lawyer, who obtains a series of injunctions to ascertain the number of votes discovered. The lawyer is one among a few real-life characters operating under fictitious or their real names in the satire.
Rudy Gullibilliani, the big-time city lawyer, is incensed that there is a plot to steal the election in the little-known county of Sumter. Even worse, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is worried that this impoverished county might repurpose the used ballots as dinner napkins on Thanksgiving Day. He thinks that this move would be hazardous since scientists haven’t established the lifespan of the Coronavirus on a ballot paper.
I liked this book because of the fresh perspective that the author gave a rather muted and dull subject. Due to close reading, the humor made me discover aspects of the election I hadn’t considered before. A good example of this was the stand that the white supremacists, like the KKK, had during Trump’s presidency, and the role they later played during his re-election bid. It was also interesting reading on Taylor’s draconian view of a group of conspiracists (QAnon) that were made famous during the storming of the U.S. Capitol building recently. Taylor’s suggestion touched on how to curtail the group’s activities in the U.S.
All in all, Taylor’s novel creatively uses irony to promote the reader’s awareness of the Coronavirus pandemic. Despite President Trump’s initial skepticism on the disease, it was touching reading the views of a comical and “smart” character in the novel called President Trumpet. Not only did he embrace a miracle cure for the disease, but he also advocated for the “straightening” of the news channels when he became the president (never mind that he was already the president when he spoke these words!).
On the other hand, I wouldn’t say there was anything I disliked about the novel in terms of weakness, as even the editorial errors were minimal (two) and not enough to affect the book’s rating. I, therefore, rate it 4 out of 4 stars.
Lastly, in an era where truth has become stranger than fiction, we may as well take it easy and read a few scathing political satires just for the laugh. Thus, this book will be suitable for those who are keen on reading between the lines as far as the political climate is concerned. At the same time, the book seemed to tolerate racism in American society. So, those who are offended by this are better off reading elsewhere.
******
The Alleged Woman
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
