Supreme Courtship

By: Christopher Buckley

Narrated by: Anne Heche

Length: 8 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's Summary

President of the United States Donald Vanderdamp is having a hell of a time getting his nominees appointed to the Supreme Court. After one nominee is rejected for insufficiently appreciating To Kill A Mockingbird, the president chooses someone so beloved by voters that the Senate won't have the guts to reject her - Judge Pepper Cartwright, the star of the nation's most popular reality show, Courtroom Six.

Will Pepper, a straight-talking Texan, survive a confirmation battle in the Senate? Will becoming one of the most powerful women in the world ruin her love life? And even if she can make it to the Supreme Court, how will she get along with her eight highly skeptical colleagues, including a floundering Chief Justice who, after legalizing gay marriage, learns that his wife has left him for another woman?

Soon, Pepper finds herself in the middle of a constitutional crisis, a presidential reelection campaign that the president is determined to lose, and oral arguments of a romantic nature. Supreme Courtship is another classic Christopher Buckley comedy about the Washington institutions most deserving of ridicule.

©2008 Christopher Taylor Buckley (P)2008 Hachette Audio

Comic Relief

If you are sick and tired of the depressing news day in and day out, this book and Buckley's humor is for you. Every time a supreme court openning occurs, in real life, we go through the same game of Advise and Conscent. This book will give you some time to laugh during these hectic news times and the current, as well as past and future, climate in Washington and our "so called leaders" and the increadible distance we have come from the founding fathers concept of government and how it should function.

Listen to this when you are down and need lifting. I am embarking on listening to more books by Buckley (have just started "This is no way to treat a First Lady" - also very funny). He first came to attention, for me at least, on CBS's Sunday Morning show when he was interviewed. Somebody has to be humorous about our "clowns" in DC. Who else has the ability to express wit other than the son of William Buckley. Have Fun !!!!!

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

Easily the funniest book on Audible.

The truth is I have read this novel at least 3 times since it came out. When I saw Anne Heche narrated it I knew she was the perfect choice for the snarky Pepper Cartwright. It is impossible to exagerate the synergy of wtiting and narration she delivers.

There are so many wonderful characters in this book, beginnig with Pepper, a reluctant POTUS, a wise and gracious presidential advisor, a narcissistic Senator and a couple of unforgettable spouses. The banter is witty and smart. The politics are put in the proper perspective.

5 Stars accross the board mens I will listen to this often.

21 of 23 people found this review helpful

Disappointed

I have to say I was disappointed with this book. Like all Christopher Buckley novels it had its moments, some of them quite funny, but it tended to lose focus near the end, meandering off in aimless directions. I honestly think he started writing this book without any idea of how to end it, and when it came time to "tie a bow" on it, he just piled a bunch of absurd situations on top of each other. In that respect it was kind of like "No Way to Treat a First Lady," his other weak effort. His best work (by far) is "Thank You for Smoking," a textbook case of how satire should be written: witty, incisive, and especially understated.

I can't stress that last point enough. Buckley's "Smoking" was funny precisely because the basic concept of the book - a roguish tobacco spokesman with a silver tongue fights nanny state moralizers - did not seem so outlandish and impossible, and by the end of it we were rooting for the anti-hero Nick Naylor in spite of ourselves. This one start's with an absurd premise - a Judge Judy type justice on the Supreme Court - and piles on the craziness from there in giant, heaping spoonfuls. I don't want to spoil the surprise for those of you who want to listen to it, but the story ends with a constitutional crisis of such epic insanity it would have flummoxed Maimonides, and a presidential election so convoluted it would have made the 2000 Florida debacle seem simple. Add to this the fact that most of the the novel's characters, including the protagonist a TV judge named Pepper Cartwright, come across as a little self-absorbed and unlikeable, and the whole thing really feels like a waste of time.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Quite entertaining

I liked the book. The narration was quite good. However, usually I like books narrated by a deep voice better so I can play it at a faster speed. The main character was female though, so it made sense.

This is my first Buckley book, and I thought it was quite funny. You will obviously like it much more if you are interesting in the ins and outs of government.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Fun, but feathery

I really enjoy Christopher Buckley's novels. Supreme Courtship was much like his others-satirical and fun, but not particularly hard hitting. This one was particularly light in terms of plot. Because the main character is vying for a spot on the Supreme Court, Buckley's lack of legal knowledge becomes a little distracting. I thought Anne Heche did a terrific job narrating. In sum, I think this was a great idea and could have been executed better. It was still fun though.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Anne Heche's narration is unlistenable

I've been looking forward to this book, which has gotten great reviews and sounded like a lot of fun. Unfortunately, the narration makes it impossible to listen to. Heche uses an arch, ironic tone for every single sentence, which wrings any hint of humor from the text. I tried to stick with it, hoping that her irritating mannerisms would eventually fade into the background, but to no avail. I finally had to give up. I've listened to hundreds of audio books, and I have to say that the narration here is the absolute worst I've encountered.

12 of 16 people found this review helpful

Supreme Courtship

This was my first book by Christopher Buckley. I am a fan. This was a great story and a unique idea. The story moved right along and the political insights of Washington were great. Recommend this book most highly.

4 of 5 people found this review helpful

Laugh Out Loud

Buckley manages to create just the right degree of absurdity without ever going over the edge, so that his stories are just one shade beyond real-world-believable. Hilarious stuff, especially in today's political climate.

I don't remember ever seeing or hearing Anne Heche do anything. She is a WONDERFUL reader. Just terrific, giving each character tiny quirks so that you always know who's speaking without having to listen to outright accents.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great Buckley Novel with Great Voice Acting

Another great book by Christopher Buckley! I had already read No Way to Treat a First Lady and loved that book as well. Sometimes you just need to laugh about the government that we find ourselves being blessed with and these novels allow us that opportunity. I especially enjoyed the voice acting for this novel done by Anne Heche. I had no idea how good she was at taking on different voices with different personalities.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

perfect summer read - terrific narration

i thoroughly enjoyed this book. Anne Heche's performance was pitch perfect and added a great deal to Chris Buckley's very funny book. "Read" it and laugh out loud.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful