THOSE WHO LOVE: A Biographical Novel of Abigail and John Adams

by Irving Stone ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 22, 1965

The most often encountered pictures of our Second President and his First Lady may leave the impression of a stodgy, podgy, perfectly decent, devoted pair. They were. But, in the biographical novel form, especially in the hands of Irving Stone, no historical figure is going to be allowed to drop into bed in uxorious boredom or kiss with absent-minded contentment. The mind may reel at the idea of John Adams as ""a hurricane"" of passion but Abigail says so here. At least Irving Stone says she thought so. And, after a courtship of ""bruising kisses...Every remote corner of her was magnificently aware, from the recess of her brain to the tactile tingling of her toes...""; they got married and Hurricane Adams ""swept her out to sea"" every night. This sort of pumping prose may spell critical disaster, but the author and the publisher probably care only that when it gets on the bestseller list that it be spelled right. American Revolutionary history and early political life moves forward with a degree of respect for the facts and a general tampering with actual truth through the mass produced dialogue. There are those who have always maintained that taken together or separately, the Adams family were admirable, upstanding, long living, letter writing, diary keeping bores. However, a biographical novelist, when history palls, can always swack off a bruising kiss or spice up the chat. It's a good joke gift for historians and the general public, God Bless 'em, may not even notice the cliches.

Pub Date: Oct. 22, 1965

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1965

Categories: FICTION