George Bush, Dark Prince of Love

a novel by Lydia Millet
1999

Hello, I'm George Bush, Dark Prince of Love. No, not that George Bush. (As if.) The kinder, gentler George Bush. The thousand points of George Bush. The George Bush who doesn't seem to realize that English is his native language, the George Bush who let Dick Cheney waste so many lives and so much money in a trumped-up war against Saddam Hussein. Yes, it was a very different time.

Any old hoo, I may have mentioned I'm a novel by Lydia Millet. I was published in 1999, but if I say so myself, I've never been more timely. I am the proud possessor, you may have noticed, of the best title ever, and I'd be surprised if I didn't make you laugh out loud, but it's not just about style with me. I pack a surprising amount of historical, political and verbal substance for a book you might prefer not to be seen reading in public. Rosemary, my narrator, is educated, articulate and current events-obsessed. She's also an ex-con with an assembly-line job (when she's lucky) and an elderly drug addict for a boyfriend. Do you begin to see how G.B. might look pretty good to her? Rosemary might insult her own intelligence, but she will never insult yours.

I haven't read any of Lydia Millet's other novels. You know how it is, sibling rivalry and all. But let's face it, I'm the one who got the best title ever; she obviously loves me best. So I can afford to be generous. I think I'll have to check out the others before too long. The woman who wrote me is definitely my kind of writer.