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Summary: Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan
Review: When the literary device clouds a writer's purpose, then the device is a failure. Morris' inability to get inside Reagan's psyche enough to write a biography without creating fictional characters is indicative that he really could not understand Reagan. Morris had such a wealth of data and access to so many sources, but I believe he could not relate to the lower-middle class, Midwestern roots from which Reagan grew. He had to invent artistic, wealthy, cynical fictional characters that he could understand to critique the real person whom he could not. With my own roots in that Midwestern soil, the enigma which was Ronald Reagan is no mystery; he defines men of his age and background - an "aw shucks" goodness, a strong work ethic, a basic intuitiveness that doesn't fit a logical intellectual model, a self-righteouness, a sentimentality, and a reclusiveness. The book was frustrating because Morris seemed constantly to be searching for the secret to a personality that eluded him and spent too much time inventing stories and often too little time really getting into personal relationships and important events that might have helped define Reagan. Even with its great length, at times I found myself wishing he would have gone deeper into certain events. The book presents a real classification problem - is it fact of is it fiction? How will libraries catalog it? Where should this book be shelved? Sometime in the future will someone be desperately searching for the real histories of fictional characters? It certainly is creative journalism at its worse. I wish I had waited to buy this book when it was on the $ remainder table - which it should be very soon.
Rating: 
Summary: Missed Opportunity
Review: I did not get to read Dutch until after it had been given bad reviews by the media. I was able to keep an open mind about the book. However, upon starting the book, I soon agreed with the criticism. I skipped numerous pagers (gladly) to avoid Morris's fictional characters. I feel that Morris missed an incrediable opportunity on this book. He had such close access to the presidency and such a free hand, and he blew it. I expected a thorough biography of a great president. Instead I got a large editorial of fiction/history. I am glad to say that the latter part of the book strayed away from the author's fictionl creations. Too many important details were skipped over or simply mentioned briefly. I can only hope that someone else will come along and try to make up where Morris fell so short, and give us an exhaustive work on Ronald Reagan. I feel he deserves it.
Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant; Much More Than the Critics
Review: The real Edmund Morris pushes the envelope on the art of biography, but his subject is so much larger than life, he is to be commended, not forgiven, for this "heresy". Once one begins to realize that the fictional Morris is a symbol of the American public one can begin to fully appreciate the points he is making and the praise he is heaping behind his back on his subject. Aside from everything else, it is a magnificent piece of writing, a wonderful read. That so many critics missed the obvious is quite troubling, and a self-indictment of late twentieth century criticism. This is a book that should rightly be studied for generations in both history and literature classes. Despite its length, I still wanted more. If Mr. Morris would like to send me some of the stuff he cut out, it would be well appreciated!
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Summary: An Unfortunate Disappointment
Review: As an admirer of Morris's The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, I wanted and expected to like this book. Unfortunately, it is a disappointment. The author's use of fiction to supplement the real story impedes the reader's ability to understand Ronald Reagan, because it is often impossible to separate actual fact from Morris's inventions. Almost as troubling, the fictional story centers on Morris and his invented friends and relatives, which shifts the focus of the work in an unfortunate way away from Reagan and toward Morris. The author also has made questionable decisions about where to focus his attention. For example, Reagan's eight years as governor are covered in two, relatively breezy chapters, leaving readers with an incomplete understanding of Reagan's rise to national power. The many pages Morris devotes to his fictional embellishments could have been better spent fleshing out the ideas and events that gave rise to Reagan and modern conservative politics. Dutch is not entirely without merit. There are passages of real literary power, as well as some memorable anecdotes. Morris also deserves some slack because it must be hard to write about a recent President, especially one with whom the author has developed a personal relationship. Still, this is a disappointing book.
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Summary: Ridiculously Petty
Review: Never before have I read a book to attack a subject in such a petty, elementary school-like manner. Childish namecalling, inappropriate references, and hateful, ficticious characters ruined this book. Mr. Morris appeared to have set out with two motives: 1) To write a predetermined attack disguised as a historical reference biography; 2) To blatantly attempt to establish himself as an intellectual. This book purchase will be the last time I give Edmund Morris any of my money and belongs in the "ash heap of history."
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Summary: Astonishingly obtuse biography
Review: I waited for some time before buying this book. I was initially put off by the nature of the attention it was receiving. Finally, I bought the book here on Amazon and looked forward to reading it over the holidays. I don't know what kind of drugs EM was on when he concocted this bizarre literary style for his so-called biography, but he squandered a now permanently lost opportunity for himself and the rest of us. I forced myself partway through this painful book. Then I took to skimming to find out where the 'biography' began. Unfortunately, it never clearly does. This book is less about RR and a whole lot more about EM's alter-ego than anyone (save EM's mother) could possibly want. Generally, it is difficult to tell where reality ends and fantasy begins. The one thing that I am sure about is the author's elitist, self-indulgent nature and his irresponsible waste of over a decade of unprecedented access to a US President. In all fairness, EM does write well (very visual), but comes off as a pseudo-intellectual with awkward inclusions of irrelevant prose just to prove his 'proper' schooling. Style is no substitute for substance. How this book ever got past the editors and execs at Random House without some serious editing is beyond me. EM should have stated in the Prologue to this book that he didn't particularly like RR, found RR boorish and beneath himself, and that he needed to create a whole new genre in order to hold his interest during the writing of the book. If he had, I would have then been better prepared for what I was about to read. All I wanted was an insightful book about RR, good or bad. I got neither - just a really bad book.
Rating: 
Summary: Good biography--Better story
Review: Even with all of the publicity surrounding this book published before I began to read it, I still approached the book initially as a traditional biography. After the first 150-200 pages, including some confusion, I was able to settle in and enjoy what is a classic American story. After reading the book and listening to several Morris interviews it appears that the end product, a well written story, was the intended product.
Rating: 
Summary: Dutch
Review: Although I admire Ronald Reagan for his work as our President, I was drawn to this book by the controversy that surrounded its literary technique. After reading the book, I did not find the technique confusing or offensive. Morris's tool for telling the early Reagan years was actually very effective. My problem with the book lay in the portrayal of Reagan in his latter years. Although Morris points out many of Reagan's accomplishments, he tends to convey Reagan, as opposed to what Morris himself says, as an airhead.
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Summary: It is a fair telling of a private man's story
Review: I think I cheated. I listened to the audio tapes instead of reading the book. I was not bothered in the least by the author's insertion of a fictional character into the story as narrator. In fact, this device kept me from being bored long before Mr. Reagan got to Washington. I was pleased to hear that Mr. Reagan was smarter than many of us thought, and perhaps more simple. I especially liked the diary entries and excerpts of his letters to Nancy. I found it elegantly written and well worth the hours I spent listening.
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Summary: Enormous intrusion of Morris' ego into this biography
Review: I have to agree with one of Reagon's kids who said that Morris had blown an invaluable opportunity. This could have been a great book. It is certainly well researched, with many fascinating insights. However, the author's inability to keep his ego out of it made for enormously difficult reading. I felt that I was constantly fighting an almost palpable presence that was coming between me and the subject, Ronald Reagon. Between the author's intrusion of himself as a character, and all sorts of stylistic peculiarities, this book is a major problem to track. I just skipped over big hunks of pages because I wasn't willing to put forth the effort.
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