Christopher Buckley is a popular American satirist and writer. World fame brought him the novels "They smoke here", "Florence of Arabia", "Boomerang Day". Some of them were filmed. In this article we will tell his biography and about the most famous works.
Biography
Christopher Buckley was born in New York in 1952. His father was a popular American writer and political observer, founded the right-wing conservative magazine. In the mid-60s, he ran for mayor of New York, but managed to take only third place, receiving about 13 and a half percent of the vote. The mother of the hero of our article, Patricia, was Canadian by nationality. She was engaged in charity work, raising funds for various large projects.
Christopher Buckley graduated from a church school in Portsmouth. He is a graduate of Yale University. There he was a member of a secret old student society, "Skull and Bones."
He began his professional career as one of the editors of the cult American magazine Esquire. He was a speechwriter with George W. Bush when he was vice president of the United States.
Creation
Experience in this position provided material to Christopher Buckley for his first satirical novel, Clutter in the White House, which was released in 1986. This is a work in which the work of the White House apparatus is shown in an ironic form. Moreover, it was a kind of political memoir.
Christopher Buckley publishes his next book in 1994. The novel "They Smoke Here" is gaining great fame. Its main character is tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor, whose job is to promote smoking.
Based on this work in 2006, the film of the same name by Jason Reitman was released. True, the picture does not have a common plot with the novel. The main roles in it were played by Aaron Eckhart, Cameron Bright, Katie Holmes and Maria Bello.
In the film, one of the key points is an interview with a pretty journalist, whom the main character suddenly confesses to the nuances of his work. He says that he himself is not sure of the validity of the convictions he insists on. And all his cynical rhetoric, thanks to which he is famous, is only part of the work. Nick deals with it solely in order to cover loan payments. When these revelations are published, a major scandal erupts.
In 1998, Buckley wrote a pamphlet novel, The Lord Is My Broker, co-authored with John Tierney. He talks about the unlucky Wall Street broker who becomes a monk.
Among his next works, it is worth highlighting the novels "The Green Men", "The First Lady Doesn’t Do That", "Florence of Arabia", "Boomerang Day", "Supreme Cramps", "They Eat Puppies, Really?" His last satirical novel is currently called "Relic of the master." It was published in 2015.
Buckley also wrote several travel books.
"They smoke here"
"They Smoke Here" by Christopher Buckley - a satirical novel with thriller elements. It was this book that brought him fame and popularity.
He wrote the book from his own experience when he worked in the media and advertising business. The protagonist Nick Naylor promotes the idea that smoking does not do as much harm as many people think around, this habit should be cultivated in every way. For this, the public constantly falls upon him indignantly.
He regularly argues with opponents of smoking, meets at conferences with powerful opponents, managing to get out of the most delicate situations. Suddenly a hunt is declared for him. The lobbyist is kidnapped, pasted over his body with nicotine patches, trying to kill. After that, even if he wants, he cannot start smoking. Nick begins an independent investigation. He concludes that cigarette manufacturers, whom he always considered his companions, were involved in the assassination attempt.
The piquancy of the narrative is given by the appearance in it of world celebrities, who sometimes hide behind transparent pseudonyms.
The main character of this work, Buckley, simultaneously becomes both an object and a source of satire. It is noteworthy that when he acts as a satirical object, he is ridiculed not only by the author, but also by himself. In the course of the development of the novel, this self-irony gradually turns into sincere repentance and self-disclosure.
Interestingly, it was initially expressed primarily through newspaper headlines. He invents them himself, suggesting that journalists could write if they were aware of all the intricacies of his profession. As an example, we can recall the episode when Naylor was offered to bribe a dying cowboy, nicknamed Perekati-Pole, who once advertised cigarettes. Now he is suing tobacco corporations, accusing them of problems with his health.
Reviews
In reviews of this work, readers note that the book is an incredibly interesting and entertaining character. Lobbyist Neil Naylor is a professional who expertly manipulates opponents' weaknesses.
The novel describes in detail the entire "cuisine" of the tobacco industry, which allows to significantly rethink their own actions and beliefs. This became one of Buckley’s most popular novels, thanks to which everyone learned about this talented author.
Florence Arabian
This is the sixth satirical book of the hero of our article, which was published in 2004. Christopher Buckley in Florence of Arabia talks about the fictional kingdom of Wasabia.
At the center of the story is the CIA’s conflict with this microstate, which occurs because one of the crown prince’s wives decided to seek political asylum in America, when she felt the charm of Western life.
"Boomerang Day"
In 2007, the novel "Boomerang Day." Christopher Buckley in it fully demonstrates his knowledge of American politics and journalistic experience to talk about the head of a PR agency.
Other characters in the novel are a senior member of the Catholic clergy, a computer tycoon, and even the American head of state.
At the center of the event is Kassandra, who offers an unusual plan for solving the country's economic problems, instantly turning into a key link in the election campaign.