Now that Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has made Noam Chomsky’s Hegemony and Survival a surprise best-seller, here’s a sampling of what Chavez had to say about other recent books in various speeches before the United Nations.
On Nora Ephron’s I Feel Bad About My Neck:
A wry but ultimately melancholy meditation on aging. I recommend it to all Americans who wish to understand why Dick Cheney is a senile warmonger able only to think in terms of domination. Five stars.
On James Ellroy’s The Black Dahlia:
A complex but rewarding tale set against the backdrop of unsolved brutality. I hope all Americans will read it and reflect on their own unanswered questions about why the Bush invaded Iraq despite Saddam’s lack of ties to Al-Qaeda. Five stars.
On John Grogan’s Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog:
How can we resist this heartwarming tale of unconditonal love for an incorrigible pet? The same way we of the third world will ultimately resist the totalitarian policies of George W. Bush and the running dogs of imperialism. I give it no stars.
Next week: speaking at the Organization of American States, Hugo Chavez reviews the season premieres of Grey’s Anatomy and The Office.