Book Review: Little Green Men by Christopher Buckley

This was my first introduction to Christopher Buckley’s political satires. I had heard good things about his writing, and I didn’t have an excuse not to read the Little Green Men I had bought two months ago. So, I dived into the book about little green men (no surprise there; the proof is in the title) and American politics.

Little green men always get me excited, so much my husband says I have an unhealthy obsession. And like with the monsters I root for the little buggers. I’m the first one to open the doors for them to destroy the world, advertise the free open space in my head for their slugs to nestle in with their patios and swimming pools, but where I draw my line is abductions and probing. That is just weird guys!

Now you know where I stand and my dirty secrets are out, we can move on to the actual review. Buckley’s Little Green Men was about abductions and invasive probing, but we can only blame ourselves about that, in so many twisted levels I would need a shrink to recuperate. Anyway, I had ambivalent thoughts about this book. There was only one relatable character, and he got more space in the middle of the book. The beginning was too slow, and the political picture and its relation to the main character could have been done quicker and without repetition. Middle being the strongest part of the book is an odd problem to have. Usually, it is the other way around.

One major beef I had with the book was its footnotes. They drove me crazy. I hated that they explained open jokes and references. I think he should have left such things for the reader to look up if they wanted to. I couldn’t just skip them as I’m a completionist. Any unread footnotes and half-finished books haunt me. The thought I don’t know what was said causes me to spiral into the madness of consoling myself with chocolate from white to dark.

Back to the point. I’m not sure how the book fits into Buckley’s other books. This was a bit of a disappointment as I had high expectations. I know I give him another chance and Little Green Men wasn’t bad. I know I have been bashing the book more than I have said good things about it, there were bits I enjoyed and a lot, and I don’t regret picking up the book and owning it.