Book Review: Hackett at Large

IndieBookView

February 21

Hackett at Large

by Jack Fitzgerald

Genre: Literary Fiction / Historical Fiction

ISBN: 9798873340750

Print Length: 155 pages

Reviewed by Elizabeth Reiser

Hackett at Large: Tales from a Reporter's Life in Paris 1961 – 1968 is author Jack Fitzgerald's rosy take on life in the city during that era. Told through the eyes of fictional American in Paris journalist Ben Hackett, this collection of connected short stories regales the reader with imagined conversations with various historical figures. The result is a lovely book one can easily enjoy in an afternoon.

Each chapter focuses on Hackett interviewing (or, in some cases, attempting to interview) the likes of Frank Sinatra, John F. Kennedy, and even the Beatles. While most of his interviewees are wary of journalists, Hackett's personality endears him to almost everyone he encounters (the two exceptions being his girlfriend's mother and—in an interesting turn of events—fans of supermodel Twiggy), making him a popular local figure. As a main character, Hackett is affable and charming, often being more the star of his vignettes than the celebrities themselves.

Fitzgerald's writing style is reminiscent of PG Wodehouse; the book is light, charming, and a touch optimistic, never quite touching on anything unpleasant (for example, glossing over the assassination of JFK or the fact Hackett himself is a war veteran). The result is a romanticized snapshot of a moment in time.