Jennifer Government

Jennifer Government

2004 • 335 pages

Ratings43

Average rating3.6

15

I remember reading this when it first came out and really liking it. It had a great Chuck Palahniuk kind of feel to it, some really well-developed characters, and a futuristic world that terrified my inner socialist - one where taxation had been abolished and the government privatized, allowing corporate interests to exert themselves to their fullest authority.

At the same time, though, there were elements of it that seemed somewhat far-fetched. The US government at the time seemed to be growing stronger at the time, claiming powers and authority that could be described as “extraconstitutional”. The idea of it being completely emasculated by business seemed somewhat quaint, like a leftover from the anti-globalization movement of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Having been following the rhetoric and “debate” surrounding health care reform in the US in the past year, however, it doesn't seem to far-fetched any more; I could see someone like Sarah Palin or Glen Beck advocating for the tax-free, corporate dominated society that is depicted in JG.

April 19, 2010Report this review