Un adúltero americano

by Jed Mercurio

Un adúltero americano. Una novela revulsiva, de un humor y un ingenio a veces bastante negro, Un adúltero americano es el intenso, divertido, perturbador retrato de un estadista y de una época. «Nuestro hombre es un ciudadano norteamericano que ocupa un alto cargo en el gobierno, casado y padre de una familia joven...» Un adúltero americano describe y disecciona desde la primera línea, con una prosa hipnótica, las estrategias, los objetivos y la psicología de un mujeriego compulsivo. Como todo donjuán, debe ser cuidadoso en la elección de sus amantes y calcular muy bien el proceso de seducción. También tiene que moverse con pies de plomo y ser muy hábil para ocultar su doble, o múltiple, vida ante su esposa, sus rivales políticos y la opinión pública. No estamos hablando de un hombre común y corriente. El sujeto de esta investigación, de esta novela de escasa ficción y espléndidos hallazgos, es John Fitzgerald Kennedy, uno de los más atractivos, míticos y mitificados presidentes de los Estados Unidos. JFK le confió a Harold MacMillan, el primer ministro británico, que si pasaba tres días sin acostarse con una mujer, sufría terribles dolores de cabeza. La respuesta de MacMillan fue que él, por el contrario, los padecía si pasaba tres días con una. Jed Mercurio ?que además de brillante escritor es médico? se inspira en la escabrosa vida sexual de Kennedy, y también en su complicado historial médico, y la principal e inteligente premisa de esta provocativa novela es que el deseo y la energía que impulsaban al presidente de cama en cama y sus enfermedades ?las reales y las manipuladas o manufacturadas por los médicos? eran el fundamento de su personalidad política.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Politics, Historical, American History, Novels

364 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Jed Mercurio is a British author; TV and film producer and (non practicing) medical doctor.

He also writes under the name John MacUre. He created the television series Cardiac Arrest, Bodies and the sci-fi miniseries Invasion: Earth (1998). Bodies is based on his novel of the same name and earned him two BAFTA Television Award nominations and two RTS Award nominations. He has also written and directed for The Grimleys (and wrote the pilot episode).

Before turning to writing, Mercurio trained as a doctor at the University of Birmingham.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

American Adulterer by Jed Mercurio is an highly original work of historical fiction. American Adulterer examines the psychology of the 35th President of The United States (my 5th favorite President) John F
Kennedy. From the title one would think this book is simply about JFK's prolific philandering, while that is covered in sicken detail. This book was really (in my opinion) about JFK's many medical problems. JFK was a sickly child who grew up to be a very sick man who was in almost constant pain his entire adult life.

This book made me feel many many things disgust, annoyance, anger, disappointment, and incredible sadness. I think its safe to assume that were JFK President now and behaving way he did, he most certainly would be diagnosed as suffering from PTSD. Not only based on his war record but also based off of the personal traumas he experienced. The tragic and sudden deaths of 2 siblings, the lobotomy of another, the deaths of 2 of his children, not to meantion his own various health problems and near death experiences. I believe that there is little doubt that JFK was a sex addict but I also believe that he was in all likelyhood a drug addict. As I said JFK was in constant and excruciating pain every single day and as such he was put on multiple pain pills and shots just so he could function.

I've heard historians in the past say given JFK's treatment of woman, which was awful, shameful, and disgusting that he could never be elected President today. They are in my opinion wrong just ask The 45th President Mr. Grab Them By The Pussy. Unlike our current President, The 35th as deeply flawed as he was, actually wanted to "Make America Great Again". I chose to seperate Kennedy the man from Kennedy the leader who forced Alabama to desegregate their Universities and inspired The Civil Rights Act of 1964.

I highly recommend American Adulterer to Kennedyophiles like myself.


Because you asked here's my top 10 list.
1. Barack Obama(for the culture)
2. Lyndon Johnson ( Civil Rights)
3. Abraham Lincoln (Ended Slavery)
4.Franklin Roosevelt ( The New Deal)
5. John F. Kennedy ( Civil Rights)
6. Harry Truman(Desegregated the military)
7. Jimmy Carter(I just love that man)
8. Theodore Roosevelt ( He invented the progressive movement)
9. Thomas Jefferson ( His support of libraries and the written word)
10. George Washington ( He started it all)

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have a slight intressed in a few people around JFK and the man himself. But not very knowledged yet. Found the book to very readable. A bit juicy in drama but also the tough things he had to go through. Its a fiction yes but JFK became a little more human for me after reading this. Not the greatest person ever lived by any means. But a human that did both good things and bad things in his life time. Its sad what happened to him and most things I knew about him was about his murder.

[Elevate Difference · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll admit I am neither a friend of celebrity culture or the particular brand of it that centers on the Kennedys. I am, however, interested in sexual politics and thus in the normative institutions of marriage and monogamy and the hardly less institutionalized behaviors of male bonding. In many ways Jed Mercurio’s American Adulterer is a riposte to Ruth Francisco’s The Secret Memoirs of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, which a Publisher’s Weekly review described as a “fictionalized peek behind Camelot [that:] will satisfy only prurient interests.” Both novels are understandable constructs that allow conjecture from the historical record while allowing the authors and their publishers to evade the consequence of potential libel suits. Although the reviewer read only excerpts of the Francisco novel, hers is more novelistic and even literary than Mercurio’s.

American Adulterer might be described as an apologia for habitual, compulsive adultery during the time a character—called "the Subject" by the omniscient authorial voice speaking in present tense—spent as President of the United States, with flashbacks to early periods of his life sufficient to shed light on the behavior as exhibited in the White House under conditions of scrutiny and Secret Service security. A medical doctor, the author also regales us with clinical details of the subject’s multiple maladies—adrenal insufficiency, a painful back, gastrointestinal disease, allergies, and the side effects of steroid therapy. A sickly youth, the subject nonetheless served in the military and was a war hero, but by the time he reached the White House is poor health, managed by a team of physicians and a rogue Dr. Feelgood. A back brace is fingered as a contributing cause to his shooting, proving lethal in the final pages.

An account of how compulsive sexuality can jeopardize careers of men, especially powerful men, is a useful corrective for feminists more commonly concerned with the destabilizing effects romance and sexual obsession can have on women, with dangerous consequences to their educations and careers. As the narrative proceeds from ejaculation to ejaculation (and from bowel movement to bowel movement), readers who are after more than prurience will become aware of the vast protective apparatus that props up public figures—and I mean more than the Secret Service—the advisers and administrative infrastructure on which they depend and which have a minute by minute view of one’s conduct of life. How these constrain the subject’s behavior is a timely reminder for those who look to a particular individual as a hero of reform. Knowledge about someone’s predilection for fellatio under a desk is not the only leverage outside interests have on a political figure. And for those, like me, not particularly attracted to political figures, the familiar rationalizations for male sexual behavior suggest the continuing need for further explication of sexual politics, a half-century after these fictional facts took place.

Review by Frances Chapman

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't believe just how bad this book is. Debating whether or not I can actually finish it. My eyes are rolling so much they might roll out of my head.

Update: I finished it and it was torture. I have no idea what the redeeming quality of the book was. The writing was atrocious....pompous and inflated but also repetitive. The "plot" was, I suppose a weakly constructed summary of JFK's presidency as told by his penis and bowel movements.

Here's an accurate summary of the book: JFK sleeps around. He marries Jackie. He cheats right away. He has diarrhea. Wait, now it's constipation. He screws some other young girl. Friends with Sinatra! Screw Marilyn Monroe. More diarrhea. Plays with his kids. Get lots of meds. Have babies. Screw someone else. More diarrhea. Constipation. Get a blow job under the desk in he a Oval Office. Back still hurts. More meds. More diarrhea. More sex. Cuban Crisis. More blow jobs. Hookers. Marilyn dies. Sex. Diarrhea. Sex. His baby is born premature and dies. Diarrhea. His affairs are about to be exposed. He's shot. The end.

Pepper throughout rampant sexism, double entendres, and bad writing and there you have it. I don't advocate burning books, but if I did, this would be first on the list.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 1 out of 5]

Purchased recently on the Barnes and Noble 75% off sale table, it took a long time to finish this book and I think the reason is that the style was convoluted and confusing.

There were too many vividly written pages of JFK's manifest sexual indiscretions.

Peppered throughout with his very serious medical conditions, it is amazing that JFK could function in the way in which he did. Finding "Dr. Feelgood" and his pills and injections enabled a very drugged and ill man to live another day.

While he was a loving father and husband, his libido simply could not be controlled to one or two or three or four or five or one hundred women.

To say he was flawed was an understatement. But, to paint his entire life and presidency in negative shades, would not be realistic. And, the author does a credible job of showing a leader who, when confronted with the possibility of war, always turned the tide toward peace.

He was haunted by the disaster of the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban crisis. When confronted by the thug of Russia, Premier Khrushchev, and his bombastic personality of threats, lengthy tirades and bullying, time and time again Kennedy stood firm but did not embrace war.

Very wary of involvement in South East Asia, Kennedy knew that it would be wrong to become enmeshed in this embattled nation.

When the Berlin wall was built, Kennedy was at his finest in stating that while Democracy may have problems, we do not have to build a wall to keep our people inside.

His courage in taking a stand against the travesty of the treatment of blacks in America cost him admiration. He was sickened by images of police clubbing and physically harming innocent people. He was viscerally upset by the emotional degradation of people who deserved better, especially because they risked their lives in a war to defend our nation.

I give this book two stars. It was worth the read, but it appeared as though the author didn't know if this should be a pornographic novel or a love poem for a flawed hero for whom many accolades and songs have been sung.

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may be one of the most intriguing, controvesial, and fascinating books that I have read in a long time. "American Adulteer" is historical fiction that explores the life of John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

The book centers on the accusations of JFK's proclivity for sex, and if just half of what's in this book is true - all I can say is WOW!!!!!!

Although the book does not centr on his philandering, the book goes into great depth a to JFK's dream for America, the Cuban Invasion, the Cuban Missle Crises, Equal Rights, the Berlin Crisis, and the ban on testing nuclear weapons.

I must admit that I was totally amazed at the amount of medical problems that JFK was afflictred wth. Most of us are aware of his back problems that stemmed from his encounter with the enemy on PT-109. Besides back problems he was diagnosed with (and I kid you not), Addison's disease, thyroid deficiency, gastric reflux, gastritis, peptic ulcer, ulcerative colitis, prostatitis, arthritis chronic urinary tract infections, skin infections, and about 10 more maladies. It was not unusual for JFK to be taking 10 to 15 pills and getting 2 or 3 shots a day to offset the pain and discomfiture. One can assume that he was in great pain for most of his adult life, but made every attempt to disguise his pain.

A dichotomy, of sorts, was his absolute devotion to his family, especially his children. Although his relatinship with Jackie left a lot to be desired, they both were somehow in love with each other.

When reading this boo, I had to keep reminding myself that this is historical fiction, although I do believe a large part of the book is based in fact. On fact that cannot be denied is that JFK behind Franklin D. Roosevelt, is the most highly regrded President of the United States in modern times.

Whatever your political or moral beliefs are, you will find this a most interesting read that will keep your attention to the last page.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read other biographies about President Kennedy and even though this was a fictional telling of his presidency, and the focus was his sexual conduct, I still found that the novel portrayed his health concerns fairly accurately. Good book overall.

[KOMET · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novel that takes some liberties with the historical record to highlight the presidency of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, contrasting the private life of JFK with the persona and public life he led as President of the United States.

[Raquel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sempre fui fascinada pela história do Kennedy, o amor proibido com a Marilyn Monroe, até à sua morte, sempre adorei a história, e quando soube que este livro ia sair, andei a ler a sinopse vezes e vezes sem conta e a "namorar" o raio do livro. Chegou finalmente o dia em que agarrei no livro e comecei a ler. Que desilusão, pensei que fosse contar mais coisas, histórias desconhecidas ao público, mas nada de interessante ou de relevante. Aliás, achei o livro mesmo enfadonho. Odiei!

http://aviciadadoslivros.blogspot.pt/...

[Jill Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mercurio's "analytic" study of the physical side - both medical and erotic - of John Kennedy's life is quite interesting. It's "fiction", but with a healthy dose of actual facts about Kennedy, his marriage, and his Presidency. Mercurio writes with a "removed" voice; he's presenting his story of Kennedy as he would a scientific study of a man - conflicted in so many ways - as a "subject" of a report.

John Kennedy was a man with almost ingrained carnal urges, that were not satisfied within the bounds of marriage. Early in his life, he recognised that he would always have sexual needs. He married Jacqueline Bouvier - herself the daughter of a charming philanderer - who seemed to be the only woman he was interested in maintaining an out-of-bed relationship with. He expected her to go along with his blatant bedding of other women and she appeared to do so, occasionally even seeming to abet the deeds by giving him the room and time he needed to make conquests. Of course, that quid-pro-quo didn't come cheaply as her often insane spending on furniture, clothes, jewelry and other personal items suggest a passive/aggressive relationship with her husband.

Kennedy also had many physical frailties, some evident from childhood and others obtained during difficult war-time service in the Pacific. He had a staff of doctors at the White House, who were often at odds with each other over the on-going treatment of his Addison's Disease, back injuries, and other ailments, which often kept him in physical agony. And, then, there was of course, "Dr Feelgood", given the nickname by those patients - including Kennedy and his wife - to whom he gave injections of feel-good narcotics to keep going.

As an aside, I have always found it difficult to understand how Kennedy could have kept up such an - ahem - "active love life", what with all the physical pain he was in.

Anyway, Mercurio's book is a novel recounting of Kennedy's years in the White House. The part about the FBI's Hoover coming to Kennedy in the months before the assassination with private accounts of the President's extensive philandering and "suggestion" (read: "demand") that Kennedy step down from office, is the only part I think is probably made up. Everything else Mercurio writes seems to be backed up by historical fact, including the tie-in in 1963 of the Profumo scandal in England that brought down Harold MacMillan from power.

It's a good read. If you liked "American Wife", as I did, you'll like this book, too.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

JFK was a divil. If he was president now, he would be forced to resign because there’s just no way he’d get away with these antics. Difficult read however due to really long sentences and big vocabulary. It definitely got more interesting as it went on.

[Frannie · Rating 2 out of 5]

American Adulterer looks closely at John F. Kennedy’s lecherous tendencies while in office. The book tries to make the case that JFK cheated on his wife because he had difficulty concentrating, developed headaches, and in general, had a hard time getting his presidential work done if he didn’t have a lot of sex with a lot of different women. Maybe it’s because I’m a woman or maybe it’s because I don’t go for the “boys will be boys” attitude, but I did not buy into the argument that JFK not only “needed” to have a lot of sex, but he “needed” to have sex with a variety of different women. This may have impacted my overall take on the book (note the sarcasm – it definitely impacted by take on the book).

I will say, I was surprised to read that JFK was in almost constant pain because of his Addison’s disease, back problems, and bowel issues. I don’t know if the book is totally accurate on this point, but in the book he is getting daily injections of painkillers and downing a variety of other medications. He juggled multiple doctors to ensure he got the different treatments he thought he needed. Now, I understand trying to cope with chronic pain and how distracting it can be, but even JFK’s myriad health problems seemed to take a back seat to his need to get down with the ladies.

I’ll admit there was a little bit of prurient interest in picking this book up. JFK was known as a bit of ladies man so I thought his love life would make for an interesting novel. But my god, it felt like this book was all about sex and his various health problems. Every important point in his presidency (and adult life) was set against the backdrop of his insatiable need to have sex and/or how much pain he was in. If JFK’s mental energy was really so strongly focused on sex and pain, I honestly don’t know how he accomplished anything. This laser focus made the book feel a little repetitive by the time I got to the end.

In the book’s defense, I did want to read more about JFK once I had finished it. I want to find out how much of Mercurio took liberties with the historical record and where he stuck with the truth. I mean, could all of this possibly be true? I find this happens to me pretty regularly – I’ll read a historical novel that is just okay, but it drives me to read more about the subject because I want to learn more. I suppose this shouldn’t be surprising – I read so many historical novels that they can’t all be good. So while the story in American Adulterer wasn’t that great it will definitely drive me to pick up a biography or two on JFK (recommendations are welcome).

In a nutshell: American Adulterer was just okay, but I’ll definitely be reading more about JFK. Two and a half stars.

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a novel and intriguing approach to the Presidency of JFK, written in the style of a "case history" which deals with the myriad medical problems of the President, and his extremely risky (now he's in office) sexual adventures with as many women as he can possibly manage.
The reader is given a detailed account of his medical condition. To me, it seems his back is the main problem. He's crippled almost, and being supported with a brace, painkilling injections and sheer determination.He knows how ill he is; he knows he won't have too long, and that is why he is driven to high office, to do something, to make a difference, and quickly. This is how he deals with his gun-happy Generals, he has no adrenaline, can't feel the pressure, and appears calm at all times. But the torment seething below, the agonising pain, the digestive problems, and, most dangerous of all, his sexual urge makes his life a constant battle.
His wife is cold, often too "ill" to attend to her duties, often shopping on a gargantuan scale. She's punishing him for the adultery in the only way she knows how. If he wants her to turn a blind eye, he's going to have to pay.
Most interesting part- the way he asks for sex, no qualms. No foreplay. "Lets just get on with it, shall we?" The way he (twice) makes an unsuccessful pass. One to a girl he picks up in Manhattan in the rain. He shoves his hand up her skirt. She is mortified. Once, in Dallas, to a woman who pushes him to the floor, causing further injury to his back. And now, J Edgar Hoover has a file on him, and things are looking very sticky for another Jack in England, who was caught with a prostitute, one Christine Keeler. The press are suddenly very interested in the private life of those in high office. It's implied that if he hadn't been assassinated, JFK may well have faced huge scandal while still in office.
I found the book fascinating, and I referenced the major players mentioned in the book. JFK was a deeply flawed and very ill man, but he managed to do an awful lot in his very brief tenure as President.

[Jim Thornton]

Well, that was an experience! I bought this book because I have a strong interest in JFK and I was keen to learn about this side of his life. Did I? Well, after 354 pages I'm still really not sure what mix of fact and fiction I read at all. I was fascinated to learn (if these are facts) about the much more significant health problems he suffered from than I was aware of, but again I'm left wondering about the veracity of much of it. Was this biographical? Or fantasy? Addditionally, the writing style was truly strange, bordering on the absurd at times. It was inconsistent at best, and pretentious at worst. He constantly references Kennedy as "the subject" which this was simply oddand offputting. Mr Mercurio must have has a thesaurus by his side to try to show he knew some big words as well. Sadly they appeared in weird spatters as if an alarm had gone off and told him to do it, and he then reverted to normal. Where the thesaurus failed him he was not beyond simply making the word up (try Page 288 for "eventuated" which contextually meant "occurred" or "happened"). There was no need for that kind of nonsense and frankly the writing style would put me off trying another of his books. Still can't fathom out the point, and very unsure about the content. On that basis, much as I actually enjoyed reading the book in many ways, I give this a massive thumbs down.

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this fictionalized book of John F. Kennedy's life as President and his womanizing ways would be a really interesting read. In reality, it was quite the opposite. The book is tedious in the way that it's basically the same throughout the whole thing. JFK, referred to as The Subject a lot, suffers back pain and physical ailments and suffers in ways trying to find women to satisfy his need for intimate relations. Marilyn Monroe appears in the book and is the annoying, clingy woman who just can't get it in her head that John won't commit to more than just an affair. Jackie Kennedy is the wife who we are constantly reminded that she may know about the affairs but cannot prove it and does she approve.

If you read the first two chapters, you don't really need to read the whole book because even with the events that happened in JFK's presidency, the private side of his life is on repeat-physical ailments, needing to find the next affair to satisfy his lust, and doing nice things for his children. This book could have been great but it was written by the wrong writer. Jed Mercurio seemed to have a good idea but doesn't have the story-telling skills and writing skills to make it into a page-turner. Such a shame because it could have been a great book.

*Book received through the Amazon Vine program*

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clinical discussion on the physiology and the psychology of an adulterer. "The Subject" was a combination of JFK and Bill Clinton, at least in my estimation, while JFK is on the cover and most of the escapades of "The Subject" reek of JFKs philandering there are some Bill and Monica moments included other heads of state and dignitaries from other countries also make an appearance from time to time.

It was fascinating in the clinical sense of how the 'toxins' are believed to build up in the adulterers body and need to be released regularly, daily is preferable. With his own partner is acceptable, however there is a thrill with a new partner that can only be created with every new partner. These new partners release more of the built up toxins in "The Subject".

If you love JFK and don't want to know about his other side, don't read this some fiction some non-fiction account of "The Subject'. If you are curious about adulterers and the motivations behind their behavior, this is probably a good mix of fiction and non-fiction to get a peek into their mind.

I listened to this and was also reading "Once Upon a Secret" Mimi Alford. Mimi does make a bit of an appearance in this book, but again it is a fictional and non-fictional account of adultery by powerful men.

[Peter K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Jed Mercurio’s writing and eagerly read any work of his.

I had not heard of this book so bought it on impulse when I saw it in Waterstones.

I read this at a gallop, as ever the writing is well crafted and takes you along at pace. I was not entirely confident of the premise, the writer putting himself into the mind of JFK and putting both thoughts into his head and words into his mouth. When this is attempted I am always a little nervous, it often seems to me as if the author is writing in the slipstream of the well known individual when they do this.

Having said that the gifted Jed Mercurio carries this off to my engagement. The central theme of the story is JFK’s continuing battles with his health and also his libidinous desires and how the two seem to intertwine.

Women and medics come and go rapidly, the only constants being JFK’s wife and children whom he (in Mercurio’s words) loves deeply.

Building on what we know of the complexity of the man this is a well written and engaging work that painted a convincing picture of the suffocating world of high office and the passions that can drive a high achieving man

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what to think of this book. I admire JFK as the great President he was and what he did for America and the world in general in the short time he had but I'm not sure I really wanted to know this much about his philandering and womanising. That he was renowned for this is now part of history but I did find this book a little sordid and also it was too much information about his personal habits. I guess I didn't like the fact that it burst the Camelot fantasy. It did however redeem itself for me at the end in acknowledging that Jackie was the love of his life and it showed how much he loved his children. JFK was a great leader, a man who cared for his country and his family, who wanted peace and equality for all but he was also very flawed and suffered greatly too, physically. It is amazing that he was able to hold it together and achieve what he did in such a short time. Perhaps if he'd lived longer he may have come undone and unravelled. I'm kind of glad though that he is mostly remembered for what he achieved in his political life and not for what he did in his private one.

[Yolanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being born in the same year as Caroline, I have a fantasy memory of President Kennedy. (King of Camelot) Reading this book makes me realize that yes, he was a good, wise president, but he was also a man who had short-comings and personal demons that he had to deal with, just like everyone else. I'm glad the author included the good that he did along with his mistakes. The good being very good for our country and the bad being very bad, which (in this story) he realizes how bad and tries to make up for. I just never realized how sick he was - physically and emotionally. And in spite of his sickness, he still succeeded in reaching the goal of becoming the leader of the free world and leaving a legacy which still motivates us to want to do more for others and our country. I wish to focus on this and not his personal life. Not to ignore or justify the negative, but accept that usually men of extreme good gifts often have extreme faults. It's a package deal. Hopefully, when we are remembered by the people who knew us, we will be forgiven and accepted for our "package".

[Maria]

I really enjoyed this novel. I read it assuming a lot of it was fiction, so was not too concerned about the authenticity of the content. I very much enjoyed the writing style - for most of the book it is quite detached. The use of the word "the subject" for JFK really brings home the feeling one is looking into the fishbowl from the outside. The repeated use of the word "fornication" brilliantly echoes JFK's view on his activities in this area (within the novel at least). It also adds to the overall detachment of the writing. The repeated consistent descriptions of his physical ailments I thought was also fantastic - the writing seemed to emphasise the key threads running through his life. It really wasn't until right towards the end of the novel with the death of his premature son where the word "subject" is no longer used that the character is more humanised. I also enjoyed the way in which Mercurio drew together the threads of philandering, infirmity & Jacqui's love in the description of his assasination. Overall I thought it was a very interesting reading experience.

[G.K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be misled by the title!

A very interesting perspective on the Kennedy years. Mercurio's novel take the form of a doctor's report of his subject and all his illnesses, including his out of control sex drive. It is by no means dry, slipping deftly into novel form to make the 'report' come to life. So, not only do we have a fascinating catalogue of JRK's illnesses and afflictions and the impact they have on his daily life but details of his tumultuous love life. There is a very interesting chapter of the Cuban missile crisis that is high intensity turned farce as Kennedy tries to prevent the onset of World War III and simultaneously desperate for a quickie with a young intern.

The book is well worth a read as it exposes Kennedy for the man he was - a very complex and outrageous individual.

Incidentally, Kennedy's affair with Mary Meyer is dealt with but it is never revealed that she was a great friend of Timothy Leary, the LSD guru of the 60's Nor is any mention made of her strange murder just a few months after JFK's assassination.

[Vincent Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very odd, clinical, precise novel on JFK & sex. It compels without demanding the reader's affection...
...after completing, I thought, Now that's a good novel. Though it strayed in repetitious territory (as do most tales dealing with any sort of addiction) it never stayed there. It's rare a novel tackles in such a focused way the sexual needs of a male. It had to do with male power, sexual power, and political power. Which, inversely, also dealt with woman's lack of power, and the ways they need to express it. I'll definitely go looking for his precious two novels. (And I like it that he's written a successful television series as it shows, these days, talent is not tainted by reaching into other storytelling fields.)

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the most difficult books to finish. The author tried to be so objective in his telling of the story that the reader feels too detached to make a connection. Then again, maybe that was the point- after all, it is a story about JFK and I imagine it difficult for one to fully grasp his story. Anyway, the book was quite monotonous with only a few memorable points not worth rehashing in my review!

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish there was a more defining line between the fact and the fiction here. More notes at the end would have led to 5 stars. Where liberties were taken. Is any of Kennedy’s internal dialogue based on a diary entry? Encounters with women based on a story told by another aide? Or was it all just hypothesized? I understand that it is historical fiction and not all fact. But it is based on fact and I’d just like to know where it starts and stops exactly. 😂

[Sonia Carvalho · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vida de um grande política sob uma perspectiva diferente por vezes demasiado crua, no entanto foi um livro que me prendeu desde o início nomeadamente pelas descrições feitas em torno da crise dos mísseis em Cuba

[Lady Fancifull · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and shocking, but also crude, cold and repetitive 3.5/4

Jed Mercurio’s fascinating – and sometimes riveting – account of John F. Kennedy’s life, marriage and inhabitation of the role of incumbent, and then President, until the moment of his assassination, warts, flaws and all, as well as an assessment of his positive vision for the direction of his country, especially around the civil rights movement is a bit of a high risk approach, not always successful

This is structured as if it were the investigation into JFK, carried out by Hoover, and the FBI, which may have led to his impeachment and failure to win that second term he was campaigning for, when he was shot.

He is permanently described as ‘the subject’, rather than this being a straightforward omniscient third person approach common in many novels.

Mercurio takes a deep dive into Kennedy’s known but, inevitably, hidden, denied, connived over, satyriasis, infidelities and exploitation of women. Kennedy was a man who had many chronic physical ailments: that image of a dynamic, vibrant, super-healthy vigorous masculinity was a worked at illusion. He had been sickly from childhood. His heroic actions in combat in the second world war had left him with severe spinal injuries, and he had to wear a back brace, and was laced with a cocktail of medical drugs to deal with the severe pain he was in. He had Addison’s, a thyroid condition, a digestive system shot to hell, ulcers, many allergies. Medical management of complex conditions meant each prescribed drug conflicted with the next. His physicians had conflicting ideas about prescription, including the use of testosterone to ameliorate the effects of other medications. That particular hormone intensifying his high sex drive.

His marriage to Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, and their attractive ‘golden couple’ image had it’s shadow in her financial profligacy and his infidelities and exploitation of interns and sundry other women, many of them quite young.

Yet, despite all that, he was a man with a will to make radical positive changes in his country, forcing the unwilling, particularly in the South, down the path to civil rights. And, he was the man who brought us back from the very brink of nuclear Armageddon, during the Cuban missile crisis, even if this had in some ways be precipitated by his earlier action, supporting Cubans in America who wished to oust Castro.

The book does not particularly engage with the absolute wrongness of the power dynamic of Kennedy predatory behaviour. In its defence, at the time, the infidelities themselves were the issue, that power dynamic not something which was of concern. There has always been a mismatch between the image individuals, particularly those in the public eye, may seek to present of themselves, and the reality in the shadows. And, of course, a possibly greater mismatch between the image a country may want to present of themselves, and their own shadows and past.

The accounts (presumably drawn from records) of Kennedy’s outmanoeuvring of hawkish generals in bunkers who would have taken the world to destruction, and also his fight against those opposed to civil rights, were gripping. But there is, inevitably, a lot of repetition of matters medical, and the listing of this and that pill and injection, this and that exploitative sexual encounter, almost like a continual cut and paste going through the novel, which to some extent holds up the political edge of the seat stuff.

Mercurio is of course a wonderful screenwriter; I did have the sense some of this, and what seemed a bit draggingly repetitive, would have worked better with the instant image of screen, but held up the novel.

Library copy

[Travious Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Painstakingly extensive and I enjoyed every minute of engaging with this book. I went in thinking this book was solely about Kennedy’s Intid affairs and infidelities, but I learned much about the man— comprehensive reporting on the severity of his poor health, the ins and outs of his dependency on sex and the conflict with morality he wrestled with, and an indie look at how major moments the occurred during his term as president unfolded.

Jack’s life was shaped by his relationship with women and influenced by what he saw growing up. His mother wasn’t the warmest woman in the world and was in and out of the house pursuing her own travels and itinerary that didn’t include her family. From the time he lost his virginity until his death almost 30 years later, Jack relied heavily on sex to ensure the pain of the various diseases he suffered from. The author has a unique look on the life of the president from 1960-1963 on all fronts. Some accounts from Jack’s life I knew and was impressed with bow the author took said story and offered it from a different perspective.

The relationship I truly wanted to know more about was his relationship with Marilyn Monroe. I wasn’t shocked that I found it saddening how used she was and seemingly disposable. I also felt for her in her delusions that she would someday become Jack’s First Lady. It was also telling how quickly he moved on after her overdose in 1962. IronciallyX his womanizing caught up to him in June 1963 in Texas. I had no idea about the details of his trip to El Paso with the VP. I knew the summation of what took place— plans for a return trip to the Lone Star come November to begin his 1964 campaign for president, but the book adds much detail that would ultimately, unintentionally, contribute to the end of his life just five months later.

Conspiracy theories abound regarding what happened that fateful Friday in November 1963. This book offers much to one particular conspiracy that is seeming to hold weight as time continues to slip away from the day the president died. With all that is detailed in the story, the many women, the abortions, the lies, the cavalier womanizing despite having a faithful wife, it is fitting that the woman who was there for him since 1953 was the woman in whose arms he died. This was truly quite the compelling read.

[Lynda Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love this writer, I love the Kennedys. So I bought this just knowing it was the book for me.... it isn't, sadly.
There's no dialogue it. I can't abide books being page after page of unbroken paragraphs full of description and nothing else. The same as I hate being read to, I hate having everything described to me, I want to know what they were saying or what they were thinking as it occurred. So it's just not for me at all. I am so disappointed.
I always thought Jed was the author's real name but at the beginning it refers to other books by David Hall. I guess that is a tad "ordinary" in comparison to Jed Mercurio!! I wasn't impressed that he used American spelling, either, though I suppose with it being set over there it suits. I just prefer English writers write in English! The synopsis was written using real English so it was a shock to see the book isn't.
I only got to page 26 and, upon flicking forward to look for dialogue and finding none, I had to call it a day, sighing very loudly...

[Matthew Kresal · Rating 4 out of 5]

The life and times of the thirty-fifth President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, have fascinated readers for the better part of the last fifty years. On the surface then British writer Jed Mercurio 2009 novel American Adulterer would appear to be just another one of the thousands of books written about JFK. Yet Mercurio's novel is more then that. It is an intriguing fictionalization of the thousand or so days of the Kennedy presidency and of Kennedy himself.

Mercurio is a medical doctor by training and he approaches the novel with a cold, clinical style. The first chapter introduces us to “the subject” as Mercurio refers to Kennedy throughout the novel and the conflicting aspects of his personality: a devoted family man who loves his wife but nevertheless is a philanderer and can find no problem being both at the same time and a man who appears to the world to be healthy but is in constant pain from secret ailments. From there the novel goes through the ups and downs of the Kennedy presidency from the Bay of Pigs to the decision to send men to the Moon, from the Berlin Wall going up to the Cuban Missile Crisis and to a fateful trip to Dallas, Texas. Along the way “the subject” takes in a number of affairs and tries to deal with the various ailments he suffers from as a small group of doctors tries to treat him for them, sometimes making them worse not better. Mercurio uses this approach to fill in the gaps left by the historical record to insert what might well have been JFK's hopes, fears and thoughts about the events he found himself in and does so in a way that is quite convincing for the most part. The result is something that perhaps can only happen in fiction: the chance to get inside the head of one of the most famous figures of the twentieth century in his roles as husband, father, adulterer, commander in chief and leader of the free world.

American Adulterer also recreates the world around JFK vividly. Mercurio rarely calls anyone by their name and usually refers to them by first name or a title such as Frank for Frank Sinatra, Marilyn for Marilyn Monroe, the Director for FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and so on for the various members of government and the Kennedy entourage. The characterizations are fascinating to read at times from Frank's anger at “the subject” having to end their friendship over his mob ties, Marilyn desperately wanting to become first lady and what happens when it becomes clear that isn't going to happen, and the Director's dogged investigation of “subject” once the Perfumo affair in the UK begins having links to the US government. There are times when characterizations and dialogue don't quite work through, such as the one dimensional characterizations of various generals and in particular there are some wooden and unrealistic exchanges between “the subject” the director towards the end of the novel. Overall though the novel recreates the thousand days of the Kennedy presidency rather well.

None of that is to say that American Adulterer is perfect though. The clinical approach can be off putting at times as it gets too personal about some of the ailments such as compering explosive diarrhea to nuclear warheads exploding for example. Also, despite seeming to be a well researched novel there are things which make the reader wonder just how well researched it really it. Take the most glaring omission, which is the lack in any size, shape or form of the man who was arguably closest to JFK: his brother Robert who was the attorney general. While this is a work of fiction, it's hard to believe that Mercurio wasn't aware that Robert Kennedy was privy to and played a crucial role in many of his brother's decisions. More forgivable is the occasional altering of events such as moving Kennedy's famous Ich bin ein Berliner Speech from June 1963 to right after the Berlin Wall went up during the summer of 1961 or having mathematician John Nash (made famous by the book and film A Beautiful Mind) showing up at the White House during the Cuban Missile Crisis to brief JFK on how his game theory predicted the US winning a preemptive nuclear war (which as far as I can tell never happened). Yet these may well be minor flaws compared to something else.

If there's anything really odd about about American Adulterer it is that to some degree Mercurio spends a good deal of the novel talking about a president whose name isn't Kennedy but Clinton (who cameos in the novel briefly as he actually meet JFK as a student in 1963). The bibliography at the end of the novel lists three books about President Bill Clinton as sources and at times it shows. For example there's are several scenes in the book which finds “the subject” and a woman named Mary smoking pot in the Lincoln bedroom or a scene set during the Cuban Missile Crisis when “the subject” has an intern climb under the oval office desk. Perhaps the biggest moment where this becomes clear is when the FBI Director brings in a special investigator named Kenneth to ask “the subject” if he's had sexual relations with a number of women. While many have made analogies between the two men and while it makes sense to place them in what is admittedly a fictional setting, the result is a distracting one to say the least and it only hurts the novel rather then serving it.

What can be said then to sum up Jed Mercurio's fictionalized take on the Kennedy presidency? It is blessed with an intriguingly original clinical approach to its narrative and with some excellent characterizations as well. Yet some of its failings from at times far too personal descriptions, glaring and obvious omissions or unsuccessful attempts to put infamous elements of a later presidency into the Kennedy presidency leave the reader with an odd feeling about the novel. As such then,American Adulterer makes for at times odd reading but it is never anything less then intriguing.

[Rosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

... inventory of presidential maladies: Addison's disease, thyroid deficiency, gastric reflux, gastritis, peptic ulcer, ulcerative colitis,, prostatitis, urethritis, chronic urinary tract infections, skin infections, fevers of unknown origin, lumbar vertebral collapse, osteoporosis of the lumbar spine, osteoarthritis of the neck, osteoarthritis of the shoulder, high cholesterol, allergic rhinitis, allergic sinusitis and asthma. Page 81Very eloquently written, this author is gifted with words. I enjoyed the writing style and the book was very informative but let's remember that it is a work of fiction. What I did not like is that Jed Mercurio spends too much time discussing the subject's bodily functions. Poor subject, I ended up feeling sorry for him. What a facade he put on for the sake of a public life. Almost like the shooter did him a favor by putting the subject out of his misery.