It Happened Here

by Richard Dresser

A family falls apart as America is overtaken by totalitarian rule in this near-future dystopian novel echoing Sinclair Lewis’s It Can’t Happen Here.In 2035, fourteen-year-old Louise is interviewing her family members to find out what went wrong—for the family and the nation. It seems both started falling apart around 2019. Then the 2020 elections were canceled, and the president remained in power for sixteen years. This is the story of one family divided by ideology, and of undying hope in the direst of circumstances.In 1935, Sinclair Lewis challenged readers to imagine an America hijacked by a totalitarian president whose message was fueled by fear, division, and “patriotism.” Richard Dresser’s It Happened Here delivers a modern vision of just such an America. Told through the interwoven voices of eight different characters, it reveals how the Weeks family navigates the slow death of democracy in the country they all love.

Genres: Fiction, Current Affairs

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 8, 2021

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

DEPRESSING!

I’m not entirely sure whether this was supposed to be satire or predictive or both, but at this point in 2022 it feels a little too much like prediction and I’m not here for it. One scare with fascism (2016-2020) was enough; I’m too bloody old for another one. I remember reading It Can’t Happen Here back in 1964 and having the bejesus scared out of me by it then, but at least Barry Goldwater believed in democracy and was man enough to admit when he’d lost. The current round of neofascists are a whole different story and this book is likely to give anyone who cares about democracy nightmares for a solid year.

[Brian Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that uses some political satire as a backdrop to weave a tale of intergenerational interactions that ended up completely fascinating. When I first started, I feared this would simply be a diatribe of cardboard characters yelling at each other, but the author goes to great lengths to flesh out the immediate characters.

Not the backdrop. The Trump figure in the background -- consistently referred to within not by name but as "Great Leader" -- is never fleshed out, but is a dark shadow responsible in this timeline for breaking up the continued democracy of the United States. It's a dark shadow of the actual Trump: more decisive, more competent, less distracted (or at least with crony underlings who fit that bill).

Anybody who's had a large family gatherings when the cousins all get together, who have been raised with different beliefs but get together know how family dynamics work. Some things don't get brought up, some people stop showing up at events with others; as time goes on, the people who seem to have it all together may lose it and people who don't finally get a chance to grow (and maybe the cycle moves on, or maybe they keep it together).

In this, the patriarch grandfather, "The General" has two sons who each raise their own families; Paul, the garrulous liberal university professor, with his wife Ruth have three children, each allowed to explore their own paths; Garrett, the quiet conservative veteran who owns his own security company, has his own three children, raised more strictly. I enjoyed the wrinkles the story did to move away from even the most obvious setup, such as the "stop bullying" extracurricular group in high school turning out to be the biggest bullies. The drinking problems that show up throughout the entire family, the "entitlement" that various characters would show, the way some of the characters ended up taking the most extreme stances... again, the depth pleased me.

It's not a perfect story. I very much doubt any MAGA person would enjoy this (I'd tell them to read it anyway -- either they're not as MAGA as all that or they could stand to have some unpleasantness). But I ended up caring about the people, and there's a lot of incidental humor that made me laugh. In a just world, in a few years, if Trump has become a has-been that few remember, this book will undoubtedly feel very dated.

[Russ Woody · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Our stories may be singular, but our destination is shared." Barack Obama. I think our much-missed president was talking about this book.

I picked it up because it sounded timely (given the national dilemma we currently find ourselves in). But it goes deeper than that. It goes into the hearts of an average screwed up American family adjusting to a changing country. Page after page I became engaged in their rationales, their excuses, their lies, their loves and jealousies. It Happened Here is a story of a family struggling through their small day-to-day lives beneath the large dark clouds of a government’s emerging fascism.

Dresser is a skilled storyteller who, like Joseph Heller, sprinkles actual laugh-out-loud observations in the midst of chaos that pop up and hit you in the head. Things we all feel, but never thought of as funny. Like David, the 14-year-old high schooler who “doesn’t give a damn about sports,” but plays football and finds himself the center of attention. In the midst of which, his optimism shows through: “What I had going for me was low expectations from everyone, so I’d been preparing for this moment my whole life.” Throughout wonderful and timely book, there are nuggets of astounding insight, large and small.

A pleasure to read. In fact, I might just read it again.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I listened to the podcast “It Happened Here 2024” and was horrified, terrified, and couldn’t stop listening.

The author imagines what “will” / could happen if/when America elects an authoritarian or dictator. Speculative or alternative history at its best, and very dystopian.

Beginning in 2032, the youngest family member interviews her family to learn what happened. And the dystopian tale begins.

The six episodes follow the family, and provide some insight into a speculative future.

You should also read Sinclair Lewis’ “It Can’t Happen Here” (1935) which imagines / projects a future of American under Fascism.

While the stories take on the same subject matter, the contemporary tale is even more frightening.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

[John Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much an artifact of its time, this book is an interesting reaction to the Fascist shitshow of Trump. Taking its name and much of its inspiration from Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here, this book is an oral history of the Trumpian domination from 2016-2035, with a lot of well thought out musings on the fate of discourse both political and apolitical and how a middle class family responds to the jackboot crashing into their faces for the better part of two decades. I recommend reading it on Kindle Unlimited...if I had paid more than a few bucks for it, I might have been a bit disappointed at the rather repetitive nature of some sections, but it still holds together nicely and is worth a read. Eventually I will try to pick up a print copy for my anti-fascist fiction collection.

[Debra George · Rating 3 out of 5]

The interactions among the family members, a patriarch, two sons and their wives and children, was interesting. Some of the characters were interesting, but others were too stereotyped.
The plot was rather contrived, as if the author thought he had to hit every issue from PTSD, to drug abuse, to political violence, to climate change, to LGBTQ issues.
I did like the treatment of bullying and anti-immigrant policies.
I was disappointed that there wasn’t more explanation as to how Dear Leader was able to gain such absolute power. That is what we really need to know in these times: not the horrors of living under an authoritarian regime but how authoritarian regimes come about and thus how to prevent them.

[David Posey · Rating 3 out of 5]

2024 Imagined Trump Presidential Election

glad I read the book: it was not what I expected. Mostly family drama with many characters; wish a family tree of all characters had been provided. The real political tension was between the two brothers. All other characters were side stories with their personal issues. The authoritarian policies seemed outside of the story most of the time. The Canadian commune and the easy movement over the border seemed unrealistic. The added humor gave the book some energy as I put the book down when I got too depressed.

[Michael P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a highly readable but rather flawed novel examining the possibility of America turning into a dictatorship. While the plot holds your interest enough that I finished it in one sitting, it at times feels like the worst of Democratic fearmongering regarding Donald Trump, who was nowhere near as competent as this novel depicts. Furthermore, its focus meanders all too often to the personal problems of the family it chronicles.

[Bob Veile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Satire epitomized.

Piercing, savage, and achingly funny. A multigenerational alternative (thank God!) history looking back from a dystopian 2035. Dysfunctional is a weak word for this extended, disturbed, and despairing family. Like any good satire, it’s chillingly close to the truth. George Carlin comes to mind!

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a review copy of this novel before it was published. Although it takes a bit to get into, Dresser's imagining of what happens if a fascist is indeed elected president is scary. It's obviously inspired by the election of Trump. Some of the detours into the lives of the various characters (and there are a lot) seem extraneous, but the general narrative is compelling.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

The true addictive nature of this novel is Richard Dresser's ability to dissect one family as it rocks back and forth during a time that could have been but thankfully wasn't. His characters are bold and thoughtful and never false! I couldn't stop reading what might have been.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a dystopian but plausible satire. If you’re in the mood for some irreverent pokes at Forty-five, This book will frighten and entertain. A suitable follow up to Sinclair Lewis’s “It can’t happen here”.

[Alicia Grega · Rating 5 out of 5]

The audio production is marvelous! Spectacular cast (LUKE KIRBY!!!). Great writing - and I say that as a screenwriting professor. I wish I had listened to this sooner, as so much has already come true. WOW.

[Barbara Watson]

I could only read maybe 1/3 of this book -- very depressing, way way too close to home. Might encourage my red-hat husband to read.

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly prophetic.
Yes, it is often depressing but I hope that we will be more aware and proactive.
My prayer is that more will learn from history rather than playing it to the bitter end.

[Brittany Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reads as a dystopian government / futuristic book, but gives you chills thinking how completely possible it could’ve been. It Happened Here essentially is how the 2020 election could have gone. It’s written from many different points of view but there is a guide in the beginning that you can reference to know who is related to who. I needed it the first few chapters until I got to know the families involved.

[Jimmy Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one person's opinion of what would happen under extreme conservative politics. The telling of
the story are characters speaking their thoughts. One chilling thought to remember is, "Dictators never leave of their own accord."

[Steve Crooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

The nightmare imaginings of the woke/liberal world in print. So partisan as to be laughable. Contrary to the wandering thoughts of the characters, all things Trumpian were not bad and many things of the Obama-Biden (dare I call it "leadership?") administration were far short of the mark of effective leadership. Ah, well. To each his own.

[Barry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring

Mostly jabs at Trump and his and supporters. Stiff, could have been written in a more neutral way allowing the reader to draw their own conclusions. I was looking to be entertained and wasn't. I could have read better written trips on Twitter.