HILLBILLY ELEGY: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis: The Internationally Bestselling Memoir from Trump’s Vice President of the United States

It's been interesting to read the reviews of this book, especially those one and two star reviews. And, most of the comments are, of course, from people who have never been to the country that Vance describes. I have. Though I have lived in the UK for decades, I did spend a year living near the Cumberland Gap, attending poor, benighted Virginia Tech many years ago in Blacksburg, Virginia. I think those who were looking for "an everyday story of country folk" missed the point completely as did those who thought this book would give important clarity and insight into Donald Trump's recent victory. This book was nothing to do with the latter and certainly not the former. As it was written in 2015 (and started before that), published in 2016, Vance's memoire (for that is what it is) has nothing to do with party politics. He does comment about voting patterns in the abstract and one can draw conclusions based on his descriptions of the milieu in which he lived, but really, this is a story of how one man lived in a dysfunctional family, made more than a few bad decisions, joined the Marines and became "a man" and, finally, knuckled down and got some serious academic and professional qualifications. Good for him. I think that Vance is to be congratulated for this book. Many politicians have written books (think of the Obamas in particular) but these are mainly written post-political career. This book is PRE political career and therefore valuable in understanding what makes the author tick. The importance now, nearly 10 years after it was written, is in understanding the man who will be in poll position to be the next president of the USA in four years. The book, therefore, has significance and importance. Fortunately, Vance writes well. To those who found the story disjointed, well I can only say that you have never lived within a dysfunctional family, been the child of an alcoholic or addict and never lived in Appalachia. As the child of an alcoholic myself, I found myself sympathising with Vance on the personal (e.g. NOT political) level and he is to be admired at the very least for overcoming this sad childhood. As to his later politics, well I am not in agreement with most of what he now says about the way forward in a number of respects, particularly on Ukraine, abortion and gun control. However, he is correct to conclude that it not government that is responsible for a lot of your misery (if you are miserable) but often yourself for making bad, ill-informed decisions and not paying attention to what is free: an education, for sure that is the most important thing we can get for moving forward in life. Yes, vicissitudes arise but, really, we are largely in control of our own lives and should not blame others, or governments, for making our own often stupid mistakes. A very interesting book. Certainly not required reading for understanding the larger picture but pertinent to understanding what makes one individual tick.

When I began reading Hillbilly Elegy, I wasn’t sure what to expect. As an Englishman, my views of American politics and politicians has been heavily influenced by British and European media. It was therefore surprising to find myself relating well to JD Vance, his family and the society in which he grew up. This book is part autobiography, part social history and part a hopeful vision for the future. I suspect that wherever the reader may be on the political spectrum, they will find much to challenge, inspire and engage themselves. My hope (and prayer) is that Vance’s vision for America might have a positive influence on the America of today and tomorrow, and through that on other nations too! If I’m being critical, there’s a bit too much cussing for me, but I’m sure it reflects the reality of Vance’s background and history. Still a very worthwhile read!

Vance presents a powerful blend of personal experience and academic rigour to create an overwhelming picture of a way of life and a community facing despair. He is right to call for a blend of government action at the margin, and at the same time to point out the intractability of culture and the need for personal responsibility. Profound questions remain, however. How far can this picture be extended to other marginalised communities, in the USA and elsewhere? (the story he tells resonates with former mining villages in the UK, for example). How does the US experience of race interact with these features? How has his view been influenced or changed by his recent conversation to Catholicism? Above all, what policy implications does he draw from this now he is seeking Federsl Office as Trump's VP? Vance is clearly outstanding and original and very worth reading; but he needs to complete the picture by setting out his own vision of how to escape the trap US society - and maybe much of the western world - has fallen into.

I’ll come straight out and say that I found it hard to review this book objectively, because I’m a childless liberal centrist who is always going to judge anyone harshly for becoming Trump’s VP; as well as that, some of Vance’s public statements have angered me a lot (I am a ‘childless cat person’; no, Britain is not ‘Islamist’; no, it’s not okay to repeat lies that immigrants are eating pets). But anyway, the book… It’s readable, definitely. The parts where he talks about his chaotic and volatile family environment growing up is definitely affecting - I haven’t been through that myself but I know a lot of people who have. I know a bit about the child protection situation in the U.K. and it’s hard not to empathise with Vance when he talks about having to lie to protect his mother, and about how his grandma stepped in (while far from perfect, the U.K. seems a bit better when it comes to utilising ‘kinship care’ when children can’t be cared for by their parents). Apart from that, though, I can’t say too much good about it. It definitely feels like Vance is exaggerating his hillbilly credentials - his grandparents sound like hillbillies (or were at least raised as hillbillies) but that doesn’t make him one. He also seems a bit too accepting of domestic abuse (his grandfather sounds like a vile individual, even if he mellowed in later life) and he also acts like the social problems he describes are unique to poor white Americans (news from the U.K. - no, they aren’t). He doesn’t provide any deep insights and any analysis remains superficial. Lastly, the later sections - where he talks about how successful he’s been - got very tiresome very quickly.

We read this book together on our Kindles and were both surprised that a Republican was such an insightful and fair-minded human being. (Not that we had much opinions about the Democrats either.) But the candour and compassion for the poor, and even more the genuine respect for the complex people in the hillbilly communities, is refreshing. This genuine insight and respect are the opposite of the usual patronising or ‘othering’ of people who too often are dismissed as ‘garbage’. And the family details are searing, fascinating, often hilarious in their extremeness. The author is going to be a VP with unique insights and a practical approach to go with his obvious intelligence. Highly recommended, especially if one is concerned about the way things are going.

From the opening till the end, the author has calmly and objectively relived his own history. Very insightful, and though not all facts are so merry, the entire tone of the book remained somehow positive and upbeat. Excellent read.

Great book.

Autobiographie des vielleicht nächsten US Präsidenten?

Un libro che partendo dalla storia autobiografica dell'autore descrive e analizza una realtà che raramente emerge quando si parla di Stati Uniti, quella dell'America bianca del Midwest, con i suoi problemi economici e sociali dovuti alla delocalizzazione, al dilagare degli oppiacei, alla disgregazione delle famiglie, all'erogazione di sussidi che invece di aiutare a riemergere dalle difficoltà spesso spingono a rimanerci. La parte finale è un po' scontata ma rimane comunque un libro interessante.