Global InformationInsane Clown President information
 Book cover | |
| Author | Matt Taibbi |
|---|---|
| Original title | Insane Clown President: Dispatches from the 2016 Circus |
| Illustrator | Victor Juhasz |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Politics of the United States |
| Genre | History |
| Publisher | Spiegel & Grau |
Publication date | January 17, 2017 |
| Media type | Hardcover |
| Pages | 352 |
| Awards | The New York Times Best Seller list[1][2][3][4] Los Angeles Times Best Seller list[5][6][7] |
| ISBN | 978-0-399-59246-1 |
| OCLC | 966608357 |
| Preceded by | The Divide: American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap (2014) |
| Website | Official website |
| [8][9][10] | |
Insane Clown President: Dispatches from the 2016 Circus is a non-fiction book by Matt Taibbi about Donald Trump and the 2016 United States presidential election. The book contains illustrations by Rolling Stone artist Victor Juhasz.[11] Taibbi's choice of title for the book was motivated by Trump's marketing style[1] and is wordplay based on the name of American horrorcore band Insane Clown Posse. His work was inspired by Hunter S. Thompson, who had previously published Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72.[11]
Taibbi begins the work by quoting from his 2008 book, The Great Derangement, asserting he predicted the onslaught of fake news and the beginnings of the alt-right in society. He argues such societal factors helped set the tone for a climate in which Trump could ascend to the presidency.[12][13][10] Taibbi writes that Trump's prior experiences in reality television gave him the tools to triumph in an era of post-truth politics. He criticizes the media for its coverage of Trump, describing how the candidate's inflammatory campaign rhetoric led to increased publicity. The book documents a chronology of the author's thoughts over time as he begins to realize Trump's increasing chances of success. Taibbi reflects back on the events after the election, concluding Trump won because he was able to harness the power of television.[12][14][13]
The book was a commercial success, debuting in hardcover nonfiction at number 15 on The New York Times Best Seller list.[1][2] The New York Times also listed it as a best seller in its separate category of combined print and ebooks.[3] It debuted at number six in the Los Angeles Times best seller list,[6][5] remaining on that list for two months.[7] It was also a best seller in New Zealand.[15]
Insane Clown President was positively reviewed by Publishers Weekly, which called it "equal parts entertaining and enlightening".[13] Kirkus Reviews pointed out the author's lack of pretense for objectivity, and concluded, "[a] lively set of dispatches that shows how even the harshest skeptic in the pundit class can be blindsided."[16] San Francisco Chronicle called it "a rich trove of sharply written essays from the campaign".[10] The New York Times criticized the work for its lack of moderation.[8] The Daily Beast characterized it as "raucous, trenchant, knee-slapping".[14] Adelaide Review said the author was "one of the finest exponents of polemic journalism".[12] Pittsburgh Post-Gazette criticized the book for not delving deeply into Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections.[9] Santa Barbara Independent concluded, "Insane Clown President is a valuable work about one of the most bizarre electoral outcomes in American history."[17]
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