John Podhoretz e-mails:
I am shocked, shocked that no one mentioned what is without question the best political novel ever written — Phineas Finn, Anthony Trollope’s account of an idealistic young member of Parliament and how his naive belief that he can do good things in London is tested by the complicated realities of how power is wielded, how money influences policy, and how compromise is a necessary evil. It is witty and wise and timeless. It is not just the best political novel; it may be the best book about politics ever written.