"The Short Reign of Pippin IV"

Astride the royal steed

Did you know that John Steinbeck wrote a satirical novel about dysfunctional French politics? I didn't, but I saw a copy of "The Short Reign of Pippin IV: A Fabrication" at a nearby used bookstore and decided to pick it up.

Pippin Héristal is an unassuming amateur astronomer and also (unfortunately for him) a direct descendant of Charlemagne. The French have become so fed up with their republic that they vote to restore the monarchy, and he is the most eligible candidate for king. Pippin wants nothing to do with ruling, which is perfect for the various political parties who want to use him as a symbol to advance their own agendas. Much to their consternation, Pippin decides that if he's going to be king he might as well try to be a good one.

I particularly enjoyed the names of the various parties Pippin butts heads with, including the Conservative Radicals, Radical Conservatives, Right Centrists, Left Centrists, Christian Communists, Christian Atheists, and Christian Christians. All of them have their own reasons for supporting a new monarchy, which have little to do with France's welfare. Realizing this, Pippin decides he'll come up with his own policies focused entirely on benefiting the people, tries to bring the parties and government bureaucracy along, and...well, it goes about as well as you'd expect.

Verdict: "The Short Reign of Pippin IV" is not your typical Steinbeck. It sets up a ridiculous situation and uses it to explore some interesting ideas about government. A fun diversion.