Elvis in the Morning

by William F. Buckley Jr.

Book Overview

This is a novel about friendship, a novel that spans the decades that changed America forever. Orson is a young boy whose mother works at a U.S. Army base in Germany in the 1950s. There, he becomes a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0151006431
• Release Date: July 2001
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Length: 328 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Elvis In The Morning by William F. Buckley, Jr.

Elvis In the Morning by William F.Buckley, Jr, is a small masterpiece, in the sense that Colette's Gigi is a small masterpiece. It deserves to be read carefully for the seemless writing and the profound metaphors that are well-concealed so as not to interfere with the pleasure of the read. Orson and his wife must both leave America for Latin America to regain their sanity. Elvis, the victim of American materialism, is destroyed by the leeches who see him as a money-making machine. The meeting with Barry Goldwater is not gratuitous, as some have alleged. Goldwater is a metaphor for integrity, and the young couple are really on a journey looking for authenticity. The decline and destruction of Elvis is told lovingly, but this is also a metaphor for the destruction of an America gone mad with self-indulgence.

A great history lesson with a some Elvis thrown in

Elvis in the Morning is truly a realistic story even though it's fiction. I love the character Orson Killare. Buckley places him smack dab in the world of Elvis Presley. From time he is caught stealing his records, living in Germany the same time he was in the Army and even being there for the funeral. I thought it was cute that Orson thought that it was he who brought Priscilla and Elvis together. I'm sure any Elvis fan who reads this book would believe that he or she wishes that they were Orson.

who'd have thunk it: buckley + elvis = great book

Go figure: Bill Buckley writes a novel about ... Elvis Presley? And the book is ... great? But indeed, Buckley has taken on The King, and he has pulled it off, smashingly. I've read several of Buckley's books, and "Elvis in the Morning" is his best, by far. The entire plot and situation -- Elvis's friendship with Orson, a (historically fictional) young Army brat fan who is befriended by Elvis in Germany (when he was Corporal Presley), who becomes his confidante until Elvis's death, and who is the childhood best friend of Priscilla (who, as we all know, ends up in Graceland) -- are treated with a tenderness and a gentleness that I have never seen from Buckley before, or for that matter from very few other writers. Elvis is portrayed with depth, in striking contrast to the one-dimensional cartoon character treatment he now gets, and Buckley, better know as an Apostle of Bach, is unafraid to sing the praises of Elvis's glorious voice and love of music (and people .. and, sadly, pills). There are no glitches nor loose ends; there's nothing contrived -- it's just a very pleasant read that goes all too fast. The dialogue is superior: again, the best Buckley has ever done. This is a great vacation read for anyone, whether a fan of Buckley, Elvis, or just good writing.

Great Story, Great Writing. Should be a best seller!

I proudly declare that I am a long time fan of William F. Buckley Jr. and that this is a very good book. This story is a very enjoyable read. The writing is fine, as one would expect from reading Mr. Buckley's forty books. But this story also has an emotional tone that is, if not sad, at least elegiac. Its nostalgic melancholy sounds a new chord in Mr. Buckley's compositions. There was a touch of it in Tucker's Last Stand and Brothers No More, but this is softer and even a bit, well, if not sweet at least sweeter. I loved it.Elvis is treated with respect and honesty while the character Mr. Buckley creates, Orson Killere, stands in for the Baby Boomers who were and still are fans of the King. This isn't the place for an analysis of all the ways Orson embodies my generation, but he is wonderfully drawn. You will enjoy getting to know him for his strengths and even his all-too-human weaknesses.Thanks, Mr. Buckley for another gem.

I Am Still Trying

However I cannot manage it.Mr. William F. Buckley touring Graceland, the same man who performed Bach on Harpsichord with the Phoenix Orchestra, if memory serves correctly. This Founding Father of Conservatism eviscerating Yale on God while others were condemning the King from their pulpits, while Network television would only broadcast Elvis from the waistline up. This man of letters, advisor to Presidents, a man who deserves the descriptive, "Renaissance Man", if any person does, has now given readers this?"Elvis In The Morning", is about as far from his previous works of fiction as he is right of center. I required no dictionary at hand when reading this novel, which was also a first. I did have to wait to comment on the book as I was unsure what might have moved him to write on many topics with such gentleness that he normally would comment on with a smile while feeding them through a wood chipper. However such thoughts are unfounded, for just as he can eloquently defend either side of a debate after the, "resolved", has been stated, there are many ways to comment on a topic. The methods may differ the results are the same.Socialism is practiced here by an adolescent who employs the equitable distribution of wealth by attempting to abscond with records of the King and distribute the vinyl to those who are bereft of it. The student activism of the 1960's is demonstrated/dismissed?, with the most inept display of public disobedience of the decade. This is the first collegiate experience that is wasted, prior to a second being completed before again being destroyed by another sickness the 1960's are famous for.The King died at 42 with the help of a, "Dr. Feel Good", a man who dispensed drugs by the pound, however this was OK with the King as they were given by a, "Dr." No drug addict he, for his were prescription meds not the illicit variety.The one photograph in the book may be the ultimate comment by Mr. Buckley, however I really don't know. If there is a picture that presents more irony, hypocrisy, and whose subjects were infatuated with power that destroyed them utterly, I have not viewed it.I look forward to what others may say, for this is as enigmatic a book as Mr. Buckley has written.