A Cry From the Far Middle 

By P.J. O’Rourke

320 pages

Published Sept. 15, 2020 by Atlantic Monthly Press

Several years ago, I met P.J. O’Rourke at a small event at a private, lodge somewhere. We were speaking on the same panel. He seemed affable and approachable. I’m sure I could have had a chat with him, but I was in a mood. Alas.

When I heard that he died on Feb. 15, I suggested to my fellow Mules that we read one of his books in honor of his passing. They agreed. And so, I came to read A Cry From the Far Middle.

I had read many of his individual essays, but this was my first P.J. O’Rourke book. And it’s a good read. It has the wit and intelligence you would expect from O’Rourke, but there is something else that made it especially sweet. Although there was no mention of it, I felt like he knew this was going to be his last book. It felt like he was writing a farewell to the world.

What I Liked About It 

* O’Rourke’s prose style: Casual but elegant, piquant but restrained, funny but serious.

* His intelligence: He is very good at showing the idiocy and/or hypocrisy in commonly held views.

* His moral posture: He lampoons, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously. There is a humility to his satire.

What I Didn’t Like So Much 

P.J. O’Rourke is smart. And funny. But I wouldn’t call him profound. That’s not a criticism of him or his writing, but of my expectations. I was expecting a Jordon Peterson, a Steven Pinker, a Yuval Harari – i.e., a revolutionary thinker. Of course, a writer doesn’t have to be profound to lampoon popular thought and political idiocies.

Critical Reception 

“[P. J. O’Rourke] occupies a rare place among the laughing class: He has somehow avoided the orifice obsession that captivates many of its members; he identifies as Republican; and he is no mere thumb-sucker, having visited more than 40 countries to report on wars, regime changes, economic revolutions and the experience of drinking cocktails garnished with the poison sacs of cobras.” (Wall Street Journal)

“Outspoken conservatives have long been a minority in comedy, particularly in the mainstream media, which provided an opportunity for P.J. O’Rourke, who for decades cornered the market for prominent right-wing humorists…. If his wry essays have a mission statement… it’s this: Starchy Republicanism is really, really fun.” (New York Times Book Review)

“O’Rourke employs sweeping generalizations, over-the-top screeds, unconvincing self-deprecation, and, above all, gale-force sarcasm. His meld of serious comment and attempted humor is an unhappy marriage, and even longtime O’Rourke devotees may not be sure where one ends and the other begins. The author has become a more jocular, less verbose version of William F. Buckley.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Click here for an interview with P.J. O’Rourke about A Cry From the Far Middle.