good gracious, what does one say about such an undertaking?

with a handful of healthy breaks in the reading, i've been living with mr. adams all summer and then some. and it's been an epic experience. a revelatory, exhausting, exhilarating, vexing, joyful experience.

to top it all off, i immediately (i mean, the very day i was finished) went and checked out the recent HBO mini series of the same name. i was surprised to note the differences in the series' interpretation of adams versus my own, where they were similar and where they were contrasting. i think, in the end, i prefer my private vision of our second president, complete with his many foibles and strengths, his accomplishments and failings and especially his vastly misunderstood political life. and the tragedy that still haunts me is that his political life was his ENTIRE life. he gave his life to this country, at the expense of family, health and who can ever say what else. but he was sworn into office without fanfare, he left washington in virtual anonymity and no one carved his face into any mountains (that could also have something to do with the fact that he was less than dapper...).

but what a blessing to have someone like like david mccullogh bringing these stories so vividly to light. i met him a few years ago before i'd ever cracked a spine of his work, and i'd love to go back to that afternoon and make up for the opportunity wasted to really thank him.

how i wish we had this kind of book to read while i was in high school. granted, i wouldn't have read it then. is that the reverse of aesop's sour grapes?