There are many readers who will enjoy this book. Diminishing our nation’s heroes, particularly the revered Founding Fathers, has become rather popular in many circles of American life, especially in various academic and literary arenas. For such readers, Lussier does not disappoint. Samuel Adams is portrayed as a wild-eyed, crazy agitator incapable of reason. James Otis, while painted with a soft side in his relations with John Lawrence, is shown to be a devious ally of the Boston agitators, exploiting the peoples’ affection for him and their commitment to his eloquent declarations of colonial liberties. John Hancock is an obsessively insecure and completely amoral operator who smashes plates to relieve stress and regularly sleeps with whores, including Deborah. Lussier even has John Lawrence dispatched to Paris to rescue the faltering diplomatic mission pursued by a crude, stubborn, womanizing, and hopelessly distracted Benjamin Franklin. Of all the Founders examined in the novel, only Washington escapes the venom of Lussier’s pen. Yet even here, the author takes great care to humanize the Father of our Country, even to the point of having the man now on our dollar bill farting in the company of Lawrence and openly plotting with the same to have himself named Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Still, the author’s treatment of Washington is respectful and complimentary, when compared with that of his peers. In fact, Lussier seems to sincerely admire Washington, though he takes great liberties with voicing Washington's inner thoughts and feelings.
It is often said, with novels, that one must take what they read with a “grain of salt.” In this case, an entire bag is needed. If you’re looking for substantiated historical insight into the founding era, as can be gleaned from other fictional novels (such as The Killer Angels), this is not your book. But, if you’re willing to suspend reality for the sake of a compelling story and can avoid drawing any conclusions about the characters depicted therein, The Last Refuge of Scoundrels may be worth your time.
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