Reception of Olivia Nuzzi’s Memoir

“American Kanto?” Critics have been unkind to Olivia Nuzzi’s debut book, which outlines her complex relationship with Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Many suggest that the work is—well, not exactly well-received.

Reviews in prominent publications across New York City and Washington, D.C., have labeled the memoir “terribly bad.” Some critics were disappointed that the book didn’t dish out enough gossip about Nuzzi’s unusual connection with Kennedy. Others remarked that she seemed to be awkwardly seeking to channel the late, great essayist Joan Didion.

The book’s release sparked a flurry of back-and-forth, notably with posts from Nuzzi’s ex-fiancée, political writer Ryan Lizza. He suggested she had an affair with former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and hinted at her intention to “end” her relationship with RFK Jr.

Despite this buzz, Nuzzi’s book “fell with a soft, disappointing thud,” according to Alexandra Jacobs of the New York Times. The same publication’s headline described the memoir as “self-indulgent and completely disappointing.”

Critics have pointed out that Nuzzi—who is currently the West Coast editor for Vanity Fair—seemed to be striving to mimic Didion’s Californian vibe. However, her writing came off as “chapterless and scattered,” with Jacobs likening it to a clumsy imitation of Didion’s style, labeling it as “an attempt at President Trump’s Letter from America.” Jacobs summarized the experience as “303 pages of bewilderment,” expressing a longing for the clarity of a detailed policy document.

Jacobs compared Nuzzi to “an astral force,” with the book’s appeal likened to “a lead balloon.”

A critic from the Washington Post didn’t hold back either, stating Nuzzi “tried and failed to protect his reputation.” Becca Rosfeld commented on the unevenness and forgettability of her debut, noting that it appeared as a pastiche of Didion, lacking the tension and detail that characterized Didion’s work. Rosfeld remarked that whenever Nuzzi attempted literary flair, her writing stumbled.

For readers unfamiliar with the specifics of her much-discussed affair, Nuzzi implied that some segments might come across as “incomprehensible.”

Helen Lewis from the Atlantic described the book as Nuzzi’s effort to elevate sordid incidents into something mythic, attempting to turn scandalous morsels into reflective literary commentary on a political era. However, Lewis pointed out a glaring issue: the book lacks honesty.

Molly Fisher from The New Yorker warned that those eager for gossip about Nuzzi’s relationship with Kennedy would likely be let down. She criticized the memoir for abandoning chronology and coherence, which left many reader questions unanswered. Fisher also mentioned that Nuzzi’s remarks on American life range from unremarkable to utterly absurd, offering an extravagant metaphor that uses last winter’s Los Angeles wildfires as a representation of professional ruin.

Ultimately, Nuzzi’s attempt to channel Didion misses the mark, replacing “cold observation” with an excess of melodrama.