A Book That Is More Than 600 Pages

This week, to further my Hamilton obsession, I read the biography of Alexander Hamilton written by Ron Chernow -- 738 pages long without the notes. Hamilton was a brilliant, mad, haughty, insecure man -- and the biography succeeded in capturing the complex and contradictory sides of him. For me, the book was additionally interesting because I could see places where Lin-Manuel Miranda lifted actually lines or phrases from history to use in lyrics, or in rap battles. It also interested me where he chose to edit or adapt history for his own purposes to create a tighter plot or to enhance the musical's central conflict between Hamilton and Burr. The reading certainly captivated me, and I supplemented it with various internet searches to fill in some questions that I had about minor characters and find interviews with Miranda about the making of the musical. Throughout the entire reading experience, however, I played the Hamilton soundtrack in my head (and listened to it while driving). The musical is also brilliant and mirrors perfectly the story of Hamilton's life in its size, scope, grandness, and irreverence. The words are etched in my brain, and I cannot wait to see it on Broadway in July.