A review of the work that launched Lin-Manuel Miranda's immense fame and a musical that has become a global phenomenon.
I did not like history or musical theatre or hip-hop. Then came Hamilton. I do not usually read biographies or any sort of historical books (I am a major YA fantasy nerd). I never would have picked up this book had it not been for the brilliant musical that enchanted the minds of millions and raised awareness of the true splendor of Alexander Hamilton. Being a massive fan of the smash hit Broadway musical, I decided to give this book a try. I was a little nervous at first, expecting it to be a like a boring history textbook. BOY, WAS I WRONG!!!!!!
“I was a little nervous at first, expecting it to be a like a boring history textbook. BOY, WAS I WRONG!!!!!!”
This book was absolutely amazing, I didn't want to finish it! The chapters on financial systems and banking were confusing, but definitely not boring.
I think what most people don't realize is just how little the Founding Fathers had to work with. What did they have to work with when founding the government of the United States of America? Nothing. Obviously, they wanted America to grow and thrive and become a great nation. What nation did they know the best, what country the most powerful government in the world? England. That's right, the country they had just fought an entire war to escape was the only model they had. Hamilton had to dig through his mind and come up with something that had never been done before, he had to create the foundation of a nation. Alexander Hamilton was so much more interesting than any person could imagine. His mind surpasses that of any other American (in my opinion).
The ending was heartbreaking, there is no denying that. Elizabeth (Eliza) Schuyler Hamilton was remarkable. Within a three years of Hamilton's death not only did Eliza have to cope with the death of Alexander, but also of her eldest son, her mother, her youngest sister and the mental breakdown of her eldest daughter, Angelica, who had mental problems for the rest of her life, most likely resulting from the trauma of the deaths of her brother and father. Four months after Alexander died, Philip Schuyler, Eliza's beloved and wise father died. Besides her children, Eliza had her witty, sensible sister, Angelica, to rely upon. Even ten years after Alexander Hamilton's death, when Angelica died,Eliza did not allow grief to destroy her. Eliza cared for orphaned children, helped to create the first orphanage in New York and interviewed those who had known Alexander. Eliza knew of her husband's obsession with his legacy and she was going to do everything in her power to make sure he was remembered. Whether Eliza knew how much time she had remaining is uncertain, but what is certain is that she made the most of every second she had on this earth.
As I mentioned at the very beginning, I am not a historical-genre kind of person, like a said in parentheses at the top I stick to fantasy. Despite this amazing book, fantasy is still my favorite genre and always will be. The weirdly painful thing about all of the tragedies in this book, in the life of Alexander Hamilton, is that when reading a fantasy book (I know that some fantasy fans are going to want to kill me for this next remark) I know, no matter how much I get connected to the characters, deep down, I know that they do not exist. Reading this biography, I did not have that consolation. When things started heating up, I couldn't just take a breath and remind myself, "It's not real." Because along with every other person mentioned in this book, Alexander Hamilton really was real. He was a living, breathing human being who lived an extraordinary life and survived many tragedies and stood strong in the face of ordeals, no matter how deadly.
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