Bill Clinton, Revealed

We spend so much time dissecting First Ladies living in the shadow of their husbands that this portrait of Bill Clinton as First Man [1] is startling, and so poignant. New York Times reporter Peter Baker addresses how little access Clinton has in the Obama administration, but the story succeeds mainly as a character sketch. Clinton is a Philip Roth character somewhat restrained, trying to explain his outbursts during the campaign, coming to terms with the indignities of aging, and of being eclipsed by a younger, more vibrant man. A man who, to top it off, now has his wife's loyalty. Some key scenes:

• Clinton browsing a trinket shop, looking for the right jewelry and carvings for his wife and other female friends.
• Clinton showing off his cool new hearing aide.
• Clinton complaining, sort of good-naturedly, about how hard it is to get his wife on the phone.
• "I've got plenty to do. I've got a full life here. If I come up with an idea I think that's helpful to them, I give it to them."
• Clinton trapped in the audience listening to Obama praise Edward Kennedy, whom he now hates, for his work with the Americorps program, which Clinton founded.
• "Stay in touch," said Obama.
• Clinton and Vladimir Putin talking well into night, presumably because Putin believes Clinton has the ear of the new administration.
• "I also noticed since I had the surgery—and this is what you picked up in the campaign—that if I'm really, really tired ... It's neither an excuse for any mistake I made or anything else. I'm just explaining. It's something I've noticed. My life has changed."