The Kardashians: An American Drama

Oppenheimer, who has written unauthorized biographies of the Clintons, the Kennedys, and Martha Stewart, directs his lacerating attention on the Kardashians, the reality-television family that has grown into a business empire. The chief object of Oppenheimer’s withering fascination is matriarch and “momager” Kris Jenner (née Houghton), who has guided her six offspring into reality-television careers and millions in earnings. Before she married Olympic medalist Bruce Jenner, Kris, a high school graduate, was married for 13 years to Robert Kardashian, defense attorney in O.J. Simpson’s 1995 murder trial. Oppenheimer paints the young Kris as a cheating teenage gold digger who traded up her older golf-pro boyfriend for a wealthy lawyer, writing, “For Kris it seemed to be all about fantasy, image and lifestyle.” Few in the family’s orbit are spared a takedown, whether it’s “narcissistic spoiled” daughter Kim Kardashian or “closeted sociopath” Simpson, although Robert, who died in 2003, is portrayed with some sympathy as a well-liked born-again Christian who was manipulated by Kris. The tabloid-style writing is repetitive—and is filled with interviews from unnamed sources—but those looking for a trashy late-summer read will find many juicy tidbits to feed their appetites. (Sept.)

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