Primary Colors (novel)
| Author | "Anonymous" later revealed as Joe Klein |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Political novel |
| Publisher | Random House |
Publication date | January 16, 1996 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Hardcover and Paperback |
| Pages | 366 (hc) |
| ISBN | 0-679-44859-4 (hc) |
| OCLC | 33166616 |
| 813/.54 20 | |
| LC Class | PS3550.A1 P75 1996 |
| Followed by | The Running Mate |
Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics is a 1996 book by columnist Joe Klein, published anonymously, about the presidential campaign of a southern governor. It is a roman à clef (a work of fiction based on real people and events) about Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign in 1992. It was adapted as a film of the same name in 1998.
The book has been compared to two other novels about American politics: Robert Penn Warren's All the King's Men (1946) and O: A Presidential Novel (2011).
Klein was identified as the author several months after its publication. He wrote a sequel, The Running Mate in 2000, focusing on Primary Colors character Charlie Martin.