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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
OMG this book is hilarious. Schumacher absolutely nails the epistolary style.
Funny! Everybody knows at least one witty grump like Jay Fitger, but it's a lot more enjoyable when you're not the target of the grumbling!
This is such a fun read. As others have said, the temptation to read portions of the fictitious letters is almost overwhelming.
I'm fairly sure that at least a few of the characters in the book came from my institution, but I understand why the author has to keep that under wraps.
Highly recommend.
I'm fairly sure that at least a few of the characters in the book came from my institution, but I understand why the author has to keep that under wraps.
Highly recommend.
wry, witty, and incisive. Clearly this author understands the complications of working in a liberal arts college. I read it in one sitting and wish it had been longer. And the ending surprised me in how much this character, despite tons of snark, actually had faith in the institution that he had been railing against. highly recommend.
This book was recommended to me for a humor category in a reading challenge I am participating in for 2019. It is a series of letters written by the fictional Payne University English Professor Jay Fitger. It did have its humorous moments, but in many ways hit a little too close to home with its assessment of the sad state of the neoliberal and technocratic university. In other words, Payne University like many of its kind, valorizes STEM and Business disciplines at the expense of liberal arts and humanities, resulting in cutting budgets and graduate programs, hiring freezes and faculty lines going unfilled; the growing reliance on part-time, adjunct instructors to teach courses. Fitger's description of the construction going on in the building where his office is housed particularly resonated with my own experience. While there was humor to be found, overall the book presents a rather depressing picture of university life for full-time faculty.
filing this under: books about academia that make me not want to go to grad school
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes