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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Picked this up on the recommendation of my sister who'd indicated to me that she laughed out loud while reading it. Did not disappoint, as I paged through the first few chapters I found myself in the same boat and picked it up from the library shortly thereafter. The rest of the book did not disappoint, a lot of fun to read.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this. 4.6 stars.
Witty and snarky, without being superficial. The author takes a unique approach in that the entire book is a chronological series of letters of recommendation (LOR) written by a disillusioned English professor armed with a keen sense of skepticism, sarcasm, and a delightfully acerbic wit.
Witty and snarky, without being superficial. The author takes a unique approach in that the entire book is a chronological series of letters of recommendation (LOR) written by a disillusioned English professor armed with a keen sense of skepticism, sarcasm, and a delightfully acerbic wit.
As I am writing this review, I have a broad smile on my face. That is what "Dear committee members" by Julie Schumacher does to you. It doesn't happen often that I find myself laughing out loud while reading a book. A smile, sometimes. A giggle now and then. But laughing out loud to the point where my husband starts casting weird looks at me, no, that does not happen often. But it did happen with "dear committee members". More than once. That is what the book does to you.
The book is actually a collection of letters (of recommendation and others) by the hand of - dare we say frustrated - a professor of creative writing and literature at a small university in the USA. Throughout the rather cynic letters, Jason Fitger intelligently weaves all his frustrations. With his career not going as he wants, his love life going even worse, the threat of his department being cut and water and other substances leaking from tubes in his office, Fitger has quite a lot to be frustrated about. His letters of recommendations are nothing more than a way to vent his feelings. And he does so in a brilliant and especially hilarious way. His constant battle with online forms is a nice bonus.
Having worked at a university for 2,5 years myself, in what Jason Fitger so accurately describes as "the killing fields of administration" (giggle), there is so much in this book I can relate to and I guess that is what makes this book brilliant. Anyone involved in academics one way or another will without a doubt recognise the ridiculous amount of red tape, the incompetence of making quick decisions due to X commissions that need to review a request, the decisions that are being made being influenced by personal grudges or favours rather than content of the request and of course, the constant talk about budgets and the never ending battle between departments. And let's not forget the detrimental state of the building his office is at. All the items that made me completely mad are mentioned in his letters and somehow it's a relief to read that other people see the idiocy of it too.
The letter-approach is original and it works quite well, though it slows down a little in the middle. However, it is worth reading on until the end, for Fitger has some surprises for you and we also learn that behind this cynical, critical and opinionated professor hides an emotional man with best intentions.
A nice read.
(on red tape)
"One wonders which would be more difficult: to secure a minimum-job wage as an English Department undergraduate gofer or to obtain a passport and security clearance through the middle east"
(on detrimental state of the building and the constant competition with the Economics department)
"…on the men's room in Willard: a subtle but incessant dripping from a pipe in the ceiling (perhaps from the jacuzzi or bidet being installed for our Econ colleagues) is gradually transforming this previously charming depot into a fetid cavern…"
(in a letter of recon. for someone who applies for a sales job)
"…I understand that Troy has applied for the position of sales associate. This is a foreign concept to me: here in the academy we are unaccustomed to salesmanship of any kind, even to the faintest of our efforts to make ourselves presentable or attractive to others…"
(in another letter of recommendation)
"Typically in a letter such as this one, it behoovers the writer to address the applicant's motive or incentive to seek a new job. We both now that this is not necessary in this case: one can only interpret a desire to exit the Department of English as a mark of sound judgment"
(on the ridiculous amount of LOR he is asked to write + red tape)
" I haven't published a novel in six years, instead, I fill my departmental hours casting words of praise into the bureaucratic abyss. On multiple occasions, serving on award commission, I was actually required to write LOR's to myself"
The book is actually a collection of letters (of recommendation and others) by the hand of - dare we say frustrated - a professor of creative writing and literature at a small university in the USA. Throughout the rather cynic letters, Jason Fitger intelligently weaves all his frustrations. With his career not going as he wants, his love life going even worse, the threat of his department being cut and water and other substances leaking from tubes in his office, Fitger has quite a lot to be frustrated about. His letters of recommendations are nothing more than a way to vent his feelings. And he does so in a brilliant and especially hilarious way. His constant battle with online forms is a nice bonus.
Having worked at a university for 2,5 years myself, in what Jason Fitger so accurately describes as "the killing fields of administration" (giggle), there is so much in this book I can relate to and I guess that is what makes this book brilliant. Anyone involved in academics one way or another will without a doubt recognise the ridiculous amount of red tape, the incompetence of making quick decisions due to X commissions that need to review a request, the decisions that are being made being influenced by personal grudges or favours rather than content of the request and of course, the constant talk about budgets and the never ending battle between departments. And let's not forget the detrimental state of the building his office is at. All the items that made me completely mad are mentioned in his letters and somehow it's a relief to read that other people see the idiocy of it too.
The letter-approach is original and it works quite well, though it slows down a little in the middle. However, it is worth reading on until the end, for Fitger has some surprises for you and we also learn that behind this cynical, critical and opinionated professor hides an emotional man with best intentions.
A nice read.
(on red tape)
"One wonders which would be more difficult: to secure a minimum-job wage as an English Department undergraduate gofer or to obtain a passport and security clearance through the middle east"
(on detrimental state of the building and the constant competition with the Economics department)
"…on the men's room in Willard: a subtle but incessant dripping from a pipe in the ceiling (perhaps from the jacuzzi or bidet being installed for our Econ colleagues) is gradually transforming this previously charming depot into a fetid cavern…"
(in a letter of recon. for someone who applies for a sales job)
"…I understand that Troy has applied for the position of sales associate. This is a foreign concept to me: here in the academy we are unaccustomed to salesmanship of any kind, even to the faintest of our efforts to make ourselves presentable or attractive to others…"
(in another letter of recommendation)
"Typically in a letter such as this one, it behoovers the writer to address the applicant's motive or incentive to seek a new job. We both now that this is not necessary in this case: one can only interpret a desire to exit the Department of English as a mark of sound judgment"
(on the ridiculous amount of LOR he is asked to write + red tape)
" I haven't published a novel in six years, instead, I fill my departmental hours casting words of praise into the bureaucratic abyss. On multiple occasions, serving on award commission, I was actually required to write LOR's to myself"
It took me awhile to get into this one, but once it hit its stride it was pretty good. Written as a series of letters - mostly recommendations and correspondence with colleagues / exes - our main character is snarky and clever with a fun vocabulary that says so much in very few words. I didn't get into this one until near the end, though, so 2 stars from me.
Entertaining. The writing is good, though the "plot" such as it is, couched in various letters of recommendation, is rather thin. I suspect to those in the land of academia, it will ring true and garner more than my 3 stars.
This book just wasn’t for me. I’m not sure if it hit too close to home to have a sense of humor about it? But somehow I mostly spent the whole book being angry at the audacity/privilege the MC had to be such an ass (and fail upward!).
This was funny but also very poignant in its way. I felt close to the subject, being a college instructor for years. She definitely nailed some the harsh realities of being in the world of academia.
if you've had even some marginal experience in a humanities area of academia AND/OR if you've ever had to write a letter of reference for a student [LOR] than this book might just be fore you.
oh jay fitzger at payne university. i feel your pain. i really do.
what a fun and different approach to a book ms. schumacher.
i had my doubts - a book made up of all one person's letters? a person that isn't even very likeable and has some serious character flaws? but i laughed. a lot. and empathized. a lot. and in the end our engli_h professor wasn't as horrid or egotistical as i had first thought.
oh jay fitzger at payne university. i feel your pain. i really do.
what a fun and different approach to a book ms. schumacher.
i had my doubts - a book made up of all one person's letters? a person that isn't even very likeable and has some serious character flaws? but i laughed. a lot. and empathized. a lot. and in the end our engli_h professor wasn't as horrid or egotistical as i had first thought.