Scan barcode
A review by aurigae
The English Experience by Julie Schumacher
5.0
I was uncertain (but curious) whether the travails of Jay Fitger - professor of English, divorced misanthrope, and misery-prone everyman - could withstand a third airing. I'm glad I gave it a chance, because The English Experience is more compelling than (and almost as funny as) its predecessors.
The story begins with Fitger temporarily exiled from his crumbling English department at his second-rate university to take up temporary residence in a crumbling English dorm with a dozen second-rate students. Fitger's third-person narration is interspersed with the students' essays during their three-week course abroad.
And... it works. I found the fully epistolary nature of the first Fitger novel ([b:Dear Committee Members|19288259|Dear Committee Members|Julie Schumacher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432245100l/19288259._SY75_.jpg|27336530]) wearing, but alternating students' voices with Fitger's provided just the right mix of styles and perspectives. Even better, the brief time frame and isolated characters intensified the story beyond Fitger's usual desultory unhappiness. In addition to the acerbic humor I expected, I found compassion for the human condition, begrudging self-awareness, and even growth. By the end of the novel, Fitger had transcended his own genre, and I loved it.
[I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley. Opinions are my own.]
The story begins with Fitger temporarily exiled from his crumbling English department at his second-rate university to take up temporary residence in a crumbling English dorm with a dozen second-rate students. Fitger's third-person narration is interspersed with the students' essays during their three-week course abroad.
And... it works. I found the fully epistolary nature of the first Fitger novel ([b:Dear Committee Members|19288259|Dear Committee Members|Julie Schumacher|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432245100l/19288259._SY75_.jpg|27336530]) wearing, but alternating students' voices with Fitger's provided just the right mix of styles and perspectives. Even better, the brief time frame and isolated characters intensified the story beyond Fitger's usual desultory unhappiness. In addition to the acerbic humor I expected, I found compassion for the human condition, begrudging self-awareness, and even growth. By the end of the novel, Fitger had transcended his own genre, and I loved it.
[I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley. Opinions are my own.]