No need to be an academic to thoroughly enjoy this story of a year in the life of a cynical, sarcastic and disillusioned professor of English, told exclusively in the form of LORs, or letters of recommendation. Jason Fitger has much to complain about: his department is undergoing cutbacks, his novels are dead in the water, his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend are allied against him, and his entire career seemingly consists of writing these missives. Lucky for him, his letters are hysterically funny and delightful reading by themselves. Better still is the way Schumacher has connected them, allowing each one to share a little piece of the story that is Fitger's life. Surprisingly moving, too, perhaps because Schumacher was wise enough to keep the story fairly simple and focused. I can't think of a single reason not to spend a couple of hours curled up with this stack of correspondence.
No comments:
Post a Comment