Straight ManRichard Russo
Ah, to be a college professor. Annoying students. Office politics. Budget cuts. I'm glad I didn't go for my Ph.D. If this is what being a professor is all about, forget it.
William Henry Devereaux, Jr. is English department chair for a small college in rural Pennsylvania. He seems to do very little teaching and instead deals mostly with his department, quelling worries that he is not looking to fire members due to budget cuts. In fact, he doesn't even have a budget. In a moment of spontaneity, Hank threatens to kill a duck a day (it's actually a goose) until he gets one. From there, things get worse.
Straight Man wavers from quite amusing (I think I laughed out loud once, although there were quite a few funny scenes) to quite introspective. While dealing with his departmental woes, Hank is also in the midst of a mid-life crisis. He is unsure if his chosen path is the right one. He hasn't written in years. He still lives in his father's shadow. To top it all off, he can't pee. Hopefully, it is nothing more serious than a kidney stone. Poor guy.
I enjoyed this book and its insight into the world of academia. My only complaint is that it left me a bit cold. I sympathized with a few of the characters (especially Hank), but overall I wasn't moved to the core, if you know what I mean.
Illumination Factor: I guess there's some in there if you dig around a bit, but this isn't a book I'd turn to for comfort or advice. This would probably make a good beach book, if I were into the beach.
In a nutshell: Meh. That about sums it up. Pretty funny, an overall okay book, but didn't make me want to read more of Richard Russo.
Bibliolatry Scale: 3.5 out of 6 stars
1 comment:
There is a difference, my "BOD," between teaching and administering in a college. I teach in a small college in Texas, and I want NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with administration! My heart and spirit are in the classroom.
I love Russo, and I love this book.
Do you know about the "Rule of 50"? The rule goes, you must read at least 50 pages before abandoning a text. Once you reach 50 years of age, which I did 8 years ago, you can deduct one page for each year.
That said, a LOT of good books might be missed. If I adhered to this rule, I would never have finished the marvelous, Stones of Summer by Dow Mossman. I stayed with it, mostly because of the film, "Stone Reader." The narrator said he read the first 75 pages and dropped it, then came back years later and tried again.
-Chiron
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