The Shakespeare Requirement
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The Shakespeare Requirement
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Narrated by:
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Julie Schumacher
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Written by:
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Julie Schumacher
About this listen
One of The Washington Post's 50 most notable works of fiction in 2018.
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune keep hitting beleaguered English professor Jason Fitger right between the eyes in this hilarious and eagerly awaited sequel to the cult classic of anhedonic academe, the Thurber Prize-winning Dear Committee Members. Once more into the breach...
Now is the fall of his discontent, as Jason Fitger, newly appointed chair of the English Department of Payne University, takes arms against a sea of troubles, personal and institutional. His ex-wife is sleeping with the dean who must approve whatever modest initiatives he undertakes. The fearsome department secretary Fran clearly runs the show (when not taking in rescue parrots and dogs) and holds plenty of secrets she's not sharing. The lavishly funded Econ Department keeps siphoning off English's meager resources and has taken aim at its remaining office space. And Fitger's attempt to get a mossbacked and antediluvian Shakespeare scholar to retire backfires spectacularly when the press concludes that the Bard is being kicked to the curricular curb.
Lord, what fools these mortals be! Julie Schumacher proves the point and makes the most of it in this delicious romp of satire.
©2018 Julie Schumacher (P)2018 Random House AudioWhat the critics say
"Schumacher satirizes the pitfalls of academia with searing wit, skewing everything from the abominable faculty offices to the eccentric personalities throughout the university. Beneath the comedy lies a tragic commentary on the state of higher education, when money counts for more than scholarship, and power is directly tied to fundraising ability. The Shakespeare Requirement offers a desperately funny take on campus foibles, as Schumacher stretches reality to the boundaries of absurdity in this raucous underdog tale." (Booklist)
"A straight narrative delivered with acrid wit.... Fitger is delightfully acerbic and self-destructive in these pages.... Anyone who's taught will recognize these characters, tightly bound in their arcane knowledge and rancid grievances.... A wry commentary on the plight of the arts in our mercantile era.... Enrollment is now open. Don’t skip this class." (The Washington Post)
"Schumacher abandons the epistolary style of her previous novel for a straight narrative but retains all of its acid satire in a sequel that is far more substantive and just as funny... A witty but kindhearted academic satire that oscillates between genuine compassion and scathing mockery with admirable dexterity." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)
"Kingsley Amis...Richard Russo...Francine Prose.... The latest in this line of wits is Julie Schumacher. [Her] satire turns out to be a sneaky apology for her and Fitger’s profession. And she’s right. No matter how exasperating life on campus becomes, for those who want to live within books and through them, it’s still the place to be." (Los Angeles Times)