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iread2much's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
As someone who works in academia, I recommend that anyone who wants to work at a college or university read this. It is still very accurate and relevant.
renaplays's review against another edition
2.0
Wanted to like it so much more than I did. Strong start, but falls into insular academic speak for much of the book. No one to root for. Still this started a genre I like a lot, so I'm glad to have tried it.
dcmr's review against another edition
1.0
A densely written slow-go. There may be gold, but I stopped digging.
lucyb's review
4.0
This is an enjoyably brutal romp through the absurdities of academia and academics. McCarthy's prose is deliciously and mercilessly precise as she skewers the foibles of a small liberal arts college community during the heady days of the Red Scare and experimental poetry. Much in the machinations of college administrators, faculty, and students is firmly rooted in this specific cultural context; much, for better and for worse, is instantly recognizable to anyone who has spent time among the groves of academe.
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