Privilege

Thomas H. Carry knows how to write a good suspense novel, but my only quarrel with it is how quickly things wrapped up. The ending reminds me of the top that kept spinning at the end of the film, Inception-- a comparison that's both fitting and appropriate. It's really one of those novels that enthralls you after the first page and you instantly build a relationship with the narrator, Daniel, as he's sharing it all with you, a voyeur and friend, in the privacy of his office at the University. He's witty, cynical, funny, self-indulgent but also selfless--which is ironic considering the act he's committed more times than one. Still, you root for him and in the end, you both admire and fear Daniel Waite and will, more likely than not, sign up for his film course.

Caveat: Once you begin reading this delightful romp of a satire, you won't be able to stop, so clear your schedule. It's fast- paced and laugh-out- loud funny. Only someone familiar with the highs and lows of academic life could so skillfully enter the mind of the protagonist and present us with this nuanced, hilarious read. I found myself immersed in the setting, and I didn't want to leave. I plan to give this entertaining book as holiday gifts to my astute friends and family, who all need a respite from the drudgery of Covid confinement. Hope there are more books to come from this clever, talented author.

Great little read on the oddities of Academia with an injection of fictional intrigue spurred by the bizarre and completely bubbled personalities that roam and influence the culture of our cartoon-like modern higher ed environment. Carry expertly crafts a hapless narrator in Daniel, giving the reader an internal monologue of how a seemingly normal person can be drawn in by the unfamiliar/uncomfortable and easily willingly stumble into obviously fraught circumstances leading to a panicked and bungled mess. Carry's protagonist (if you want to call him that) is an excellent embellished caricature of the thought process that precipitates moments when you have said to a friend "Jesus, what were you thinking?"

Professor Daniel Waite’s comfortable and privileged life is going nowhere in particular. He’s overshadowed academically by his wife and bored by his pretentious students. Things only change when he gets a new teaching assistant - and things sure do change fast then. Cynical and funny, this satire is written in Thomas H. Carry’s usual elegant prose. A short, sharp read for those who like their comedy dark.

After cracking this novel open I could barely put it down. The storytelling is top-notch, with lovely, rich, and delightful turns of phrase. The narrative itself is engrossing, without a dull moment. If it were a song, it'd be a banger. But what really drew me in was the inner voice of our protagonist. It was like locking eyes with someone and knowing immediately that you would be lovers. The window into one Daniel Waite's soul left me connected to follow him down the cynical, bumbling, brutal, hilarious, brilliant, and ever-surprising twists and turns of his journey.