by Jane Smiley
First published 1997
At Moo University, an agricultural college surrounded by cow pastures and grain fields, the faculty and students pursue their own twisted agendas. Chairman X from the Horticulture Department secretly fantasizes about murdering the dean. Mrs. Walker, who works as the provost's assistant, collects campus secrets like trophies. Timothy Nonahan teaches his English students to spy on others for creative writing material. Meanwhile, sophomore Bob Carlson tends to his only companion, a hog he calls Earl Butz. The university becomes a breeding ground for backstabbing plots, sexual affairs, and petty academic rivalries. Jane Smiley transforms this agricultural setting into a stage for human folly, where personal ambitions collide with institutional politics. The novel captures both the absurd comedy of academic life and the genuine loneliness that drives people to desperate acts.
Genres: satire, american-fiction, contemporary, comedy, academia, academic
Vibes: absurd, atmospheric, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic-rivalry, backstabbing-plot, sexual-affair
Setting: Moo University, Horticulture Department
414 pages · Hardcover · Random House Value Publishing