THE ENGLISH EXPERIENCE Jason Fitger, Book 3

Julie Schumacher, author of the Thurber Prize-winning academic comedy DEAR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, now turns her satirical eye on that classic college experience, the study-abroad trip. When Professor Jason Fitger unwillingly takes a motley student group to England in soggy, cold January, nothing goes as planned. Schumacher, a University of Minnesota Regents Professor of Creative Writing and English, writes with a mix of acid and sweetness, delivering humor and wisdom along the way. Her narration, while competently delivered in an agreeable mid-range voice, is not the same quality as the writing. Characters sound similar, challenging listeners to understand the subtleties of genuinely funny conversations. And the mix of a downbeat tone and unvaried pacing often squashes the wit in this delightful novel. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2023]