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CARNAGE ON THE COMMITTEE
by Ruth Dudley Edwards
Poisoned Pen Press, November 2004
246 pages
$24.95
ISBN: 1590581334


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

George Prothero, publicist for the prestigious Knapper-Warburton literary prize, phones Robert Amiss, retired civil servant. Georgie is in an absolute swivet. Hermione Babcock, the chairwoman of the prize committee has been found dead.

None of the other members of the committee should be appointed chair because none of them are really talking to each other. All are very opinionated and each has his own pet project on the long list. Robert is the token sane member of the committee, and he suggests that Baroness Jack Troutbeck be asked to take over leadership. The short list of candidates is due very soon and she is noted for her commanding ways.

Jack is, of course no saner than any of the other members. She is a lusty, flamboyant, cigar smoking, rude, bisexual woman of uncertain age, who also happens to be mistress of St Martha's College, Cambridge, and would be absolutely perfect for the job. She of course, out of mischief, does accept, and the book gets even more incoherent after that.

Edwards is a master at satirizing various bits of the establishment. In this one, she deals with the state of literary criticism and the awarding of prizes on the basis of personal ambition. Many years ago, this reviewer started an advanced degree in English literature but switched to another field after encountering the Freudian criticism then in vogue (both Coleridge's Albatross and Yeats' Silver Fish were considered to be phallic symbols). Today's literati seem to be even less coherent than those of 40 or more years ago.

If you are in the mood for laughing out loud while you read a book, try CARNAGE ON THE COMMITTEE. You don't have to understand politics or academia in order to enjoy it.

Reviewed by Barbara Franchi, November 2004

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