American Absurd: A Work of Fiction

by Pierre Schlag

Mr. David Madden lives in L.A. He's an ordinary man. Every day, he gets up and drives to work. Only he never gets there. Instead, he drives from here to there, from Westwood to Santa Monica, Santa Monica to Venice . . . and so on. It seems he's always just going from point A to point B. Of course, driving from point A to point B--that's pretty much what people do in L.A. But then one day a mishap occurs, a breakdown of sorts, on Santa Monica Boulevard. Soon the media takes notice, and overnight Mr. Madden is transformed into a pioneering cultural figure as his "A-to-B thing" goes viral and becomes the defining issue of our time. Questions are asked, solutions offered, and blame assigned as therapists, academics, police, and lawyers all get involved. Safe to say, no one escapes unscathed in this caustic, irreverent, and hilarious social satire. Pierre Schlag is University Distinguished Professor and Byron R. White Professor of Law at the University of Colorado. He lives in the foothills of Boulder with his wife, the author Elisabeth Hyde. His three children have grown up and escaped relatively unharmed.

208 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2016

Reviews

[Mark Hand · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best. Hilarious take on the hamster wheel of American get-er-done-ism.

[Zach Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading American Absurd. It is really funny.

There were many, laugh out loud moments. Like when David is really proud to be peeing in the middle of the city before he gets a tap on the shoulder from a cop. HA!

I also laughed when David (not realizing the true meaning of the word) thinks Chlamydia would be a better name for his daughter.

Pierre Schlag goes on to gently, but thoroughly, mock the professional class of attorneys, consultants, and publicists along with American academia. He is a good satirist. It reminds me a little of Joseph Heller's Catch 22. American Absurd is fun to read and is often insightful.

[Trinity · Rating 3 out of 5]

This first book by Bowen Press is satirical and philosophical--enjoyable and humorous.