Merely Academic

by R. Miller

Middle-aged professor, Dr. Brian S. Mossworth, dreams of life at Oxford, chumming with the Inklings, preferably during the Thirties. The lack of golden spires at his Arkansas college leave him longing so he wears expensive tweeds and thrives on hot tea in ice tea country. His students hate him, his colleagues ignore him, but the delightfully bovine Dr. Charolais is interested. When Mossworth’s vapid attempts at art historical insight lead to a downward spiral of student rebellion and acts of mild violence, a letter arrives offering him a second-chance.

322 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 16, 2017

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fine novel about an eccentric college professor who by mistake ends up as a first-year undergraduate student at Oxford University. Dr. Brian S. Mossworth, Ph.D., an art historian at a small college in Arkansas, takes eccentricity a bit too far in a number of hilarious incidents, some reaching the point of pathos. The book reminds me a great deal of "A Confederacy of Dunces" combined with a bit of Flannery O'Connor. At Oxford, Mossberg finds his intellectual muddleness whipped into shape by a tough but benevolent tutor, learns how not to get drunk, and learns a lesson on how one gets into trouble by misspelling a person's name. The overall message of the book is far more profound, about the shallowness of trendy intellectual ideas and the need to return to real standards of goodness, truth, and beauty. This is a funny, poignant, and profound book of which I give my highest recommendation.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming, observant, and truly hilarious campus novel that deserves to have a lot more eyes on it. I would love to see this get picked up by a major publisher, as it’s an absolute delight to read.