Useless Miracle

by Barry Schechter

A classic, smart comedy in which a college professor attains mankind's oldest the ability to fly...sort of...

George Entmen just turned forty, and he can't complain. He is a respected hermeneutics professor, beloved by friends and family, and ready to drift quietly into tenured middle age. But then, he discovers he can fly.

Sure, he can only fly very, very slowly, and he only flies three or four inches above the ground . . . But why does this nonetheless amazing phenomenon drive so many people into a rage? Why do he and his family find themselves dodging livid magicians, scheming billionairesses, and, perhaps worst of all, angry hermeneuticians?

Beneath all the chaos, his gift has to have a meaning. But to find it, George needs to understand one thing his friend and guru keeps telling "You're not flying, you're being flown."

336 pages, Paperback

Published June 2, 2020

Reviews

[Stacia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't hate it but I also didn't like it. I found various problematic things in it like the middle-aged dood main character who, of course, makes assorted sexual observations about women, etc. Is it any surprise that the character reminds us that men think of sex every 6 seconds? Could the book have been as strong (or as weak) without those references? Yes. In other comments, I'm sure you could pretend to analyze it & come up with some "serious" discussion topics like the nature of miracles, or fame, or life in academia (jealousy abounds + you are controlled by the big-money donors), or weird, belligerent sideshow carnivals that kidnap the "performers" (well, probably no serious discussion related to that story divergence), or even just the basic humanity of ignoring your young child because you're too focused on yourself & your "useless miracle". Problem is, the story just wasn't interesting, the characters were not likeable (& they're too cartoonish to be true villains), & mostly I just didn't care about the depressed debunker, his sexy philanthropist wife who's also evil & pulling an awful lot of strings, & the weird inner ramblings of the main character related to his "miracle" of flying (4 inches from the ground). Plus, spoiler, flying dood was dumb enough to follow his fake-guru-who-has-been-indicted friend's advice to try flying higher by jumping off the roof. (Spoiler #2: he survives, just breaks something, I can't remember if it was his arm or his ankle.) Really? You're 40 & that stupid? Ok. Maybe I need to revise my first sentence of this paragraph: I think I did hate it (or at least came to that conclusion by the end).

[Vincent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a great TV show that goes on two seasons too long, those last 20 pages nearly sink the whole thing. Less is more.

[Joel · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't put this book down. I had to get it over as quickly as possible to release me from the pain. I don't like to to stop reading a book that is a bit tedious, after all if I did that I wouldn't have finished The Shipping News, which turned out to be one of my all time favourites. You can't win them all.

[Mel Raschke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining read

[Yong · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are moments when I was reading this when I burst out laughing, but it also got me to think about the point of this book. It often feels pretty pointless, almost like a constant rambling that goes on and on. Maybe it’s about life is often random, and things just happens?

[Chris Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't really care for this book. I initially thought the concept was interesting, but the rest of the book fell flat to me. I did appreciate the setting in Chicago however.

[Kim McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

George is the Chairperson of Hermeneutics at Northwestern University in Chicago. He is just what you think of when you think of academics until the day he discovers he can fly - if your definition of flying is hovering in one direction 4 inches above the ground. This gives him certain amount of notoriety especially from the debunking husband of a very wealthy and mean psychopath billionaire out to promote her husband at George's expense. At first glance I felt this book would only appeal to academics but then later on I realized that it pokes fun at academics and the ridiculousness of his miracle ability begins to grow on you. The lengths that these people will go to embarrass and destroy this unassuming man is sad. This will appeal to those who enjoy small miracles and quirky gifts but also want a deeper look at the characters. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

On his 40th birthday, George Entmen discovers he can fly -- but only about 4" above the ground and very slowly for short periods of time. This book gets tangled up in a side plot of a woman and her husband trying to blackmail him, and I didn't really follow that. I finished it anyway because I really hate to not finish a book.

It was a clever idea for a book, but it just got tangled up in the weeds.

[batya7 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good premise. For me, a flight of fancy. Took my mind to what-if land.

[Austin · Rating 1 out of 5]

confusing to read, pretty bad premise in general, very boring could not finish.

[H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it for the laughs on every page, for the prose that snaps and for the deadpan takes on the culture we swim in. I shed my fuddy-daddy, my inner Margaret Dumont and jumped into the story of George, a tenured professor who discovers he can fly, only very very low to the ground. I was led along by the insights and laughs , a rolling absurdist avenue that steered me, in the end, to a reward of something profound. (spoiler) The universe can play jokes on us, it has things up it’s sleeves, but after all... the title is a hint.