What do you think?
Rate this book
Privilege
A cutting satire concerning the death spiral of the white, male identity.
With his divorce nearly finalized, the surprise success of his freshman book on the wane, and his ill-advised affair with grad student Lara Kitts put to bed, Dr. Barker Samuel Stone is on the precipice of a cozy tenure-track existence. All in all, none too shabby for a straight, aware, upper-middle-class white dude, amirite?
Then an enigmatic e-mail sends Barker’s life spiralling along an unanticipated trajectory. Summoned to a late-night confab at the campaign office of controversial mayoral candidate Baz Randell – folk hero to some, populist blowhard to everyone else – Barker is looped in on an epic, career-ending scandal.
In the midst of mounting chaos, Barker is informed that an anonymous complainant has levied a claim of sexual misconduct against him. Given the university’s embarrassing record of botching cases of misconduct, Barker is advised that the administration is looking to bring the hammer down on someone – anyone – hard.
In his whole life, Barker has never before felt so much like a nail.
With his divorce nearly finalized, the surprise success of his freshman book on the wane, and his ill-advised affair with grad student Lara Kitts put to bed, Dr. Barker Samuel Stone is on the precipice of a cozy tenure-track existence. All in all, none too shabby for a straight, aware, upper-middle-class white dude, amirite?
Then an enigmatic e-mail sends Barker’s life spiralling along an unanticipated trajectory. Summoned to a late-night confab at the campaign office of controversial mayoral candidate Baz Randell – folk hero to some, populist blowhard to everyone else – Barker is looped in on an epic, career-ending scandal.
In the midst of mounting chaos, Barker is informed that an anonymous complainant has levied a claim of sexual misconduct against him. Given the university’s embarrassing record of botching cases of misconduct, Barker is advised that the administration is looking to bring the hammer down on someone – anyone – hard.
In his whole life, Barker has never before felt so much like a nail.
296 pages, Paperback
Published November 22, 2019
2 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Jason Patrick Rothery
5 books6 followersJason Patrick Rothery is a writer ensconced in the windblown foothills of the Rocky Mountains.
His award-winning plays and collaborative-creation theatre projects have been produced at theatre companies and festivals across Canada and the U.S., and he's had a variety of written work published by presses including Talonbooks, Anvil Press, Rocket Ace, University of Texas Press, Enfield & Wizenty, and mediabox.
Jason's published novels include Privilege, REG, Impostor Syndrome, and the forthcoming She Will Eat Me When I'm Dead and Identity Tourist.
His award-winning plays and collaborative-creation theatre projects have been produced at theatre companies and festivals across Canada and the U.S., and he's had a variety of written work published by presses including Talonbooks, Anvil Press, Rocket Ace, University of Texas Press, Enfield & Wizenty, and mediabox.
Jason's published novels include Privilege, REG, Impostor Syndrome, and the forthcoming She Will Eat Me When I'm Dead and Identity Tourist.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 12, 2019
Provocative and timely, Jason Rothery's 'Privilege' looks squarely in the face of academic male entitlement and doesn't flinch. It's a curious thing when you read a book whose protagonist is both entirely irresistible but also completely repellent, where you love Barker Stone in the same paragraph you just finished hating him. That's where 'Privilege' really succeeds for me, as a book that offers no trite answers or solutions, and doesn't attempt to apologize for behavior knowingly undertaken. At the same time, the sanctimonious, smug inner monologue that peppers Barker's every move makes it clear just how out of step this self-referential, ambitious, short-sighted man has become. Rothery writes in a style that balances between hipster-witty and intellectually obtuse, the perfect mix for a character like Stone, a man obsessed with his own academic elevation and publication record to the detriment of personal relationships around him. Rothery expertly interlaces philosophical discourse with the perils of academia, the pitfalls of tenure-track freedom emboldening a man who has clearly lost sight of his morals through the power that he wields in his work.
Obviously relevant in today's climate, this is funny and compelling, but sobering without relying too heavily on simple target practice. It's great to support a young Canadian author. I look forward to his next effort.
Obviously relevant in today's climate, this is funny and compelling, but sobering without relying too heavily on simple target practice. It's great to support a young Canadian author. I look forward to his next effort.
November 15, 2019
While reviews and summaries use terms like “dark humor”, “parody”, and “satire” none of them really capture the unique tone of “Privilege”. Various parts of unique cringe-comedy, time-capsule of a very specific period of early 10s Toronto, dense real-world academic theory, and razor-sharp skewering of academic life - all blended to a unique melange. It’s also a book that asks hard questions, putting the reader in situations that may challenge their own assumptions and preconceptions of privilege, power, and the various feats and abuses that can enabled by them. However, it remains a story I continue to think about, question, and reconsider long after I closed the cover. A unique debut novel from a distinct authorial voice - I look forward to future books from Rothery.
March 19, 2020
Privilege is a fascinating read. Takes us on a journey of the current culture/gender/relationship wars through the eyes of a sometimes sympathetic, sometimes infuriating, sometimes merely hapless protagonist. While it has special relevance for anyone (student or prof) who has spent time on a university campus in the last decade (you will laugh out loud!), the debates/dilemmas have spilled into mainstream media in ways that challenge our beliefs and actions. Thought-provoking and entertaining!
December 10, 2019
Rushdie and Rothery? Would that be blasphemy? I’d imagine that neither author would suffer by comparison. While Rothery is firmly grounded in realism, his biting wit and lofty perspective remind me of Rushdie and Kundera. This is a brilliant debut novel: I find myself eager for his next work.
January 20, 2020
I feel attacked. And warned. And am lucky to have read this before... making choices.
This is the right book for the moment and more people need to read it.
This is the right book for the moment and more people need to read it.
December 16, 2019
Jason Rothery takes you on a fantastic journey ..... I couldn’t put it down! Such strong writing, you are never sure where he is going with the story, but you want to go on the ride anyway..... Current, clever issues that you can both defend and argue, but always want to find out more. It borders on taboo at this time in history, and plays with your belief system. A great read by an excellent writer, his first but not his last novel, well done sir!
November 28, 2019
THIS SHIT IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE!!! "The hollow men, the stuffed man", beware! This content is dangerous! The book cover is also at fault because it's missing a big, fat red writing with some sort of warning about it!
February 22, 2020
This book dives into some very fraught subjects, but it does so with such humour, wit, and frank interest in those subjects that you can't help but dive in.
The characters are interesting, flawed, complex figures, which prevents easy classifications.
And rather than any kind of apology or defence of 'Privilege' as a concept, instead it routinely tries to chart the space created as we investigate, depower, and otherwise transfer that authority. By not giving his main character a position of, ahem, privilege in terms of the plot (the story is not set up to make him look good) it creates the best possible place to have a deep think about the problem of discourse. We don't feel like the whole thing is just an apologia for behaving badly.
On top of the big ideas is a fun story, and some very skilled and witty writing.
The characters are interesting, flawed, complex figures, which prevents easy classifications.
And rather than any kind of apology or defence of 'Privilege' as a concept, instead it routinely tries to chart the space created as we investigate, depower, and otherwise transfer that authority. By not giving his main character a position of, ahem, privilege in terms of the plot (the story is not set up to make him look good) it creates the best possible place to have a deep think about the problem of discourse. We don't feel like the whole thing is just an apologia for behaving badly.
On top of the big ideas is a fun story, and some very skilled and witty writing.
October 12, 2025
Very timely. I can't wait to discuss this in book club, as I have a feeling that my opinion will vary from the majority. I feel a lot of empathy for the main character, someone who is struggling with the changing culture, working in academia, and studying and teaching communications in a world where communications are so corruptible and polarized. This will prompt a good discussion!
December 28, 2019
Portrait of a young straight white cis male who sees himself as progressive and woke only to be still deeply entrenched in the decaying sexist/racist ego-filled personalities of our time. It’s one thing to have the knowledge of being woke, and a completely other thing to live out those values, which begs the question of how far we have yet to go.
There is a lot to love in the writing. Even though this character commits some unsavoury acts, it is actually quite fun being inside Barkers head. He’s witty, intelligent and charming (Which, funnily enough, are all attributes that add to his privilege.)
One of my favourite parts of the book is the flashback interlude chapter where Barker paraphrases an entire romantic relationship from start to finish and it is just beautiful. He describes the slow-burn tragedy of a doomed relationship with such specificity and universality i was kind of astounded. For me it was a shining gem that transcended the satirical tone of the book with its beauty.
I gave this a three-star rating because honestly I felt a bit bogged down by the plot. I feel like it could have been condensed into a more sparse story. There was a bit too much video-game theory and B plots for me.
All and all I’m glad this book exists. It is a well written satirical deconstruction of the white male...hooray!
There is a lot to love in the writing. Even though this character commits some unsavoury acts, it is actually quite fun being inside Barkers head. He’s witty, intelligent and charming (Which, funnily enough, are all attributes that add to his privilege.)
One of my favourite parts of the book is the flashback interlude chapter where Barker paraphrases an entire romantic relationship from start to finish and it is just beautiful. He describes the slow-burn tragedy of a doomed relationship with such specificity and universality i was kind of astounded. For me it was a shining gem that transcended the satirical tone of the book with its beauty.
I gave this a three-star rating because honestly I felt a bit bogged down by the plot. I feel like it could have been condensed into a more sparse story. There was a bit too much video-game theory and B plots for me.
All and all I’m glad this book exists. It is a well written satirical deconstruction of the white male...hooray!
September 27, 2020
This book is, by turns, infuriating, revealing, and filled with moments that make you question your own motives. Set against the backdrop of the #metoo movement, a popular professor has several incidents that, collectively, shape his life. I won't say more, because the author does a far better job of telling the story than I can. Really cool book.
January 14, 2020
Privilege is a very good, if needlessly lengthy, campus novel. It’s much in need of a more judicious editor: the fascination with video games grows tiresome, but I suppose that’s part of the satire of the modern-day Academy. Also, the grammatical and punctuation clangers render the narrator’s disgust over poorly written essays a trifle ironic. Nonetheless, Mr. Rothery captures voice and the maddening complications of time and setting with skill and relish. As a cis white guy, and a former sort-of academic, I get it. Oh yes. I get it.
I will share Privilege with my bookish friends and place it among my many other favourite campus novels.
I will share Privilege with my bookish friends and place it among my many other favourite campus novels.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews