Mount Wonder

by Scott J. Bloch

Memories of college have intruded on Bernard Kennisbaum’s mind with increasing regularity. It is his junior year, and Bernard declares himself free of his father’s financial claws, free to follow his Muse. A beguiling beauty, Apryl, has caught his eye, and her scent leads him into a lecture hall that will change his life. His unwitting arrival in a Great Books class—The Humanities Integration Program—devolves into a wild west showdown with a trigger-happy prof, ambitious administrators, jealous colleagues, vengeful state officials, hoodlums, and hangover hippies. Lured in by poetry, Plato, and female pheromones, Bernard discovers an unlikely collegiate underworld dedicated to rescuing Western civilization from soulless purveyors of the bottom line. The trouble is, Bernard doesn’t know which side he is on, and he soon learns he may not know everything about his family or himself. In Mount Wonder, two cultures collide and roll into one rip-roaring adventure of love and learning. Based on true events at a major university, this novel will make you question your world and the world of higher education.

448 pages, Paperback

Published October 17, 2022

Reviews

[William · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the many classical allusions and discussions of knowledge and truth. The heady days of youth where anything seems possible are depicted well in this story of a classical studies program under assault for daring to speak the word "truth".
However, I didn't connect with the characters or care about them. The pacing was also a bit staccato for me - short clipped chapters that kept me changing direction. It reminded me of a drama where scenes were changed too quickly for my comfort.
Finally, there was some resolution, but it didn't satisfy me. It was pointing in a certain direction but still somewhat ambiguous. Some people are fine with that, but not me.