by Karen Ruoff
from author’s manuscript (English)
At a much-vaunted US university, Eve Braintree battles against the combined adversity of dwindling budgets, egomaniacal cravings for recognition and white-collar corruption. In this environment, every vulnerability is used against you. Only her eccentric tomcat Byron has her back. Until Eve unexpectedly attracts a powerful ally…
The first terrifying truth Eve acknowledged was that countless others could do her job every bit as well as she could. The next was: They could do it better. On the heels of this concession came the foreboding revelation that one of them soon would...
Ivory tower intrigues, rampant greed, scholarly smokescreens, and romance: Karen Ruoff’s satire of campus life, Academia, is a trenchant farce on the state of higher education today. And a timely wake-up call for those whose educational sympathies might still be indexed on rankings-driven college management.
reviews
"Ein helles Lesevergnügen in trüber Zeit. Karen Ruoffs satirischer Gesellschaftsroman Academia," review by Robert Cohen, Das Argument, 338, pp. 333-335.
"A Bright Reading Pleasure in Gloomy Times. Karen Ruoff's Satirical Social Novel Academia," review by Robert Cohen, Das Argument, 338, pp. 333-335, english translation Ida Cerne and Cheryce von Xylander.
"Mehr als ein Campus-Roman," (PDF) review by Russell A. Berman, Die Weltwoche, Feb. 23, 2022.
"More than a Campus Novel," review by Russell A. Berman, Die Weltwoche, Feb. 23, 2022, english translation Ida Cerne and Cheryce von Xylander.
"Hörsaal, frisch gebohnert," review by Markus Steinmayr, Der Freitag, Jan. 6, 2022.
"Lecture Hall, Freshly Waxed," review by Markus Steinmayr, Der Freitag, Jan. 6, 2022, english translation Ida Cerne (Vienna).
"Das Leben als Uni-Roman. Und oben thront eine oberpeinliche Figur," review by Rose-Maria Gropp, FAZ.net, Jan. 9, 2022.
"Life as a Campus Novel. And at the Helm Reigns a Cringeworthy Figure," review by Rose-Maria Gropp, FAZ.net, Jan. 9, 2022, english translation Cheryce von Xylande (Berlin).
"Schein und Sein," review by Sigrun Klüger, Kulturette, Nr. 31, p. 15, Dec. 2021.
"Karen Ruoff: Academia. Roman," perlentaucher. Das Kulturmagazin, Dec. 9, 2021.
"Könnte es dabei nicht auch um Sie gehen?," review by Rose-Maria Gropp, FAZ print edition, Dec. 1, 2021.
"Might This Possibly be About You, too?," review by Rose-Maria Gropp, FAZ print edition, Dec. 1, 2021, english translation Cheryce von Xylander (Berlin).
"Der Trubel des akademischen Lebens," review by Gisela Lehmer, dievorleser.blogspot.com, Oct. 31, 2021.
"Karen Ruoff zerlegt das schöne Bild von der effizienzgesteuerten Wissenschaftsidylle," review by Christof Meueler, nd-aktuell.de, Oct. 22, 2021.
"Auf diese Neuerscheinungen freu ich mich im Herbst 2021, Teil II," review by Friederike Kipar, diebuchbloggerin.de, July 4, 2021.
