Campusland

A Novel

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Pub Date 13 Aug 2019 | Archive Date 27 Aug 2019

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Description

"This high-spirited, richly imagined, and brave novel is a delight to read... Smart and hilarious."
Kirkus Reviews


Joyous, fast and funny, Scott Johnston’s Campusland is a satiric howl at today’s elite educational institutions—from safe spaces to tribal infighting to the sheer sanctimony. A wickedly delightful novel that may remind you of Tom Wolfe and David Lodge.

Her room sucks. Her closet isn’t big enough for two weeks’-worth of outfits, much less her new Rag & Bone for fall. And there’s nothing worth posting. Cruel. To Lulu Harris—It Girl-in-the-Making—her first year at the ultra-competitive Ivy-like Devon University is a dreary impediment. If she’s fabulous and no one sees it, what’s the point?

To Eph Russell, who looks and sounds like an avatar of privilege (shh!–he’s anything but) Devon is heaven. All day to think and read and linger over a Welsh rarebit at The Faculty Club, not to mention teach English 240 where he gets to discuss all his 19th Century favorites, like Mark Twain. If Eph could just get tenure, he could stay forever, but there are landmines everywhere.

In his seventh year at Devon, Red Wheeler is the alpha dog on top of Devon’s progressive hierarchy, the most woke guy on campus. But when his position is challenged, Red is forced to take measures.

Before first term is halfway finished, Lulu bungles her social cache with her clubbable upperclass peers, and is forced to reinvent herself. Shedding her designer clothes, she puts on flannel and a brand-new persona: campus victim. For Lulu to claw her way back to the top, she’ll build a pyre and roast anyone in her way.

Presiding over this ferment is Milton Strauss, Devon’s feckless president, who spends his days managing perpetually aggrieved students, scheming administrators, jealous professors, billionaire donors, and bumptious frat boys. He just can’t say yes fast enough. And what to do with Martika Malik-Adams? Isn’t her giant salary as vice-president of Diversity & Inclusion enough?

All paths converge as privileged, marginalized, and radical students form identity alliances, sacrifice education for outrage, and push varied agendas of political correctness that drags every free thought of higher learning into the lower depths of an entitled underclass.

Campusland is a riotous, subversive and fresh read.

"This high-spirited, richly imagined, and brave novel is a delight to read... Smart and hilarious."
Kirkus Reviews


Joyous, fast and funny, Scott Johnston’s Campusland is a satiric howl at today’s...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781250222374
PRICE $27.99 (USD)
PAGES 336

Average rating from 101 members


Featured Reviews

Mr Johnson offers his first published book and it is a delightful satire of the evolution of the "political correctness" movement currently wracking havoc in the United States and probably in other countries as well. The action takes place over one academic year at Devon University, a huge college level institution catering to a group of elite students. These scholars are depicted through the eyes of Eph Russell a newly hired professor of English who is currently awaiting being granted tenure at the school.
Eph finds himself in hot water when his discussion of Mark Twain's great novel "Huckleberry Finn" runs into criticism from various student groups. Four letter words are utilized in that book which offends many students. Other factors offending more students are taken into account by the University directors and the book is banned at the school. Eph receives a reprimand but continues on.
Lulu Harris is a newly enrolled coed arriving via her father's pressure. She is a first year student (the term freshman cannot be used or it could offend the students) Her sole ambition is to become a prominent socialite and in spite of being accepted at one of the most desired institutions of higher learning in the country works at the society lady aspect neglecting studies. As fate would have it she ends up in one of Eph's classes and begins a campaign of sending him e-mails requesting a meeting in order to discuss her grades. He refuses to see her until one day she suddenly appears at his office, begins to flirt with him, and accidentally lands on top of him delivering a kiss.
Weeks later Lulu's position on campus changes based on circumstances arising and she morphs into a militant feminist. It is at this point that she is convinced to accuse Eph of attempted rape. This results in poor Dr Russell being charged by the university and brought up for a hearing under regulations which do not allow him to question Lulu nor even obtain a copy of her statement. He is placed on a year's probation but after the fact that Lulu had recanted her charge, but that was never brought up at his hearing.
The novel is done as a parody of what has happened due to the advent and promotion of "political correctness". While it is set on a college campus and Mr Johnson indicates on an afterward to the novel that is what he is pointing his finger at the situations can certainly be applied in general. The absurdity of some of the ideas and actions are definitely visible in other venues - politics, business etc.
I did laugh at many descriptions of both the characters and the actions depicted but I do appreciate that the circumstances described by Mr Johnson are a serious problem and deserve attention before they choke us.

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