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The Famous Union Kindle Edition
Famous Union College is a slow moving train wreck, a place where what is what is not.
Two hapless heroes.
An exhibitionist secretary.
Bumbling administrators.
A paranoid football coach.
Conniving coeds.
A sex obsessed football player. Who knows what will happen next...
"The characters are all interesting and well developed - and many would be great study cases for a psych major." - HAMPTON REVIEWS
"It's light and humorous with a bit of a wink and a lot of wry puckish humor." - Pop Bop, Top 500 Amazon Reviewer
From the author of the endearing story THE SURVIVAL OF MARVIN BAINES.
- LanguageEnglish
- Publication dateJanuary 14, 2014
- File size303 KB
Editorial Reviews
Review
"The Famous Union is a comedy romp through the halls of academic insanity - and presents a school whose motto is 'just wait until next year.' Readers - especially those familiar with academic ironies - will find it filled with fun!" - MBR BOOKWATCH
"The characters are all interesting and well developed - and many would be great study cases for a psych major." - HAMPTON REVIEWS
"A fast-paced and frequently hilarious tale of life in academia, Michael Meyer's The Famous Union actually reminded me a little of Tom Sharpe's Wilt, with one important exception: I actually found The Famous Union to be funnier, more biting and more inventive." - Indie Book Spot"
"It's light and humorous with a bit of a wink and a lot of wry puckish humor. It helps that the book is organized, once all of the eccentric characters have been introduced, into very brief chapters - each one moving one of the character pieces just a little bit on the board. The effect is like watching a slow motion train wreck, as you observe the characters inching towards collision and catastrophe." - Pop Bop, Top 500 Amazon Reviewer
From the Author
I have always been fascinated by the human brain. I like to try to reconstruct what must have been going through a person's mind at the moment of some great tragedy or some wonderfully unexpected event. What must have General Custer been thinking the very second he saw his own death? What went through Captain Smith's mind the second he realized that his Titanic was doomed? I like to imagine shouting out to historical figures way before tragedy strikes and tell them, "No, don't forge ahead! No, don't ignore the ice warnings!" The very act of creating people and being in complete charge of their thinking processes, and then putting them into a situation where they must act--this sort of thing appeals greatly to me, and, thus, I am a writer. The characters and events in my THE FAMOUS UNION are people and situations that I have created, and yet they seem so real to life to me. Even now, when I reread my own work, I find myself judging their actions, and empathizing with their plights.
I enjoy being alive. I am inspired when I see a small dog born with only three legs, hobbling around and having the time of his life. I am inspired when I see a small plant sticking its head out of a crack in a boulder, when I see a small ant carrying twice its weight to who knows where. Inspiration is all around us. As we all know, laugher is healthy. The eccentric characters in THE FAMOUS UNION provided me with lots of healthy laughs as I created them, and I hope they do so for you.
From the Inside Flap
From the Back Cover
About the Author
Product details
- ASIN : B005FZMVB6
- Publisher : Pacific Books (January 14, 2014)
- Publication date : January 14, 2014
- Language : English
- File size : 303 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 171 pages
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
![Michael Meyer](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/amzn-author-media-prod/9r8ftj1ls68cahnmb2e1tgdvjj._SY600_.jpg)
Michael Meyer is the author of mysteries, thrillers, humorous fiction, and non-fiction: Love and romance, laughter and tears, thrills and fears.
He has resided in and has visited many places in the world, all of which have contributed in some way to his own published writing. He has literally traveled throughout the world, on numerous occasions. He has lived in Finland, Germany, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He gained the wanderlust to see the world, to experience other cultures, at an early age, and this desire has never left him. If anything, it has only gained in intensity as he has aged.
Among the many unique things that have happened to him in his world travels, he has walked the streets of Istanbul with a detective, searching for a pickpocket who got him good. He has ridden on the back of a motorcycle in Tehran while the driver, who spoke not one word of English, pointed out all the sights to him. He has wrestled an Iranian soldier who tried to break into his hotel room in Tehran. He has had the paint completely stripped from his car as he drove across Saudi Arabia in a sandstorm. He has stood on the stage of a busy nightclub in Tokyo, singing "She'll be Coming Round the Mountain When She Comes" to an audience feeling no pain from the Sake they were drinking. He has been chased by a family of mongooses (yes, that is the correct spelling) on the idyllic Caribbean island of St. Croix. And that is just the beginning of his long list of worldly adventures.
As a recent retiree from a forty-year career as a professor of writing, he now lives in Southern California wine country with his wife, Kitty, and their two adorable rescue cats.
You can follow Mike at his Facebook writer's site: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelMeyersWritingLife
Be sure to check out his Pinterest writer's page, which includes numerous audio readings, clips, and trailers of his books:
http://pinterest.com/temmike/#
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the book entertaining and humorous with bright, amusing interactions. They appreciate the well-developed characters and their personalities. The pacing is described as fast and upbeat. The writing style is clear and direct, drawing readers in easily. Opinions differ on the plot, with some finding it nice and realistic, while others feel there's virtually no plot or point.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find it entertaining, with amusing conversations and interactions. The book is described as a light, enjoyable read with unexpected laughs. Readers appreciate the unique, witty, and engaging writing style.
"...I love when a book gives you that kind of connection. Entertaining, colorful characters, fantastic editing, and a solid plot kept me..." Read more
"...hothouse faculty strife. It's light and humorous with a bit of a wink and a lot of wry puckish humor...." Read more
"...The cast of the novel was original and entertaining. Alexander Smith himself was a brilliant character that addicted with sex...." Read more
"...Lots of humor in the story and I really got involved with the characters. It was a good, easy read...." Read more
Customers appreciate the character development in the book. They find the characters well-developed and relatable. The cast is original and entertaining, with colorful characters.
"...Entertaining, colorful characters, fantastic editing, and a solid plot kept me glued to the pages. This is highly recommended and a fun adult read...." Read more
"...The author has fun with each character - fine tuning their personalities, alternately presenting them sympathetically and then not so sympathetically..." Read more
"...The characters development/traits is fantastic, you really feel like you know each of the characters in this book...." Read more
"...Lots of humor in the story and I really got involved with the characters. It was a good, easy read...." Read more
Customers enjoy the book's pacing. They find the writing clear and direct, with an upbeat tone that makes for an engaging read.
"...The fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny, upbeat writing style instantly drew me in and never let go...." Read more
"...The Famous Union is a light read full of surprise chuckles, perfect for a plane ride or a break at the office. Enjoyed it thoroughly." Read more
"...This is a quick paced read, and the writing is clear and direct...." Read more
"Funny, fast, enjoyable read. Kind of reminded me of a academic version of Catch 22. You gotta check out good old FU." Read more
Customers find the writing style clear and direct. They describe it as an easy, quick read with an upbeat tone that draws them in. The tone is clever and humorous while being realistic.
"...The fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny, upbeat writing style instantly drew me in and never let go...." Read more
"...The tone was clever and humorous and very real. The cast of the novel was original and entertaining...." Read more
"...It was a good, easy read...." Read more
"...This is a quick paced read, and the writing is clear and direct...." Read more
Customers have mixed opinions about the plot. Some find it has a nice flow and is realistic, while others feel there is no clear plot or point. There is also a racy undertone that some readers may not like. The ending was rushed and less than satisfactory for some.
"...colorful characters, fantastic editing, and a solid plot kept me glued to the pages. This is highly recommended and a fun adult read...." Read more
"...the ending was rushed and less than satisfactory...." Read more
"...The plot is tight and humorous, contrasts are presented such as a professor on the pay roll for doing very little and another extremely overworked..." Read more
"...It was deep compared to this tripe. There was virtually no plot or point to any of it...." Read more
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2011I got this book for my kindle, and let me tell you I wasn't disappointed. The fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny, upbeat writing style instantly drew me in and never let go.
The Famous Union is a fast paced run through the eyes of two PhDs who were recently hired in the English department. Famous Union is a fancy little college with expensive fountains, cute girls, and brand new artificial turf on the football field. It seems like the perfect job, however, things aren't what they expect and we get a hilarious look into academia.
This stunning novel is not only unique but completely witty and genuinely funny. I LOVE the humorous approach this author takes. Unique, interesting, creative characters are well fleshed out and grab your attention from the beginning as you are pulled into the story. You will smile, you will laugh, and you will get mad as you take this journey along with them. The author did an awesome job of getting me to connect with the characters. I love when a book gives you that kind of connection.
Entertaining, colorful characters, fantastic editing, and a solid plot kept me glued to the pages. This is highly recommended and a fun adult read. 5 stars without a doubt! I look forward to more of this author's work.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2014This is a cheerfully farcical tale of the woes of two new professors at Famous Union College. Our mild mannered hero has been hired to teach courses that no longer exist; frustrated and at loose ends, nothing good can come of that. Our other hero is overscheduled and overworked, and compensates with his roving eye for comely coeds. Again, not likely to turn out well. We surround those two protagonists with a flirty secretary, devious administrators, a paranoid football coach, a conniving coed, a dim athlete - just the types for a mix like this. Complications do ensue.
This isn't Amis/Waugh bitter academic satire. This isn't brutal "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" hothouse faculty strife. It's light and humorous with a bit of a wink and a lot of wry puckish humor. It helps that the book is organized, once all of the eccentric characters have been introduced, into very brief chapters - each one moving one of the character pieces just a little bit on the board. The effect is like watching a slow motion train wreck, as you observe the characters inching towards collision and catastrophe.
The author has fun with each character - fine tuning their personalities, alternately presenting them sympathetically and then not so sympathetically. While no character is developed deeply, they are developed broadly, and some of the little details, and conversations, and interactions are bright and amusing.
Like all academic comedies I've read the fun is in watching the stew simmer. For that to be worthwhile you need to add quality ingredients. That's exactly what the author has done here, and I found the result very tasty.
Please note that I found this book while browsing Amazon Kindle freebies. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
- Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2012****SPOILER ALERT **** (as if there's anything to spoil about the non-existent plotline)
I too have spent years in academia. However, this isn't a satire. It's not funny at all, unless you are amused by theater of the absurd. Nothing actually happens. The characters talk about their situations endlessly, a la "Waiting for Godot."
This is the complete contents:
1. Two professors are hired by a fictional college (Famous Union College, F.U.C., haha)
2. Professor Will Ferris, with a fresh PhD, is hired to administer the freshman writing program and teach freshman comp classes. He discovers that the program and his classes have been cancelled. He has a 2 year contract which is ironclad so he can't leave. The administration doesn't seem to be concerned that he is being payed to do absolutely nothing. Ferris is upset that he isn't teaching even though he's getting paid, and is distraught constantly and repeatedly through the whole book.
3. Professor Alexander Smith, PhD, a Chaucer "scholar" with 5 years of teaching experience, discovers his classload is 5 courses with a total of 160 graduate students. He also discovers that Ferris is making $5000 more a year than he is. He is unhappy about his class load and his lower pay and complains constantly and repeatedly about it through the whole book.
4. Coach Denton has a losing football team. He regularly begs for more money so he can give his players more perks in the hope that they will become better players. He is regularly denied and is constantly and repeatedly stressed out about it.
6. There are side stories that contribute nothing to the main story (such as it is) but include people angsting constantly and repeatedly about their own situations.
7. For the big finale, the president of the college explains that due to budget problems, either the writing program or the football program had to be cut. It was decided to cut the writing program because the students come to the college unable to write anyway (haha).
8. The coeds are all beautiful, sexy, and empty-headed.
9. There is no character development. None of the characters are likeable, let alone evoke sympathy.
That's the entire book. Don't waste your time actually reading it.