Eugene Debs Hartke is a Vietnam veteran, teacher of the unteachable at Tarkington College, and later, a teacher of the unteachable at nearby Athena Maximum Security Prison. With insane wife and mother-in-law in tow, he examines the seemingly small choices made in life, and their unexpected consequences.




With pathos and humor, the story details his unpromising youth, appointment to West Point, firing from Tarkington, and ends with his imprisonment for allegedly masterminding the prison break at Athena.

I especially like the worldview of the protoganist. In a universe where so much is unknowable, to the best of his flawed ability to discern it, he pursues the truth. There is pain-staking honesty in his careful evaluation of both himself, and the society in which he lives.

I wanted to call up Eugene Debs Hartke and invite him out for a Freedom Fighter Beer. I want to hang around with him and listen to his observations on the human condition. Too bad he is fictional.

It reminded me to keep a perspective on human ego. Just because we consider ourselves to be the most developed life form on this planet, it doesn't mean we have the right to poison it, or the self-knowledge to render just judgments , or the wisdom to rule the universe.

Kurt Vonnegut writes with loving cynicism.


As you read his words, you envision him slowly shaking his head at the funny, crazy, and sometimes terrible things humans do.

This is one of my favorites. It fights with "The Great Gatsby," "To Kill a Mockingbird," and "The Man Who Fell to Earth" for top spot.

This book would be best enjoyed by readers that still try to figure out who the heck we are, and just what the heck we are doing here.

If you are a hit and run reader, this book is divided up in to many small sections. You can read it in little hunks, if you like.




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Created May 04, 2002 at 4:12pm • Submit your own review...