The Shakespeare Requirement

By: Julie Schumacher

Narrated by: Julie Schumacher

One of The Washington Post's 50 most notable works of fiction in 2018.

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune keep hitting beleaguered English professor Jason Fitger right between the eyes in this hilarious and eagerly awaited sequel to the cult classic of anhedonic academe, the Thurber Prize-winning Dear Committee Members. Once more into the breach...

Now is the fall of his discontent, as Jason Fitger, newly appointed chair of the English Department of Payne University, takes arms against a sea of troubles, personal and institutional. His ex-wife is sleeping with the dean who must approve whatever modest initiatives he undertakes. The fearsome department secretary Fran clearly runs the show (when not taking in rescue parrots and dogs) and holds plenty of secrets she's not sharing. The lavishly funded Econ Department keeps siphoning off English's meager resources and has taken aim at its remaining office space. And Fitger's attempt to get a mossbacked and antediluvian Shakespeare scholar to retire backfires spectacularly when the press concludes that the Bard is being kicked to the curricular curb.

Lord, what fools these mortals be! Julie Schumacher proves the point and makes the most of it in this delicious romp of satire.

©2018 Julie Schumacher (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Schumacher satirizes the pitfalls of academia with searing wit, skewing everything from the abominable faculty offices to the eccentric personalities throughout the university. Beneath the comedy lies a tragic commentary on the state of higher education, when money counts for more than scholarship, and power is directly tied to fundraising ability. The Shakespeare Requirement offers a desperately funny take on campus foibles, as Schumacher stretches reality to the boundaries of absurdity in this raucous underdog tale." (Booklist)

"A straight narrative delivered with acrid wit.... Fitger is delightfully acerbic and self-destructive in these pages.... Anyone who's taught will recognize these characters, tightly bound in their arcane knowledge and rancid grievances.... A wry commentary on the plight of the arts in our mercantile era.... Enrollment is now open. Don’t skip this class." (The Washington Post)

"Schumacher abandons the epistolary style of her previous novel for a straight narrative but retains all of its acid satire in a sequel that is far more substantive and just as funny... A witty but kindhearted academic satire that oscillates between genuine compassion and scathing mockery with admirable dexterity." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

"Kingsley Amis...Richard Russo...Francine Prose.... The latest in this line of wits is Julie Schumacher. [Her] satire turns out to be a sneaky apology for her and Fitger’s profession. And she’s right. No matter how exasperating life on campus becomes, for those who want to live within books and through them, it’s still the place to be." (Los Angeles Times)

I loved it!

I enjoyed the first book in what turns out to be a trilogy, and loved this one and look forward to the third. The trials and travails of Professor Fitger and the Eng ish department at Payne University (I purposely dropped a letter in English, though I don’t remember which one is missing in the sign) are told with delectable wit and boundless delightful similes. The eccentric characters are fun to share time with. I’ve taught in underfunded public universities and can assure you that the satire here is only a slight exaggeration of reality. These books could be turned into a great television series. The author narrates the book herself. Her tone is mostly fitting, but I found her pace a bit slow and listened at 1.1 for a better rhythm. I highly recommend this book.

Made me laugh out loud

Painfully ironic and funny. Julie Schumacher’s images, her spot on observations of academic life, and her voice and perfect intonation made the entire experience a delicious escapade.

Riotous Academic Satire

Julie Schumacher has done it again. In this followup to her novel Dear Committee, Ms. Schumacher once again sets her sights on skewering the academic world. God, this is a funny book. I've been teaching at the University level in one capacity or another for 20 years now, and this one is so true it hurts! Satire does not get better or funnier than this. I sincerely hope we get more of Jay Fitger and his colleagues at Payne University. I can honestly say that I did not want this book to end. My only complaint is that the book might have been better served with a professional narrator rather than the author, but the book itself is comic gold if you know the academy.

Hilarious. I loved it

There are few books that make me laugh out loud. This was one that did. I didn’t want it to end.

Enjoyable, poignant and very funny

Hapless English department chair fights for the life of his department. The author narrates her own work with deadpan glee. Characters well drawn and real. Cranky poetry of life's surprises adds a heart catching bittersweet quality to this very funny and oddly touching work.

Hilarious

This writer is truly gifted. This book is an awesome display of her creative writing talent.

I want a hard copy of this.......

.......book to better see, savor and underline-Schumacher's sharply honed, tear- inducing (from laughter)) prose . Her lean, flexible writing doesn't call attention to itself while slyly, hilariously conjuring a. fantastic array of personalities amidst an unerring view of college culture. All this and Pup Dog, too! Brilliant.

Good story. Annoying narration.

This otherwise excellent book suffers from having the author do the narration. The way she sort of lisps the letter S is a constant detraction. I wish I had read this in print, as the story is both insightful and funny.

Very enjoyable.

I throughly enjoyed this well written and clever book. I do wish her books were longer. When reading this book, I literally can’t wait to see what happens next, then sadly it ends. Her narration was excellent.

Hilarious and accurate

Author knows her genre. I hope there are more sequels. I highly recommend this book.