For more review, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

A few years ago I read the third book in this series (not realizing it was a series, just so captivated by that cover). I recently saw my library had the audiobooks of the previous books so I thought I'd listen to them for some quick entertainment while driving.

Overall, this was a good book. It was interesting to get the backstory on the world I was introduced to in the third book. The world-building was well-done and made the book intriguing and mysterious. The plot was a bit slow in the beginning with all of the introduction, some of which could have been sped through a bit. You know there is going to be some weird stuff going on at the school so it gets a little tedious leading up to that. But overall the book was well-written and interesting.

While the book is not necessarily very scary, there is a bit of animal cruelty, which may not be a good fit for sensitive readers. While it is not outright gory, it's pretty gross with enough details to be upsetting and is referenced multiple times. I dislike when authors fall back on cruelty to animals in order to show how evil a character is.

A good read although I could have done without the animal stuff. Interesting set up and a nice lead in to the next book.

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Complete the resume with a brief chronological listing of your past jobs, education and call information. Form a resume of avoid than two pages, sacrificing this latter part guide within two pages not the former part (a to g above).

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"Not dead," comes to mind immediately. It's honest but probably not what my prospective employer has sg pools on your mind. Could I keep a straight face if I give the response the usual understanding demands? "I hope end up being in a situation with more responsibility when i have proven my ability and added value on the company in my current place." Chances are Let me have already accomplished rather than my new and much younger boss has even attempted with 14 months of experience of his current position. Let's face it, in five years I dream to be still turning down Social Security payments because, having won the Power Ball lottery, my annual annuity is way above the SSA threshold.

And which is the biggest main issue. I recently hired a recent grad who couldn't figure out what his rate is. Another was very talented and I hired him as a freelancer but he made many mistakes and was almost completely unreliable.

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Vordergründig ist das Theaterstück von Schnitzler eine Art Grey's Anatomy um die Jahrundertwende aber ohne Sex. Viele männliche Ärzte auf unterschiedlichen Stufen (Institutsleiter der unterschiedlichen Abteilungen des Krankenhauses von Pathologie über Inneres und Gyn, Oberärzte, Fachärzte und Turnusärzte, die ihre Dissertation noch nicht fertig haben) parlieren, tratschen, schwurbeln, kriechen einander in den Arsch und intrigieren hinter dem Rücken.

Krankenhausalltag also, der durch einen spezifischen Fall zu einem politischen Drama hochstilisiert wird, als eine junge katholische Frau, die wahrscheinlich bei einer Engelmacherin war, an einer Sepsis so ernsthaft erkrankt ist, dass sie in den nächsten Stunden sterben wird. Durch das Fieber spürt sie aber den nahenden Tod nicht und glaubt zu genesen. Die nicht konfessionelle Krankenschwester holt ob der dramatischen Situation den Priester für die letzte Beichte und die letzte Ölung, der jüdische Institutsleiter Professor Bernhardi verweigert ihm aber den Zutritt, denn er will die euphorische Patientin nicht der Todesangst aussetzen, sondern als pragmatischer Arzt ist im wichtig, dass es der Patientin gut geht, bevor sie stirbt, anstatt die unsterbliche Seele der Sünderin für den lieben Gott zu retten. Da sich der Priester beschwert, wird diese Petitesse zum Politikum hochstilisiert, indem antisemitische Vorurteile auf den Professor niederprasseln, der als Jude die katholischen Notwendigkeiten verachtet und Religionsstörung betreibt.

In der vom Professor gegründeten Klinik hat er in seiner Funktion als Direktor mittlerweile die Bestellung von sehr vielen nicht-jüdische Ärzten abgenickt, die politisch das Spektrum von liberal bis deutschnational und massiv antisemitsch abdecken. Professor Bernhardi ist politisch völlig naiv und untalentiert, für ihn zählen nur die Sicht der Fachqualifikation des Arztes und ärztliche Entscheidungskriterien.

Neben mehreren Intrigen intern geht die Angelegenheit ins Gesundheitsministerium, wo Bernhardi auch auf  Beamte bzw. Politiker als Beamte trifft, die nur ihre Karriere im Fokus haben und wie Wendehälse heute ihre eigentlichen Überzeugungen vertreten, aber morgen diese auf dem Altar der politischen Anbiederung und Koalitionsbildungen opfern. Der Professor glaubt den Beteuerungen dieser Beamten und agiert als Arzt und als Mensch so, als wäre er von Antisemitismus nicht betroffen, quasi als wäre er kein Jude, oder als gäbe es keinen Antisemitismus. Er verkörpert daher genau jene Figur und den Prototyp, den alle politischen Liberalen und die bürgerlichen Parteien in der Mitte lauthals fordern, die sagen, dass die Juden einen nicht-existenten Antisemitismus aus Paranoia herbeireden und sich ständig als Opfer fühlen. (siehe Der Weg ins Freie )

Mit dieser von allen Juden verlangten Stategie scheitert Bernhardi aber episch. Die Petitesse wird vors Parlament gebracht und von einer Appellation in eine Anklage umgewandelt. Bei der Gerichtsverhandlung lügen einige der an der Szene Beiteiligten, dass sich die Balken biegen, Entlastungszeugen werden auch korrumpiert und schweigen. Mittlerweile soll der Herr Professor sogar den Priester angegriffen haben. Schließlich wird Bernhardi als Direktor seines eigenen Institus von einem Antisemiten abgelöst, seine Approbation wird im vorläufig entzogen und er muss für ein paar Monate ins Gefängnis, obwohl wirklich alle wissen, dass er unschuldig ist. Er wird auf dem politischen Parkett geopfert, gerade weil er starrsinnig auf seinem Bürgerrecht beharrt, in die staatlichen Institutionen und in die Menschen vertraut, dass sich seine Unschuld herausstellen wird.

Er ist auf dem rassistischen Auge blind und will sich nicht ducken, was natürlich küger wäre. Insofern ist er der tragische halsstarrige Held, der unbeirrt seinen Weg geht und der letztendlich dafür bestraft wird. Aber die Geschichte spielt ja im K&K Zuckerguss-Österreich und auch die Bestrafung und der Antisemitismus sind nicht so dramatisch - typisch österreichisch inkonsequent. Nach ein paar Monaten Gefängnis, der Rückgabe der Approbation und der wahrscheinlichen Wiedereinsetzung als Institutsleiter haben sich alle wieder recht lieb und parlieren amikal miteinander. Alles Gut! Es lebe der Kaiser!

Abgesehen vom nicht unspannenden Plot war dieses verbale Gebuckel, Geschmeichel und um den heißen Brei Herumgeschwurbel in den Dialogen sehr schwer zu ertragen und lähmte die ganze Geschichte ziemlich. Ich spreche hier nicht von einer alten Sprache, sondern von diesem vertraulichen,, fraternisierenden, katzbuckelnden, amikalen Spezi-Ton, den die Ärzte und die Politiker miteinander zelebrieren. Wahrscheinlich gibt es den bis heute in den Parteizentralen, aber der nervte mich ungemein und machte die Handlung zäh wie Strudelteig. Befreit man manche Dialoge aber vom inflationär eingesetzten Beiwerk der fortlaufenden Schmeichelei, dann waren einige wirklich großes Kino.

So sagt der Politiker:
"Wenn man immerfort das Richtige täte, oder vielmehr, wenn man nur einmal in der Früh, so ohne sich's weiter zu überlegen, anfing', das Richtige zu tun und so in einem for den ganzen Tag lang das Richtige, so säße man sicher noch vorm Nachtmahl im Kriminal!"

Die angeschlossenen 60 Seiten Nachwort und Erläuterungen waren fast spannender als das Theaterstück selbst und drehen für mich das Werk noch von 2,5 auf gute 3 Sterne. Sie gaben einen großartigen Blick in den Hintergrund und eine detaillierte Analsyse der Situation der Wiener Krankenhäuser und der Medizin zu dieser Zeit. Es wird thematisiert, welche Kliniken hier gemeint sein könnten (die Analyse macht eine Kombination zwischen Poliklinik und einem anderen Krankenhaus aus), aber sie gab auch sensationelle Einblicke in die ärzliche Klinikpraxis dieser Zeit. Die Wissenschaft und die Krankenhäuser fokussierten sich anstatt auf  therapeutische und hygienische Ansätze auf diagnostische Methoden, aber mangels großflächigem Einsatz von bildgebenden Verfahren war eine Diagnose ja nur ex-post also nach der Sektion möglich. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit, damals bei einer Krankheit  zu überleben, war auf einer Pflegestation wesentlich höher als in einem Krankenhaus, in dem die Herrn Professoren nur darauf warteten, dass die Patienten starben, damit sie die Ursache herausfinden konnten. Zudem hielten die damaligen Ärzte auch wenig von den damals schon bekannten Hygiene-Maßnahmen. Das machte mich auf einige Kleinigkeiten aufmerksam, die ich ansonsten überlesen hätte. Auch im Theaterstück kommen viele von den Doktoren direkt aus dem Seziersaal hoch und keiner hat sich die Hände gewaschen. Ziemlich wahrscheinlich, dass die junge Frau die Sepsis erst durch die Untersuchung von einem Arzt bekommen hat.

Zudem wird die politische  Situation der K&K Monarchie ausnehmend grandios analysiert. Antisemitismus den es qua Gesetz eigentlich gar nicht geben darf, weil ihn der Kaiser verboten hat, der sich aber strukturell durch alle Institutionen und durch das tägliche Leben zieht. Kommt uns bekannt vor oder, denn Antisemitismus ist genau dasselbe wie der heutige strukturelle Rassismus gegenüber PoCs?

Fazit: Theaterstück unterdurchschnittlich aber mit der Erläuterung kommt noch was Gutes dabei heraus, da bekommt der Stoff gleich neue spannende Aspekte. Mir hat das Nachwort wesentlich besser gefallen als das Werk selbst.

'...Kakistocracies seem to be taking over everywhere.' ...

 

'They’ve turned schools into factories. Fill out the form, mark the dot, memorize the same things. At the rate real learning is being undercut, soon we’ll be an idiocracy.’

 

‘Can we blame the internet?’

This was a very clever book. The more I think about it, the quicker I come back to that point. There's a lot more to think about and write about when it comes to Hire Idiots, but the core of it all has to be the cleverness of it.

The novel begins with the murder of an aged college professor—there are not exactly a lot of suspects. He's largely estranged from his family; not particularly liked by his colleagues (but no one really rises to active dislike or enmity); he holds an endowed chair—in English—at a small, obscure Liberal Arts college, so it's not as if his death is going to benefit anyone, or be noticed by anyone outside his department, really.

Before the police can really get the investigation underway, the entire college (including those who did notice his death) are distracted by a shakeup at the top of the administration. The president is removed following a financial scandal. The Board doesn't name an interim and begin a search for a new successor, rather they appoint a figure-head chancellor and a Chief Operations Officer. The COO brings in a Chief Academic Officer, a host of Vice Presidents, and a consulting group to help them (assuming the latter can ever figure out the name of the college). These people couch their ideas in a lot of positive spin and corporate-speak, but what it all boils down to is that programs, departments, and staff are going to be cut—except, of course, in the Business and Criminal Justice areas.

Then an active shooter arrives on campus and ends up taking over an entire building. Instead of letting the police apprehend him, the new corporate leadership removes them from campus and lets their security team deal with the situation, resulting in (for starters) a media blackout. Can't have current and prospective students thinking this is an unsafe place to study and/or spend tuition/fees/etc. money anywhere else.

Where most mystery novels—no matter how cozy they are—would focus on the murder and/or the takeover of the building, Hire Idiots focuses on the responses from the faculty to the new administration and the impending cuts, with a focus on one of the murdered professor's closest acquaintances and his response to the administration, his observations of the rest, and his crush on the detective heading up the murder investigation. I'd estimate 85% of the novel is about the shakeup, 6% about the professor's personal life/response to everything; 5% on the shakeup story and 4% on the takeover.

That's not a criticism, that's a description—primarily so you don't spend a lot of time, like me, wondering "is this actually a Crime Novel or did I mis-remember something?" Yes, it is, but it's not going about anything the way you'd expect.

The bulk of the novel is a satirical/prophetic look at the state of the American higher education (noting repeatedly that British education is further down this path), taking inspiration from the line from William Blake (the focus of the scholarship of our primary character):

Degrade first the arts, if you'd mankind degrade;
Hire idiots to paint with cold light and hot shade.

As such, it is pretty devastating and too close to the truth for comfort.

Like any good satire, there are a couple of scenes that are delightfully and bizarrely absurd. When the Theater Department joined in the Faculty protest and their contribution went awry, I laughed loud enough to draw stares from my family. I won't spoil it, but when you read that bit, you can just imagine me cracking up.

Some of the characters are better-drawn than you frequently see in satire, which is wonderful. I really grew to like a few of them, and appreciated what Nemo was able to with them (although character and character development really didn't seem as important to the novel as did everything else).

On top of that—or on the side, anyway—you've got a nice little puzzle of a murder that at once is clever, and not meaty enough to sustain an entire novel (hence, the rest) and the strange little business about the building takeover. I'm still not sure really get what Nemo was going for there (although, I'm convinced that it should be obvious to me, and I'll feel sheepish when it finally occurs to me), but I enjoyed it.

My one complaint is the length—I think we needed a little more of everything. It all felt just a little under-developed. Not enough to make me dislike the book, just enough to keep me from being fully satisfied.

A clever, clever read that will entertain as it makes you worry about the future of formal education. On the surface, Hire Idiots is a fun read, with some very sharp-witted lines. As a bonus, it'll get you to use "Kakistocracy", which is just a fun word.