Campusland is a great book. If you've listened in even barely to things that happen on some campuses in the U.S., you won't be surprised by the world that Johnston built here.
Wife and I have limited direct experience with any of this as our two college kids have gone to not-too-crazy universities. Some of even say, for one of our kids, a quite conservative college. Yet still we experienced 20-year olds telling one of us in a forced parent meeting what their pronouns were. And requiring us to use them. Our other college kid, at a different school from her brother's, has decided not to pursue the career she wanted due to realizing her peers were more concerned with calling women "people with uteruses" rather than discussing their choice of future career. It was heart-breaking to see her discover this.
Every "made-up" situation in Campusland has actually happened somewhere in the U.S. Spend any time on a website like Campus Reform and you may start wondering what parents are spending their money on.
The author has some experience teaching in a university (adjunct perhaps?) so some of this may be first-hand. I hope he (or really any prof) didn't experience the main event that happens to professor Russell. Even in my ancient time in college, I'd seen some of what is relayed in this novel, and that was (now) almost 30 years ago.
Let me add that the person reading the book for this Audible book, Casey Turner, did a great job of voicing the mealy-mouthed and fake Dean (for one) as well as some of the deadbeat hippies and even the nasty frat boys. Good job, Ms. Turner!
Campusland was one of my two January Reading Randomizer books. Next up once it arrives is A School for Fools.
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