Nothing Serious

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What to expect

Stoned out of his skull—this is how we find washed-up New York magazine writer Digby Maxwell when he is offered a last chance to redeem himself by becoming editor of a small philosophy magazine headquartered in a rural Vermont college town. Digby's assignment is to make the magazine relevant to contemporary culture. For starters, that requires several more tokes, very deep tokes.

A wildly witty novel in the tradition of J. P. Donleavy and Nick Hornby, Nothing Serious takes serious potshots at Manhattan pop culture and academic small-mindedness, sexual obsessions and political correctness, twenty-first century alienation and philosophers ranging from Aristotle to Sartre.

Critics Review

  • “Hilarious.”

    Kirkus Reviews
  • “Klein is a master of relevant social commentary, and his background as a writer of both mysteries and philosophy is clearly evident, resulting in an exceptional story sprinkled with philosophical overtones and rounded out with the perfect amount of symbolism and allegory. Look to J. P. Donleavy or Nick Hornby for apt comparisons.”

    Booklist (starred review)
  • “Klein creates a tightly plotted comedic tale with a genuine emotional
    center and a sharp satirical wit…Beneath the scabrous humor there is a
    genuine love for all humanity…Nothing Serious is a short
    sweet novel, equal parts intellect and comedy—perfect to read on
    vacation or as a palate-cleanser for more heavy handed fare.”

    New York Journal of Books

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