On the HahaFiction shelf
God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
Eliot Rosewater heads the foundation that bears his family’s name. He goes back to the town where the Rosewaters made their money and offers help to people the family would ordinarily have had little reason to notice. A young schemer thinks Eliot’s behavior gives him a case for having the heir declared insane.
From the publisher’s blurb
“an etched-in-acid portrayal of the greed, hypocrisy, and follies of the flesh”Read the full description at Dial Press
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What makes it funny?
At a performance of Aida, Eliot has practical advice for the lovers trapped in a chamber and running out of air. They could save their breath by giving up the singing. He calls this out from the audience.
The comedy at work
Vonnegut treats a rich man handing out his time and money as a breach of expectations severe enough to invite a legal challenge. The people who have a stake in keeping the fortune together have a reason to take Eliot’s kindness very seriously indeed.
Try this if…
The target is inherited wealth and the rules that decide who’s entitled to it. Eliot has more interest in science fiction and volunteering at the fire department than in acting the way people expect an heir to act.
More funny contemporary
Sources & further reading
- Dial Press: book description
Publisher
- Kirkus Reviews: book review
Review
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