Title: Living in the O
Author: William Hageman
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN/ASIN: 978-1477573174
Pages: 306
Genre: Humor & Satire
Reviewed by: Jack Chambers
Pacific Book Review
It is no secret that life can be quite challenging. As recent events have made clear, life is full of tragedy, hardship, and struggles which can be difficult to deal with. Sometimes, people need something to turn to in an effort to curb the hardship in one’s life and for some, it can be humor. One thing that can help fuel humor and laughter is the use of satire to make light of, or bring humor to an otherwise hard topic to discuss. As Burnham once said, “I try and write satire that’s well-intentioned. But those intentions have to be hidden. It can’t be completely clear, and that’s what makes it comedy.”
In author William Hageman’s Living in the O, the author uses satire and humor to tell a hapless love story. Featuring hopeless lovestruck hero Olney Garkle, the author tells Olney’s story as an outsider who has lived life as an unfulfilled pleasure seeker with little to no means to support the life of luxury he believes he deserves. One morning Olney meets Maggie, another outsider who he falls head over heels in love with. Feeling her seemingly vulnerable personality meshes well with his wit and charm, he jumps head first into a proposed trip to Paris she suggests they take together. Subletting an apartment together in France, the two discover their connection and their faults against the backdrop of one of the world’s greatest cities.
The author truly crafted a brilliantly written and incredibly witty satire novel. The character development is the true heart of the narrative, as the emotional beats and travel adventure setting were driven by the heated relationship between Olney and Maggie. The way the author was able to capture the tone and atmosphere of these two protagonist’s relationships was amazing, as the heated way the relationship began between these two and the icy way the relationship went as time went on made the character’s struggles both relatable and heartfelt.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy humor and satire fiction novels. The reality and heart behind the relationship between Olney and Maggie was a major driving force of the narrative, and the balance of the satire with the romance and world travel aspect of the narrative really helped the reader connect to the characters and their story as it progresses.
Heartbreaking, humorous, and engaging, author William Hageman’s Living in the O is a must-read satire fiction novel. The passion and intellectual pursuit of the author’s writing style and the blend of historical fiction setting with the humor and wit of the author’s writing make this story shine so bright, and make the character’s evolution as a whole truly remarkable to read.
