Description:
Though HOCUS POCUS continues to riff on Kurt Vonnegut's favorite themes--the breakdown of society, the inexorable doom of mankind, and the pathetic comedy of life on Earth--it stands out from the majority of his work in that it utilizes fewer fantastical and science-fictional elements to deliver its hilariously cynical judgment on civilization and the human race.
The novel's protagonist and narrator, Eugene Debs Hartke, is imprisoned. Writing on random scraps of paper, he simultaneously tells his life story and reveals his philosophy. A Vietnam veteran with countless deaths to his name, Hartke returns to the United States in the 1960s and gets a job in upstate New York teaching the mentally disabled children of the rich. However, after he tells them to expect only failure in their lives, he is fired, and finds work at the nearby Japanese-owned all-black prison. There, he teaches English, which only leads to an increase in anti-Semitism and masturbation. Finally, the convicts escape and wreak bloody havoc on the nearby school--all of which is blamed on Hartke.
Typically of Vonnegut's fiction, the tone is light and witty, but the subject matter is viciously pessimistic. Since HOCUS POCUS moves the closest to reality of any of Vonnegut's works, it is liable to disappoint fans of his more outlandish conceits, but appeal to those who have always craved more substance to his pyrotechnical imagination.
Very Good Condition
Payment:
Payment is accepted via PayPal only.
Shipping:
Shipping is normally via US Postal Service to United States destinations. Alternative shipping methods may be used - these will be noted in the shipping section of the auction. Worldwide shipping is available for an additional shipping charge. Handling charges are included in the shipping price and include packaging and delivery. Insurance will be added at the buyer's request. Seller is not responsible for transit times, lost items or damage incurred during shipping. Normal handling time is 3 to 5 business days.
Terms of Sale:
All items are sold as described. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, all photos are of the actual item being auctioned. Unless other arrangements have been made, payment must be completed within 7 days of the close of auction. If payment is not received within these time periods, all orders will be revoked and an Unpaid Item process will be initiated.
We accept returns only if the item is materially not as described in the auction. The buyer must contact us to arrange a return within 7 days of receipt; please do not return an item without our authorization -- we will not accept delivery of unauthorized returns. The buyer is responsible for return shipping; we take no responsibility for items returned without insurance.
Back to home page
) 
Print
Report item
and your