The Portable Veblen
The Portable Veblen by Elizabeth McKenzie, published by Fourth Estate in 2016, is a humorous and insightful exploration of capitalism, the medical industry, and family dynamics, spanning 422 pages. The narrative introduces Veblen, a spirited advocate for anti-consumerism, who navigates the complexities of her life while caring for her controlling mother and pondering the thoughts of a curious grey squirrel that seems to follow her.
Readers will encounter a blend of family life and humor as Veblen’s story unfolds alongside her fiancé, Paul, a dedicated neuroscientist entangled in a morally ambiguous project linked to the pharmaceutical industry. The book delves into themes of love, war, and the challenges of wedding planning, all while maintaining a comedic tone. This edition presents a unique voice in contemporary fiction, inviting readers to reflect on the absurdities of modern life.
Official synopsis Publisher
A riotously funny and deeply insightful adventure through capitalism, the medical industry, family, love, war and wedding-planning – from an electrically entertaining new voice
Meet Veblen: a passionate defender of the anti-consumerist views of her name-sake, the iconoclastic economist Thorstein Veblen. She’s an experienced cheerer-upper (mainly of her narcissistic, hypochondriac, controlling mother), an amateur translator of Norwegian, and a firm believer in the distinct possibility that the plucky grey squirrel following her around can understand more than it lets on.
Meet her fiancé, Paul: the son of good hippies who were bad parents, a no-nonsense, high-flying neuroscientist with no time for squirrels. His recent work on a device to minimize battlefield trauma has led him dangerously close to the seductive Cloris Hutmacher, heiress to a pharmaceuticals empire, who is promising him fame and fortune through a shady-sounding deal with the Department of Defence.
What could possibly go wrong?
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