High Times in Low Parliament. A Self-Help Guide to Successful Governing.

 

                                                             Cool cover, too.

I learned from this book that if I stay stoned and/or drunk all the time, have lots of various superficial romantic encounters, and have a cheeky answer to everything, I, too, could end up in Parliament! Yay!

Wait a minute. I'm American but the above situations haven't landed me in Congress (although it's worked for some Congressional members.)

I guess I'll settle for enjoying a fun book since I won't be in government anytime soon. High Times does mock the EU somewhat, certainly mocks the English (known as Anglish in High Times) but it doesn't pound the reader over the head with politics. Nor does it make an issue of gender. Being gay is ok and nobody worries about it.

If anything, it's a coming-of-age story. Lana, the protagonist, is what, in an old-fashioned term, people used to call a rake. A rake was a young man who had lots of love affairs and very little commitment to jobs or anything else. Lana, of course, is female, but she fits the description of a rake. Her main commitment is too drink and drugs, but friendship with the fairy, Bugbite (the most loveable character in the book) love for an older woman, and the realization that lives are at stake, makes Lana see that reason and maturity have a place in the world.

She's still fun-loving but grows up a little when confronted with government decision makers acting like bickering children.

A short fast read, fun characters, and a self-help book. Wait! Scrub that last idea. Drink and drugs probably won't get you in Parliament, although in this current atmosphere of government, who knows?

I'd like to thank myself for purchasing this book and giving an honest review.