Hume's Fork (novel)
Hume's Fork is a satirical novel released in April 2007. It is written by Ron Cooper and published by Bancroft Press.
Summary
Hume's Fork is a novel about a philosophy professor named Legare "Greazy" Hume. He attends a conference in Charleston, South Carolina, with his eccentric colleague Saul Grossman and has to stay, much to his annoyance, with his family. A professional wrestling tournament takes place in Charleston at the same time, and soon the wrestlers philosophize while the philosophers begin to act like wrestlers. Hume works through philosophical problems while facing his own identity crisis. The title comes from a distinction made by the 18th-century British philosopher David Hume while also referring to several personal choices that Legare Hume must make.
Reception
This novel has been well received by critics. Novelist and MacArthur Fellow Rebecca Goldstein called it a "mix of zaniness and erudition, satire and insight . . . as delicious as it is original." Novelist Ron Rash said it "is one of the funniest novels I have read in a long time." Philosopher Robert Solomon said the "book reminded me of David Lodge's Small World: An Academic Romance, with a philosophical twist." Writer Katherine Ramsland described it as "Sideways meets Socrates."