Happiness

Will Ferguson

Imagine a world where happiness is no longer the pursuit, but the reality. Where our pursuit of happiness has been found between the pages of a manual written by a reclusive author who claims to have "found it on the mountain". No more drugs, no more crime, no more alcoholism, drug addiction, murders, or hot dogs laden with chili. "Live, Love, and Learn" becomes the nation's motto as industries perish, and overnight millionaires have nowhere to spend their money.

This is the premise of the novel, "Happiness". Add to the mix of the pervasive cult, one disgruntled editor, who has failed to find happiness, but is ultimately responsible for the downfall of civilization as he's the one who handed the manuscript responsible to the publishing head. It's all downhill from there and few books made a downhill slide to insanity as much fun as this one. Ferguson is known for his cynical wit and twisted insights, and he doesn't fail to hand this out by the barrel in his debut novel. The narrator, Edwin, works for a small, barely successful publishing company, whose dollar wheels are turned primarily by self help books. Into Edwin's hands falls a manuscript entitled "What I Found On the Mountain", over 1000 pages of self help didactic and promises for joy. Edwin promptly relegates it to the slush pile's final depository, only to embark on a desperate retrieval of it later in a an attempt to save his career. Edwin saves his career and destroys the world in the process. The book becomes an overnight success and a new cult erupts, one which no longer pursues happiness, but laps in the core of it. Which brings to each page one imminent question, is it the pursuit of happiness which brings happiness, or is it truly happiness itself? Either way, Ferguson has a great story between the covers in this farce of cult mindset and nations destroyed when the pursuit for happiness ends. He creates a successful cast of characters to move the novel along. It's a fast, funny, and ultimately "happy" read. If you need a chuckle, grab this one. It won't let you down.