A fable about our search for happiness and truth and why we see the world the way we do

Gold Medal Winner, President's Book Awards

Pleasure Island is the story of the Map Maker’s seminal journey to the sunny, fun-filled isle of his dreams, and his struggle to keep paradise found from becoming paradise lost. Each misadventure brings unexpected annoyances and setbacks that threaten to tarnish his idealized vision of what life is supposed to be like in his newfound, tropical wonderland. The Map Maker’s hedonistic journey becomes a philosophical one. How can each person claim to see the world in an objective, rational manner and so often justify his or her actions based on the circumstances at hand? He discovers that although we see the world through our own “tinted” glasses, our subjective view of life most defines us and must be celebrated. Using simple prose, this book introduces and explores the meaning behind the phrase “the subjectivity of truth and the relativity of reality.”

This illustrated novella, a product of inspirational and literary fiction, will appeal to readers of contemporary fiction interested in fantasy, satire, humor, or philosophy in fiction. It is particularly suited for high school and college students studying English Literature. Bar poets and armchair philosophers are always welcome!

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"A delectable dish of human foible, served with parsnips baked in irony oil, all topped with a sprinkling of satire-roasted fennel seeds."

Justin Hurwitz
Editor, The Harvard Lampoon