Clocks

A hilarious expose on the secret, malicious life of our timepieces. Jerome K. Jerome turns his unmatched observational wit onto an object we all take for granted, delivering a delightfully paranoid piece of social satire.

Rather than viewing clocks as mere mechanical tools of brass and springs, Jerome presents a groundbreaking (and highly suspicious) theory: clocks are actually sentient, deeply vindictive entities that wake up every morning with the sole purpose of ruining human lives.

With his signature dry irony, Jerome breaks down the distinct, often unhinged personalities of different timepieces. He introduces readers to the "nervous and high-strung" clock that drops its weights in a panic at the slightest noise, the "stolid and stubborn" grandfather clock that takes five minutes of painful groaning just to strike the hour, and the chaotic bedroom clock that deliberately skips from 2:00 AM to 6:00 AM just to make you late for work out of sheer spite.

The pinnacle of the comedy arrives when Jerome details the pure psychological horror of traveling with a clock. He recounts the agonizing experience of trying to pack a loudly ticking timepiece into a leather portmanteau, resulting in a bag that sounds so suspiciously explosive it terrifies railway porters, panics hotel staff, and leaves the owner looking like a high-stakes international smuggler.

Clocks is quintessential Jerome K. Jerome at his absolute peak of observational absurdity. It takes a mundane household frustration and elevates it into a masterful piece of comic philosophy. A quick, incredibly funny, and cozy read that will make you look at your own watch or phone screen with a healthy dose of suspicion!

© 2015 Read & Co. Great Essays (E-book): 9781473373273

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E-book: 24 April 2015