Theoryland is a sprawling and satirical poem that unspools across five cantos. It tells the story of an ambitious academic who dives headfirst into the world of highbrow theory, hungry for status and recognition. Along the way, we see his rise, his arrogance, his hollow victories, and finally his collapse into disillusionment. Price borrows from Eliot in both structure and tone, weaving in echoes of The Waste Land and Prufrock, but he flips the solemnity on its head with biting humor. What emerges is a tragicomic portrait of academia itself, skewered with wit and laced with despair.

I found myself laughing at the sheer absurdity of it all, then moments later shaking my head with a kind of weary sadness. The writing is sharp, playful, and full of little surprises. Sometimes the language feels like it’s making fun of itself, which I think is the point. Price clearly has no patience for pretension, and he doesn’t mind calling it out. But behind the jokes, there’s real anger too, a kind of disappointment in what education has become. I felt that frustration come through, even in the most outrageous lines. It’s funny, but it’s also a little heartbreaking.

The constant twisting of phrases can feel overwhelming. I admired the daring of it. It seemed deliberate, like I was being dragged through the very confusion and emptiness that the poem is mocking. And when the humor hit, it really hit. I caught myself grinning at lines that felt like inside jokes between the author and anyone who’s ever sat through a dull seminar full of jargon.

I’d say this book is best for readers who like satire that cuts deep and doesn’t pull its punches. If you’ve ever been frustrated by academic doublespeak, or if you simply enjoy a work that blends humor with despair, Theoryland delivers. It’s clever and raw and oddly moving. I’d recommend it to people who like poetry with a bite, or anyone who wants to laugh at the madness of academia. If you like long poems, then read this book, because finding one that’s both lengthy and enjoyable is almost impossible.

Pages: 28 | ISBN : 144148986X