
WHAT NOT - A PROPHETIC COMEDY - BY ROSE MACAULAY - AUTHOR OF "NON-COMBATANTS," "THE MAKING OF A BIGOT," ETC. - LONDON CONSTABLE AND COMPANY LTD. 1918
NOTE.
APOLOGY
WHAT NOT
CHAPTER I - THE MINISTRY - 1
CHAPTER II - LITTLE CHANTREYS - 1
CHAPTER III - BRAINS SUNDAY - 1
CHAPTER IV - OUR WEEK - 1
CHAPTER V - THE EXPLANATION CAMPAIGN - 1
CHAPTER VI - THE SIMPLE HUMAN EMOTIONS - 1
Set in the uneasy calm that follows a great conflict, the story opens amid a world still trembling from the echoes of war. A weary narrator surveys a society where exhausted minds and battered institutions struggle to rebuild, while ordinary citizens grapple with absurd new regulations and lingering shortages. Through a blend of sharp wit and earnest observation, the author sketches a landscape of bureaucratic bewilderment that feels both familiar and oddly prophetic.
Against this backdrop, the protagonist proposes a bold, if tongue‑in‑cheek, remedy for what he calls humanity’s oldest ailment: the collective dulling of intellect and will. The narrative unfolds as a satirical “what‑if” about creating a new department to stitch together fractured thought and restore civic vigor. Listeners will find a thoughtful, humor‑laden critique of post‑war life that invites both laughter and reflection on the fragile balance between order and freedom.
Language
en
Duration
~5 hours (321K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Suzanne Shell, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
Release date
Feb 7, 2011
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1881–1958
Best known for the witty, searching novel The Towers of Trebizond, this English writer brought together satire, travel, intelligence, and a quietly restless spiritual side. Her books often feel both sharp-eyed and surprisingly humane.
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