"Schumacher satirizes the pitfalls of academia with searing wit, skewing everything from the abominable faculty offices to the eccentric personalities throughout the university. Beneath the comedy lies a tragic commentary on the state of higher education, when money counts for more than scholarship, and power is directly tied to fundraising ability. The Shakespeare Requirement offers a desperately funny take on campus foibles, as Schumacher stretches reality to the boundaries of absurdity in this raucous underdog tale." (Booklist)

"A straight narrative delivered with acrid wit.... Fitger is delightfully acerbic and self-destructive in these pages.... Anyone who's taught will recognize these characters, tightly bound in their arcane knowledge and rancid grievances.... A wry commentary on the plight of the arts in our mercantile era.... Enrollment is now open. Don’t skip this class." (The Washington Post)

"Schumacher abandons the epistolary style of her previous novel for a straight narrative but retains all of its acid satire in a sequel that is far more substantive and just as funny... A witty but kindhearted academic satire that oscillates between genuine compassion and scathing mockery with admirable dexterity." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

"Kingsley Amis...Richard Russo...Francine Prose.... The latest in this line of wits is Julie Schumacher. [Her] satire turns out to be a sneaky apology for her and Fitger’s profession. And she’s right. No matter how exasperating life on campus becomes, for those who want to live within books and through them, it’s still the place to be." (Los Angeles Times)