The Grasshopper King

"In this debut novel about treachery, death, academia, marriage, mythology, history, and truly horrible poetry, Jordan Ellenberg creates a world complete with its own geography, obscene folklore, and absurdly endearing characters. Welcome to Chandler State University - the one thing keeping the dusty, Western town of Chandler on the map. Now that its basketball program has fallen apart, CSU's only claim to fame is its Gravinics Department, dedicated to the study of an obscure European country - its mythology, language, and especially its bizarre and infamous poet, Henderson, who is either a nontalent or the secret key to world history."--BOOK JACKET.