Having proven himself an incisive satirist of modern American culture and values with his reimagining of The Flintstones, author Russell now turns his attention to a different classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon character, casting Snagglepuss as a phenomenally successful Broadway playwright reminiscent of Tennessee Williams. The year is 1953, and Snagglepuss is on the verge of opening his hotly anticipated new play when he's summoned to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Refusing to name names, the playwright finds himself with powerful enemies bent on his destruction, especially after they discover that he's secretly gay. VERDICT This is a battle for the very soul of America. While the setup might sound slightly preposterous, the result is one of the best books of the year, an alternately hysterically funny, deeply tragic, and ultimately inspiring work of political art examining the role of artists in a free society.-TB © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.