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| Plot Summary of Smoke Screen |
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"
Putnam, Sep 2003, 24.95
ISBN: 0399150986
CEO Paul Trainer of the tobacco giant Terra Holding Corporation knows his gigantic business is in trouble due to a law suit they will probably lose in Montana. He decides he needs an idiotic spokesperson so he turns to employee Trevor Barnett, whose job comes from an ancestor who was an industry giant and left him a trust fund that requires he work for the firm. Relying on the Peter Principle, Paul promotes Trevor to positions way above his apparent level of competency.
With bankruptcy pending, Paul and his associates establish a strategy that they insist Trevor must sell to the public. All tobacco-processing plants are closed, workers are placed on furloughs, and there are recalls of products from the stores and vending machines. The plan is that there will be no more cigarettes until the industry is legally exempt from lawsuits and courts sanctions. As the economy tanks, Anne Kimball of Smokeless Youth meets Trevor. She provides him with the backbone he needs to push for a campaign where the people will decide whether smoking is a first amendment right. As the couple falls in love the issue becomes even more explosive.
SMOKE SCREEN is a delightful Mr. Smith takes tobacco (rather than Washington) type of tale that hooks the audience from the moment Paul plots to use Trevor. The Runyonesque story line is fun as the no smoking policy causes havoc for politicians and the economy in such a way that it seems as if everyone inhaled. Fans of a charming amusing David with a female for a spinal column vs. Goliath novel will want to read Kyle Mills whimsical story.
Harriet Klausner
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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
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| Review Analysis of Smoke Screen |
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Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Tone of book?
- thoughtful
Time/era of story
- present (2000-2010)
Political/social activism
Yes
Plotlet:
- general liberal/left wing activism
Life of a profession:
- businessman, good overcoming bad ones
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Job/Profession/Status story
Yes
Kind of business
- big business
Main Character
Gender
- Male
Profession/status:
- a lawyer creature
Age:
- 20's-30's
Ethnicity/Nationality
- White (American)
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 60's-90's
Profession/status:
- business executive
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
United States
Yes
The US:
- West
Style
Person
- mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Unusual Style:
- a lot of play on words
- a lot of stream of consciousness
Amount of dialog
- significantly more dialog than descript
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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