Guilt is a ghost that takes the shape of the body it haunts.
Sam Lipsyte – The Ask
Haunting Guilt
H
“The Ask” by Sam Lipsyte is a darkly comedic novel that follows the life of Milo Burke, a downtrodden development officer at a mediocre university. Milo, struggling with a failing marriage and unfulfilled artistic ambitions, is suddenly presented with a bizarre opportunity—an unexpected request (“the ask”) from his college friend to solicit a hefty donation from a wealthy former classmate. As Milo navigates the absurdities of his job, he grapples with his own sense of identity and purpose amidst a backdrop of academic politics, personal betrayals, and midlife crises. Lipsyte’s narrative skewers the pretensions of academia and the hollow promises of the American Dream, offering a satirical yet poignant exploration of ambition, failure, and the search for meaning in contemporary society.