Dollartorium

Ron Pullins' Dollartorium is a satirical fable that skewers American capitalism and the seductive allure of get-rich-quick schemes through the story of Ralph, a contented Kansas corn dog maker whose simple, honest life gets upended by his wife's insatiable hunger for wealth. Ralph runs the Corny Doo Doggery, a small shop where he crafts quality corn dogs from pigs and corn he raises himself, finding satisfaction in honest work and the philosophical musings of Plato. His wife Phyllis, however, watches shows like The Price Is Right and dreams of the kind of wealth that can't be satisfied with a Corny Doo: "You cannot squiggle mustard on a dollar bill and eat it," as Pullins wryly observes.

When the Money Master literally steps out of their television screen and promises to enroll Ralph in the mysterious Dollartorium, a place "where darkness is light, where evil is good, where truth is a lie. Where, if you ask any question, the answer is cash", Ralph reluctantly enters this surreal educational facility. There he learns the "art" of making money: how to fire employees, manipulate markets, create desire in consumers, and extract value through deals and promises rather than actual work. The Dollartorium itself is wonderfully absurd, with its half-lizard, half-human creatures and extravagant rituals that lampoon corporate culture and wealth obsession. One particularly memorable lesson involves the Master instructing Ralph to sell money to people who already have money, a perfect encapsulation of the book's satirical edge.

Pullins balances humor and social commentary deftly, using Ralph's "corn dog morality" as a counterpoint to the Dollartorium's teachings that "One will never get rich merely working for a living." Ralph's journey through this bizarre world of financial education builds toward an inevitable reckoning as the Dollartorium empire collapses under its own corrupt practices.

The story ultimately returns Ralph to his roots, though the resolution feels bittersweet; while individual integrity can be reclaimed, the Money Master and his promises will always find new audiences. Dollartorium is a boisterous, thoughtful journey through the absurdities of modern capitalism that will particularly resonate with readers who question the relentless pursuit of wealth and value the dignity of honest work.