The Big Time

The Big Time is a short book. It's written in the first person and narrated by Greta, an Entertainer who works in The Place. The Place acts as a kind of rest-stop for the soldiers fighting in the Change War. They go there to spend some relaxation time and briefly escape from the never-ending war. The Entertainers offer release and recuperation through various means including sex, music and booze. They also act as nurses, therapists, and surrogate mothers/sisters if needed.

{...}

It should be noted that The Big Time reads more like a stage play than a story. It has only one setting and contains a cast of characters who spend a lot of time talking. Aside from our narrator Greta, there are two other female Entertainers: Maud and Lili. Sid seems to be in charge of The Place. He enjoys speaking in verse and using language from Shakespeare's time. Doc is an alcoholic medical officer who frequently lapses into Russian when he's not falling off barstools. And Beau is from the American South.

{...}

Full review can be found here: https://biginjapangrayman.wordpress.com/2019/01/31/the-big-time-1958-by-fritz-leiber/