My Petition for More Space

My Petition for More Space is a quiet book that effectively conveys the results of overpopulation. Hersey's greatest accomplishment in this work is the amazing creation of a claustrophobic world in which people literally cannot get away from one another. With simple, strong language, Hersey portrays this world and its suffocating influence on everyone, as seen through the eyes of the troubled yet insightful narrator. For a novel that does not feature much action, Petition packs a lot of tension and drama. My chief complaint: the ending, though darkly witty, is a bit weak. Overall, this is a short, enjoyably taut work.

in fictional form. This is what the world will be like when it is all filled up. Here are Hersey's statements about over population problems, as they were debated in the 1970's.