{"product_id":"9780996260800","title":"The Pickle Index","description":"\u003cbr\u003eKnife throwers. Ominous fortresses. Angry mimes. Snack festivals. Morose contortionists. Guillotines. Smiling journalists. Lonely young women. Lingering hope. Incompetence. Desperation. Funny disguises.\u003cp\u003ePlus two hardcover books in a gold-encrusted slipcase, twenty full-color illustrations, and an unprecedented feat of interactive book design.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA hapless circus troupe tours the countryside of a downtrodden nation, trying to earn a living the best way they know — even though their best isn't very good at all: a morose contortionist, a strongman who'd rather be miming, a lion tamer paired with an elderly dog, etc. Toward the end of a typically glum performance, Zloty Kornblatt, the troupe's ringmaster, accidentally blunders into a mockery of the nation's glorious leader. He doesn't even know why the sparse crowd is laughing, but they are — and so he continues with the inadvertent satire, ending the show on a rare triumphant note.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe confused ringmaster is quickly captured, thrown into prison, and sentenced to death. The troupe must design an intricate prison-break built around their unique (and possibly useless) skills. Hijinks ensue, recounted with deadpan humor and flickering hope by Flora Bialy, Zloty’s understudy and our shy narrator.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sudden Oak Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47024510402800,"sku":"9780996260800","price":21.36,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780996260800_p0.jpg?v=1763900015","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780996260800","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}