
Hermitix Anarchy! - Ozias Plume saves the world by Daisy Waugh
Jan 30, 2026
A review of a satirical novel where a contagious laughter epidemic upends British bureaucracy. The conversation explores themes of meaning, purpose and the critique of progress. The narrator details a mysterious potion, a lonely tycoon at the story's center, and how spontaneous joy fractures official order. The tone praised is breezy, comic and delightfully subversive.
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Laughter As A Civilizational Mirror
- Daisy Waugh's Anarchy uses a laughter epidemic to satirize bureaucracy and modern utilitarian life.
- The book suggests suspicion of joy reveals deeper assumptions about meaning and purpose.
Plume's Luxury Retreats Failed Him
- Zaias Plume is a tech billionaire who sought curated retreats and control but remained miserable.
- His futile quest for a 'simple life' sets up the rupture that triggers the laughing virus.
Mystic Smile On The Private Island
- Plume meets a mysterious smiling man on a private island who catalyzes the laughing virus.
- The encounter breaks Plume's control and initiates his transformation.


