snoonio's review against another edition
funny
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
megmcardle's review against another edition
4.0
Max Barry loves to play with the themes of the evils of corporate culture, taking common flaws of companies to their ultimate extremes. He did it with absurdly amusing effect with his novel [b:Jennifer Government|5297|The Picture of Dorian Gray|Oscar Wilde|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1204865529s/5297.jpg|1858012], and he does it again here in Company. Jones is a new hire at Zephry Holdings, who is baffled by his new corporate home. A hopelessly complicated hierarchy, paranoid interdepartmenal competitiveness, and a certain ambiguity about what the company actually *does* causes Jones to start asking questions. His curiosity leads hims to some interesting places, where he see the dangers of reducing a company to simply a place where employees are tools to improve the bottom line. All of this plot description does not get across how funny this book is. Barry loves to take concepts to their absurd zenith, and he does this time and again in Company, to hilarious effect. Although at times it veered towards being a book-length Swiftian satire, it keeps a silly heart.
sashathewild's review against another edition
3.0
The first part of this book--during which you think you're simply following the main character through his life in a corporate world--is great, but it takes a strange turn midway through. We find out that the company is actually a farce designed so that a group of researchers can study the ways in which people function in this world. It's an interesting premise, though I must say I enjoyed the story more before the twist.
verydazedragon's review against another edition
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
One of the best satirical fictionalized commentaries on capitalism and corporations I've ever read. It was mind-blowing perceptive from the standpoint of business ethics and policies, but it was also highly entertaining. The only way in which it differed from real life is that the good guys escaped the rat race.
storyonlystory's review against another edition
4.0
You may remember when I read Machine Man by Max Barry and I remember it being enjoyable. I decided I need something lighthearted to read right now and what better than some crafty satire.
This is the story of a strange Company in which nobody really knows what the company does and everyone’s job sort of folds back into the company. The sales reps sell training packages to the rest of the departments. Infrastructure management charges everyone for management in the building, charging departments for the use of windows and computers and phone lines.
Since there is a pay freeze Jones gets hired on in Sales but on paper it says that he is, well, paper. A purchase of paper.
Jones gets curious about the oddities of the company and starts to seek answers but he is told a parable about monkey’s in a lab that is meant to discourage his curiosity.
A large part of the beginning of the book focuses not on Jones but on the other characters in the sales office. A man who won’t stop obsessing over who took his doughnut, a woman who falls in love with her customers up until the deal is done, another woman who works out in the gym all day, a man who is secretly in love with the beautiful receptionist on the ground floor, etc. etc.
It isn’t until Jones finally figures out whats really going on in the company that his story becomes central to the book.
It’s a light and easy read, fun for anybody who has ever suffered in a cubicle farm in a windowless room all day. It’s a satirical examination of how evil big companies can be to their employees and why having one of these jobs really sucks the soul out of you.
I really enjoyed reading Company but the ending was a little lacking. It built up to a huge shit-hits-the-fan, let’s-start-a-riot moment and then just cut off and went to a One-Year-Later situation. Not the worst way to write an ending and I know its really hard to write endings but I felt like it was a bit of a cop-out.
Still glad I read it and it’s still a four star rating from me. I like this author a lot and will probably read another of his before long.
This is the story of a strange Company in which nobody really knows what the company does and everyone’s job sort of folds back into the company. The sales reps sell training packages to the rest of the departments. Infrastructure management charges everyone for management in the building, charging departments for the use of windows and computers and phone lines.
Since there is a pay freeze Jones gets hired on in Sales but on paper it says that he is, well, paper. A purchase of paper.
Jones gets curious about the oddities of the company and starts to seek answers but he is told a parable about monkey’s in a lab that is meant to discourage his curiosity.
A large part of the beginning of the book focuses not on Jones but on the other characters in the sales office. A man who won’t stop obsessing over who took his doughnut, a woman who falls in love with her customers up until the deal is done, another woman who works out in the gym all day, a man who is secretly in love with the beautiful receptionist on the ground floor, etc. etc.
It isn’t until Jones finally figures out whats really going on in the company that his story becomes central to the book.
It’s a light and easy read, fun for anybody who has ever suffered in a cubicle farm in a windowless room all day. It’s a satirical examination of how evil big companies can be to their employees and why having one of these jobs really sucks the soul out of you.
I really enjoyed reading Company but the ending was a little lacking. It built up to a huge shit-hits-the-fan, let’s-start-a-riot moment and then just cut off and went to a One-Year-Later situation. Not the worst way to write an ending and I know its really hard to write endings but I felt like it was a bit of a cop-out.
Still glad I read it and it’s still a four star rating from me. I like this author a lot and will probably read another of his before long.
ehmannky's review against another edition
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
A fun satirical look at capitalism and Corporate Culture(TM), with an emphasis on just how dehumanizing it is to be so far away from the actual products of what you do in an environment that thinks of you and treats you as an obstacle to profits instead of a person to care for. Like all Barry books, this takes a wild and weird turn, and I actually really, really loved the last 50 pages or so when a lot of the characters become actual characters instead of Corporate Archetypes. Not the best Barry book, but it's a quick read and not a bad way to spend a few days.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence
midnightlie's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sarz's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0