mamalemma's review against another edition
3.0
Hailed by reviews as "Catch-22" for the corporate office, and written in the first person plural, this was a tough book to get into. I like books best when I can get to know and appreciate the characters within them, but the conceit of this book is to make the reader part of the office crowd. As such -- like with a real office -- it takes time to get to know the quirks of the office characters, and the workaday conflicts, fun, and back stories of the office mates. Perhaps that is why I feel conflicted -- it took quite a while to get into the book, but once I started to get to know the characters, I felt more involved. However, much like real office mates, not so involved to feel close to the characters. Like an office, it was fairly easy to put the people in the book aside when I wasn't reading it. In that sense, the book is somewhat of a triumph. In the traditional sense of fiction, though, what really makes reading worthwhile is getting to know and deeply care about someone else's perspective, and this book really only offers that in one sub-plot that deviates from the first person collective. Not unsurprisingly, that was the most compelling part of the book for me. An interesting, if likely fairly forgettable, read.
melissakuzma's review against another edition
3.0
NOTE: I listened to this on audio
I'm always slightly confused by the first person plural. It took me a while to figure out what this book was actually going to be about. I guess it was Lynn. Liked this, but probably should have read it rather than listened to it. Sometimes it's harder for me to keep track of the story when I'm listening because I get distracted.
I'm always slightly confused by the first person plural. It took me a while to figure out what this book was actually going to be about. I guess it was Lynn. Liked this, but probably should have read it rather than listened to it. Sometimes it's harder for me to keep track of the story when I'm listening because I get distracted.
beffcarson's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
selenesanfelice's review
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Murder
Minor: Sexual content and Racism
marythekoreanfoodie's review
3.0
This book started out really witty - a dark comedic book that reminded me a lot of "The Office." But by the middle it was getting too weird and by the end it was so maudlin (I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised since it was an entire novel about an entire company of individuals who were laid off) I started feeling depressed. Also, the language is fiercely R and it got to the point where I anticipated it at every page turn, which I certainly could have done without.
jschmidt10's review
5.0
This books is AWESOME. It's the best fiction I've read in a long time. There's a part in the middle that's so beautifully written I cried! If you read no other book in 2008...
krikket's review
3.0
I didn't think this was a bad book - it wasn't poorly written or anything. I just didn't care that much, overall. I really liked "e" by Matthew Beaumont (? - will have to check that) and was hoping this was going to be another humorous office-politics-with-a-gimmick novel, but it just didn't do it for me.
wineandpop's review
dark
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5