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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
funny
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
might finally have found a book too weird for me. i put this on the back burner for 3 weeks but i know i’m not going back to it so it’s time to officially dnf.
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe British people would think it’s fun?
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A customer service representative spends long hours alone in her tiny office. Lonely and isolated from her colleagues she confides her hopes and dreams to the office printer, and he seems to be the only one that really listens.
When her odd behaviour results in her being sent home on leave to 'recover from being stressed and overworked', the separation from her beloved printer hits her hard. She is determined to find a way for them to be reunited.
This quirky little story of girl-meets-printer is one of those strange books that somehow works, despite its weird premise. The story unfurls through a mix of narratives, largely from the point of view of our unnamed customer service protagonist, who flips between detailing the grinding tedium of an office job that plays on her anxiety issues, and reminiscing about sinister episodes from her childhood which give intriguing insight into her alienation from the world at large. Veldman also throws in a few enlightening snippets from other office based characters later in the story, including from the printer himself, and a compelling mystery about an enigmatic parcel.
The story is surprisingly emotional. You find yourself rooting for the lonely young woman, and longing for the unlikely couple to find a way back to each other in the face of pretty weighty obstacles on the job and personal fronts. There are some lovely threads about how the change in her work situation gives her the courage to turn her world around, and Veldman incorporates entertaining pitch black humour to the piece.
Veldman also touches on fascinating subjects in parallel with the off-beat romance, through the musings of the characters: capitalism, poverty, coming of age, office and sexual politics, and of course, the problem of loneliness in modern society, are all explored in the most thought provoking ways.
Beautifully translated by Hester Velmans, I thoroughly enjoyed this strange, and satisfying story.
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Ein Buch über einen Bullshit Job, Burnout und die Freundschaft mit einem Drucker. Besonders der letzte Aspekt macht das Buch zu etwas Besonderem.
Alles was nicht so mit dem Drucker zu tun hat hätte es nicht unbedingt gebraucht.
Alles was nicht so mit dem Drucker zu tun hat hätte es nicht unbedingt gebraucht.