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bianca89279's review
2.0
It is with great sadness and inner conflict that I decided to quit on this novel around the 40% mark.
There's a huge discordance between how much I care about the issues at the core of this novel and how little I've enjoyed it. I appreciate what Perlman is doing and I'm convinced he had the best intentions, it just didn't work for me. I'm sorry to say that I found it trite, at times, the conversations were unbelievable, moralistic and read like essays on women's discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
This was one of the books I was most excited to read this year, but it turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments. :-(
There's a huge discordance between how much I care about the issues at the core of this novel and how little I've enjoyed it. I appreciate what Perlman is doing and I'm convinced he had the best intentions, it just didn't work for me. I'm sorry to say that I found it trite, at times, the conversations were unbelievable, moralistic and read like essays on women's discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
This was one of the books I was most excited to read this year, but it turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments. :-(
dylanstafford's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
needilup's review
4.0
Kind out an Australian detective / problem solving story with all loose ends tied up. Contemporary issues and references.
lisdweer's review against another edition
4.0
If you take this book seriously, at face value, you'll struggle to see the appeal. Unrealistic dialogue, some one-dimensional characters (Hamilton and Torrent, for example), other characters who seem to resemble caricatures more than humans (Betga is a clear example here), and a hamfisted morality: those in power are bad and don't care about women, Maselov is "one of the good ones".
I can see the complaints and criticisms of this book. I can understand them. What I did was read it as a mirror of the world -- but zoomed in. An ironic distortion. The dialogue is unrealistic but typically literary, witty at times, boundlessly incomprehensible at other times, almost Kafkaesque in its ways. The characters are caricatures -- but in the same way those in Ace Attorney (a well-loved game series) are. It's not meant to be a realistic display of current times. It's whimsical. It cuts current issues but doesn't try to solve them. Carla was asked not to take her case to trial as most women lose in sexual assault cases. It's not an idealistic novel. The author doesn't show a Utopia, or act like he has the answer. There is some nuance -- Betga and Maselov aren't the best of people, but at the same time neither are Carla or Maselov's wife.
All in all, the novel is enjoyable. Maybe a tad too long, with an ending that is not entirely satisfactory, but it is meant to be a fun journey in a grotesque landscape of mine-filled companies, most of all the Freely Savage law firm. It touches upon current issues, but the excessive focus on the main cast and their interactions shows it is not entirely meant to be an all-too-realistic critique.
I can see the complaints and criticisms of this book. I can understand them. What I did was read it as a mirror of the world -- but zoomed in. An ironic distortion. The dialogue is unrealistic but typically literary, witty at times, boundlessly incomprehensible at other times, almost Kafkaesque in its ways. The characters are caricatures -- but in the same way those in Ace Attorney (a well-loved game series) are. It's not meant to be a realistic display of current times. It's whimsical. It cuts current issues but doesn't try to solve them. Carla was asked not to take her case to trial as most women lose in sexual assault cases. It's not an idealistic novel. The author doesn't show a Utopia, or act like he has the answer. There is some nuance -- Betga and Maselov aren't the best of people, but at the same time neither are Carla or Maselov's wife.
All in all, the novel is enjoyable. Maybe a tad too long, with an ending that is not entirely satisfactory, but it is meant to be a fun journey in a grotesque landscape of mine-filled companies, most of all the Freely Savage law firm. It touches upon current issues, but the excessive focus on the main cast and their interactions shows it is not entirely meant to be an all-too-realistic critique.
hope_lee's review
4.0
I am no stranger to pitfalls of corporate work. I have experienced everything from verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and discrimination to then watch it all get covered up by HR and middle management. You could say I might be a little jaded when it comes to my opinions on corporate life, but then that wouldn’t even scratch the surface.
I came across Eliot Perlman’s novel in my first few weeks of moving to Melbourne. I wanted to read something Australian and preferably something local. When the local bookstore mentioned it would be up for their next book club meeting, I bought the book and signed up for the event.
Perlman’s book can be described as the sort of dark, bleak comedy that you only get after year’s of the system wearing you down. The dark comedy hinges on the relationship of the main protagonist, Stephen Masenov, his wife Elanor, the HR professional Jessica, and the strange lawyer, Betga. Tied up in the plot of the novel is sexual assault and harassment charges at Torrent Industries, which is described as a ludicrously profitable construction firm.
Woven between this Me Too narrative is a vicious and often hilarious attack at corporate capitalist offices with everything from open-plan offices, hot-desking, and collegial competition being mocked. If you have ever felt your job has eaten into your personal life, or perhaps that your personal life no longer exists then this book might bring you comfort in knowing that you aren’t the only one pissed-off and tired.
Perlman offers up a lot of food for thought throughout the novel. It feels at times like not just a novel, but a long rhetorical question for the reader. Especially when he talks about the hatred of our jobs, coupled with our complete financial dependence on them.
“Most of them are absolutely terrified of losing a job they absolutely hate.”
“White collar wage slaves,” as Perlman calls many of the characters in his book appear to be living the dream. They did everything right: finished school, got into law or business at university, graduated, and then worked their way up the corporate ladder. This dream promises us fulfilment at the end of it, but most of us are wondering what the heck we were thinking.
Perlman’s book will not make you comfortable, but you will get some Schadenfreude and snickering in.
“You need to understand that there are now just two kinds of people in this city, the people who are relegated to selling crafts by the side of the road—called consultants—and the people who still have the option of not buying those crafts.”
What Australian literature are you loving at the moment? As always, share the reading love.
I came across Eliot Perlman’s novel in my first few weeks of moving to Melbourne. I wanted to read something Australian and preferably something local. When the local bookstore mentioned it would be up for their next book club meeting, I bought the book and signed up for the event.
Perlman’s book can be described as the sort of dark, bleak comedy that you only get after year’s of the system wearing you down. The dark comedy hinges on the relationship of the main protagonist, Stephen Masenov, his wife Elanor, the HR professional Jessica, and the strange lawyer, Betga. Tied up in the plot of the novel is sexual assault and harassment charges at Torrent Industries, which is described as a ludicrously profitable construction firm.
Woven between this Me Too narrative is a vicious and often hilarious attack at corporate capitalist offices with everything from open-plan offices, hot-desking, and collegial competition being mocked. If you have ever felt your job has eaten into your personal life, or perhaps that your personal life no longer exists then this book might bring you comfort in knowing that you aren’t the only one pissed-off and tired.
Perlman offers up a lot of food for thought throughout the novel. It feels at times like not just a novel, but a long rhetorical question for the reader. Especially when he talks about the hatred of our jobs, coupled with our complete financial dependence on them.
“Most of them are absolutely terrified of losing a job they absolutely hate.”
“White collar wage slaves,” as Perlman calls many of the characters in his book appear to be living the dream. They did everything right: finished school, got into law or business at university, graduated, and then worked their way up the corporate ladder. This dream promises us fulfilment at the end of it, but most of us are wondering what the heck we were thinking.
Perlman’s book will not make you comfortable, but you will get some Schadenfreude and snickering in.
“You need to understand that there are now just two kinds of people in this city, the people who are relegated to selling crafts by the side of the road—called consultants—and the people who still have the option of not buying those crafts.”
What Australian literature are you loving at the moment? As always, share the reading love.
peanutporridge's review against another edition
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
snoutling's review
4.0
Comic-tragedy with many laugh-out-loud moments. The story gets a bit too convoluted, but it wouldn't seem right for it to end with tidy resolution.
bookpossum's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the story, but didn't really warm to Perlman's style. Every so often his dialogue is described in a way clunky enough to be irritating and that pulled me out of the story each time. One example:
"I'm going to lose my job for this!" Featherby realised.
It's a pity, as the story is a good one, involving sexual harassment in the workplace, as well as other illegal activity. The central character, with the help of several other players, manages to conclude most matters very well, though we are left unsure at the end of where things will go next for him, either personally or professionally.
"I'm going to lose my job for this!" Featherby realised.
It's a pity, as the story is a good one, involving sexual harassment in the workplace, as well as other illegal activity. The central character, with the help of several other players, manages to conclude most matters very well, though we are left unsure at the end of where things will go next for him, either personally or professionally.
jennifer_c_s's review
4.0
'I am absolutely terrified of losing a job I absolutely hate.'
Stephen Maserov used to be a teacher. He retrained as a lawyer to try to give his family financial security. He’s now a second-year lawyer for a big corporate law firm, Freely Savage Carter Blanche where he’s working impossible hours to try to make budget. His wife Eleanor, who supported him in his career move, has asked him to move out of the family home because of the hours he works.
Sigh. So, there’s Stephen, working in a job he knows he hates, generating income to pay a mortgage for a home he can’t live in, supporting his wife and two small children. And, if that’s not enough stress, he isn’t sure that he’ll make it into the ranks of the third-year lawyers.
Stephen is both desperate and resourceful. He needs to keep his job to pay his mortgage and he wants to salvage his marriage. He sees and seizes an opportunity.
‘Under the right circumstances, I can make your horse talk.’
Torrent Industries is a major client of Freely Savage Carter Blanche. Stephen manages to get himself seconded there for a year on the basis that he can make some claims of sexual harassment go away.
Can Stephen do this, and how?
To write more about what Stephen does (and how) could ruin the story for an intending reader. Suffice to say, Stephen is walking a tightrope here. Can he survive and maintain an ethical position? Will he be able to expose the corrupt corporate world of which he is a part? And what about his marriage?
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, with its descriptive prose and its humour. I admired the way in which Mr Perlman explored several contemporary issues.
Highly recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Stephen Maserov used to be a teacher. He retrained as a lawyer to try to give his family financial security. He’s now a second-year lawyer for a big corporate law firm, Freely Savage Carter Blanche where he’s working impossible hours to try to make budget. His wife Eleanor, who supported him in his career move, has asked him to move out of the family home because of the hours he works.
Sigh. So, there’s Stephen, working in a job he knows he hates, generating income to pay a mortgage for a home he can’t live in, supporting his wife and two small children. And, if that’s not enough stress, he isn’t sure that he’ll make it into the ranks of the third-year lawyers.
Stephen is both desperate and resourceful. He needs to keep his job to pay his mortgage and he wants to salvage his marriage. He sees and seizes an opportunity.
‘Under the right circumstances, I can make your horse talk.’
Torrent Industries is a major client of Freely Savage Carter Blanche. Stephen manages to get himself seconded there for a year on the basis that he can make some claims of sexual harassment go away.
Can Stephen do this, and how?
To write more about what Stephen does (and how) could ruin the story for an intending reader. Suffice to say, Stephen is walking a tightrope here. Can he survive and maintain an ethical position? Will he be able to expose the corrupt corporate world of which he is a part? And what about his marriage?
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, with its descriptive prose and its humour. I admired the way in which Mr Perlman explored several contemporary issues.
Highly recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith