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vanillafire's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
utopiastateofmind's review against another edition
2.0
Unfortunately, Company was a book I found really hard to get into while reading. If you like the idea of a corporate setting which is almost self-cognizant of it's takes on office culture - then you might enjoy the first parts more than I did. While I only briefly experienced office culture, I definitely could appreciate the wry comical nature of the interactions - but also see the kernel of truth behind them. The petty office politics, the ways we are all absorbed, at the end of the day, in our own worlds. But I think the main reason why Company didn't work for me was the lack of character depth.
I am a huge fan of character driven stories and the fact is that I didn't feel like we got to know any of them particularly well. I wanted to know more about what made each of them tick, why they found themselves there. We get senses and snapshots, but it never felt substantial. And part of that might just be the point of Company - that we never really know people we spend hours with a day. But for me, that made it hard to keep my interest. That combined with the fact that the intrigue builds pretty slowly throughout the book - paired with the many POVs - made it hard for me to read a pretty long time.
I am a huge fan of character driven stories and the fact is that I didn't feel like we got to know any of them particularly well. I wanted to know more about what made each of them tick, why they found themselves there. We get senses and snapshots, but it never felt substantial. And part of that might just be the point of Company - that we never really know people we spend hours with a day. But for me, that made it hard to keep my interest. That combined with the fact that the intrigue builds pretty slowly throughout the book - paired with the many POVs - made it hard for me to read a pretty long time.
suburbanwrites's review against another edition
4.0
Edit: the number of times this book has come up in conversations, being used as a point of reference to explain work things, is really rather frequent. This has been a book that has some legs for me--it is such a good description of a very particular type of world.
An eerily accurate (and often funny) examination of office life.
Pacing -- fast read, with the a nice balance of events/development.
Characters -- a lot of archetypes that will feel familiar for anyone who has ever worked in a super corporate atmosphere. The one thing that held me back from full-on loving the book, however, was that I found the characters a little cold. There were so many characters, and because a lot of them were to make a point about bureaucracy rather than develop them as an individual, I found it hard to connect with them.
Plot -- delightful. There were so many moments within this that were fantastically, amazingly clever. In terms of spirit, and the way that it captures working for a big corporation, it reminds me a little of the movie Office Space.
An eerily accurate (and often funny) examination of office life.
Pacing -- fast read, with the a nice balance of events/development.
Characters -- a lot of archetypes that will feel familiar for anyone who has ever worked in a super corporate atmosphere. The one thing that held me back from full-on loving the book, however, was that I found the characters a little cold. There were so many characters, and because a lot of them were to make a point about bureaucracy rather than develop them as an individual, I found it hard to connect with them.
Plot -- delightful. There were so many moments within this that were fantastically, amazingly clever. In terms of spirit, and the way that it captures working for a big corporation, it reminds me a little of the movie Office Space.
howifeelaboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
A re-read, because this book is too damn hilarious. Barry mocks large corporations, how they function, and how they treat their employees. I can't say too much about the plot because the main idea is a big twist that is too fun to discover as you go. If you've ever worked in an office, you must read this one and feel better about your job. Or read it if you want to laugh. Or just read it.
frater's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not really sure how to review this book, except to say I think it is one of the greatest books I have ever read. For the first 30 or so pages, plotwise, absolutely nothing happens except someone doesn't get their donut - and yet I was riveted. I read this book cover to cover in a single day, and it would have been in a single sitting if not for interruptions.
It is equal parts hilarious and horrifying and the author obviously spent time working in the private sector to be able to draw such a remarkably realistic satire.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
It is equal parts hilarious and horrifying and the author obviously spent time working in the private sector to be able to draw such a remarkably realistic satire.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
cait_lindsey's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. I didn't hate it, but I expected more. Cynicism towards the absurd norms of corporate and bureaucratic institutions should be right up my alley, but I wanted it to go further--more humor, more satire, something. In the end it didn't do much to make me feel anything nor challenge the status quo at all. (It was also published in 2007, so work life has changed quite a bit in light of technology and social media, making the book feel quite dated and some of the plot implausible.)
baumsaway's review against another edition
5.0
Sadly, the snide accusations in this corporate satire are spot-on. A very witty, socially pointed read.
owlmoose's review against another edition
4.0
Much faster paced than I was expecting, this book sucked me in and kept me going. Memorable, likable characters, and a setting that will be familiar to anyone who's ever dealt with corporate America. I'm reluctant to say more for fear of spoilers -- the book was not at all what I expected, and I think the element of surprise is part of what got me so engrossed. If the basic summary intrigues you at all (or if you liked [author Max Barry:]'s previous book, [b:Jennifer Government|5297|The Picture of Dorian Gray|Oscar Wilde|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1204865529s/5297.jpg|1858012], I definitely recommend giving this a try.
tdeshler's review against another edition
3.0
It's hard to believe a fake company the size of Zephyr Holdings could really exist, but with a little suspension of disbelief, this was a fun story. I did wonder what happened to all colleagues of Jones however.
ninotchka's review against another edition
3.0
Some of the satire is brutal and laugh out loud funny. I think ending the book in a dark way would have been too bitter to take and if fact it does end on a lighter note that is a relief but not particularly funny, In fact, it's not satirical at all. I'm not sure what the overall message is. Still, I enjoyed getting to the end.