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janaaier's review against another edition
2.0
I picked up this one with zero prior information.
I was interested because I'm going through a fun period of ennui and it is short and about work. A short story collection regarding work/labour is usually a slam dunk read for me because all I need to feel happy about such a book is the sense that the author understands how fucked up capitalism can be.
This book did not do that for me.
I distantly experienced reading these [mostly] insufferable [to me] stories about:
- how difficult it is to maintain enthusiasm for buying a house and a personal sense of whimsy while completing paperwork on a European holiday > it's tough, apparently!
- a man getting a divorce > he makes a woman feel even more uncomfortable while in active labour, what an amazing feat.
- a song about working from home > very odd to read a piece like this written pre-pandemic
I was surprised by how little I enjoyed it. Probably because many of these stories seem to be written by people trying to avoid writing about work. Maybe they were too rich when they were asked to do this. This experience has taught me that I'm less easy to please than I thought so that feels like something.
I was interested because I'm going through a fun period of ennui and it is short and about work. A short story collection regarding work/labour is usually a slam dunk read for me because all I need to feel happy about such a book is the sense that the author understands how fucked up capitalism can be.
This book did not do that for me.
I distantly experienced reading these [mostly] insufferable [to me] stories about:
- how difficult it is to maintain enthusiasm for buying a house and a personal sense of whimsy while completing paperwork on a European holiday > it's tough, apparently!
- a man getting a divorce > he makes a woman feel even more uncomfortable while in active labour, what an amazing feat.
- a song about working from home > very odd to read a piece like this written pre-pandemic
I was surprised by how little I enjoyed it. Probably because many of these stories seem to be written by people trying to avoid writing about work. Maybe they were too rich when they were asked to do this. This experience has taught me that I'm less easy to please than I thought so that feels like something.
bookarino's review
3.0
Interesting and rather well balanced collection of essays, poems and short stories about workplaces, office culture and work nostalgia. For me, the collection served as a good primer to several new to me authors. My favourites were definitely Valeria Luiselli, Roxanne Gay, Aimee Mann & Jonathan Coulton, and Joyce Carol Oates.
rach_simone's review
3.0
Creative mix of essays, stories, teleplays and other forms of writing. I didn't care for all of the stories, but I liked the diversity in format.
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