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nonfiction_leaning_warthog's review
Great book. GF and then her father borrowed it which is why I didn't finish it.
jeff's review
1.0
I didn't feel connected to any of the characters or the plot. The workplace scenarios were either boring or hyperbolic, which was disappointing because I was excited to read fiction about designers and the like.
loujoseph's review
1.0
BAD BAD BAD.
a horribly unfunny book about the drudgery of modern day office life, 10 yrs after office space came out? no thanks.
a horribly unfunny book about the drudgery of modern day office life, 10 yrs after office space came out? no thanks.
geoffdgeorge's review
Funny, yes, but with an edge and a sadness that take on more weight as the book nears its end. I read it in the immediate wake of leaving a creative office environment going through downsizing in Chicago, so the whole thing hit uncomfortably close to home in the best possible way.
I'm not sure I'll ever encounter as accurate a portrayal of corporate life, and for the first time in a long time, I was bummed to turn to the last page.
I'm not sure I'll ever encounter as accurate a portrayal of corporate life, and for the first time in a long time, I was bummed to turn to the last page.
tintinintibet's review against another edition
4.0
I should give it 5 stars, I think, but it is hard to tell whether this is a book that will improve with time in my memory or lose some luster (so I'm not giving the 5th star). The closest book I've read to this one would be "Everything is Illuminated", but the Safran Foer book lost some of its spirit for me about halfway through, while this one kept its strength in keen character development and sharp dialogue throughout.
My one complaint would be that the time continuity that Ferris plays with throughout the book is a bit of a roller coaster in the first third of the book, and while this may have been an intentional literary device of sorts, I was distracted by the dislocated timings more than I think necessary. But that's such a minor complaint that I'm surprised that I wrote about it here. Maybe it will help keep those who are more sensitive to time-motion-sickness to push on through, knowing that the book will settle down and, IMHO, is well worth the read.
My one complaint would be that the time continuity that Ferris plays with throughout the book is a bit of a roller coaster in the first third of the book, and while this may have been an intentional literary device of sorts, I was distracted by the dislocated timings more than I think necessary. But that's such a minor complaint that I'm surprised that I wrote about it here. Maybe it will help keep those who are more sensitive to time-motion-sickness to push on through, knowing that the book will settle down and, IMHO, is well worth the read.
randomshai's review
5.0
4.5 stars
I’ll admit that I approached this book with low expectations, but I was more than pleasantly surprised by the wit and comedy. Anyone who has, at some point or other, worked a desk job can find connection with these characters held simultaneously close yet at arms length. I enjoy a good laugh but oftentimes humorous novels (particularly with a similar slice-of-life style storyline) tend to be somewhat lacking in the connection necessary to evoke laughter - or whatever one might call the internal silent variant thereof - in me. However, be it the sense of relatability or my pre-existing love for the workplace comedy genre (think “The Office, “Parks and Recreation,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Superstore,” etc. etc.), I thoroughly enjoyed this book and believe anyone with similar tastes will feel the same. Could the conclusion have left the reader with a bit more? Perhaps, but then again isn’t that our relationship to the narrator? That we too stand in that awkward space between known and unknown, the familiar strangers who come into each others lives suddenly, struggle to remember the name, the quirks, familiarize ourselves, and then rush out again unexpectedly all too soon? Opinions on this novel seem drastically varied, but my shameless opinion is quite favorable.
I’ll admit that I approached this book with low expectations, but I was more than pleasantly surprised by the wit and comedy. Anyone who has, at some point or other, worked a desk job can find connection with these characters held simultaneously close yet at arms length. I enjoy a good laugh but oftentimes humorous novels (particularly with a similar slice-of-life style storyline) tend to be somewhat lacking in the connection necessary to evoke laughter - or whatever one might call the internal silent variant thereof - in me. However, be it the sense of relatability or my pre-existing love for the workplace comedy genre (think “The Office, “Parks and Recreation,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “Superstore,” etc. etc.), I thoroughly enjoyed this book and believe anyone with similar tastes will feel the same. Could the conclusion have left the reader with a bit more? Perhaps, but then again isn’t that our relationship to the narrator? That we too stand in that awkward space between known and unknown, the familiar strangers who come into each others lives suddenly, struggle to remember the name, the quirks, familiarize ourselves, and then rush out again unexpectedly all too soon? Opinions on this novel seem drastically varied, but my shameless opinion is quite favorable.
bookwormy614's review
3.0
Finally finished! The last 50 pages or so picked up and made me interested again. I enjoyed the story but it drug on forever. It was nice to have closure at the end though.
mthomson's review
5.0
I have seen reviews that refer to this book as "wildly funny," and it didn't strike me as such. It was funny in an absurd rather than a laugh-out-loud way. I don't say that to diminish this book at all, but rather to say that it's far more than just Office Space or The Office as a novel. All of the absurd situations that characters find themselves in--feeling utterly compelled to dismantle an office chair out of spite, or ruminating for hours over the riddle of a totem pole as if it could explain the universe--will seem completely realistic to anyone who's worked in an office and, especially at a time of layoffs, borne the strange burden of not having enough work to do. At rare times the office workers' attention to minutiae was almost too detailed to keep me in thrall, but I guess that's part of the realism, and in the end the litany of seemingly inane details became absolutely relevant. And I was kind of awed.
laila4343's review
5.0
READ IT. Totally laugh-out-loud hilarious and also surprisingly moving. I loved it.
That was my first review. Upon a second reading for my book group, this book feels weightier and sadder than I remember it being. The middle section from Lynn's perspective just knocked me down. Can't wait to read more from Ferris.
That was my first review. Upon a second reading for my book group, this book feels weightier and sadder than I remember it being. The middle section from Lynn's perspective just knocked me down. Can't wait to read more from Ferris.