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A review by matthewcpeck
One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novak
4.0
Lots of reviewers have expressed surprise at the skill and range of B.J. Novak's literary début - perhaps they've forgotten that he's already a writer that happens to do some acting, and not some deluded actor that's decided to give fiction a try. Plus he's from the Boston area, so you just know he's wicked smaht.
Whatever the case, 'One More Thing' is the work of a born writer, and it makes me wonder about other sitcom writers that might have unpublished treasures sitting on their hard drives. The pieces range from Tweet-size to standard short-fiction length, but mostly on the brief side. They are as hilariously witty and culturally well-informed as you'd expect, and a few times - in the longer stories especially - graceful and heartbreaking. Just a few of my favorites:
-"Missed Connection: Grocery spill at 21st and 6th 2:30 pm on Wednesday", an epic faux-Craigslist posting about a chance meeting turned one-night stand
-"Sophia", a genuinely moving inversion of 'Her' in which the narrator tries to return a state-of-the-art sexbot after it falls in love with HIM
"Wikipedia Brown and the Case of the Missing Bicycle" - just what it sounds like, and spot-on funny
"Kellogg's (or: The Last Wholesome Fantasy of the Middle-School Boy", my favorite in the book, about a boy that wins a Corn Flakes cash prize that ultimately upends everything he thought he knew about his paternity
"One of These Days, We Have to Do Something About Willie": former college buddies' botched attempt to stage an intervention for a friend, in Las Vegas. With its cringe-inducing misadventures, it's the most 'Office'-like story in the book
There's quite a lot of stuff in here that's probably collected from many years' worth of writing, so some of the pieces are inevitably more insubstantial and flimsy than others. But it's never indulgent or precious. 'One More Thing' has the right mix of playful humor, keen observations, erudition, and punchlines that make me look forward to Novak's future endeavors.
Whatever the case, 'One More Thing' is the work of a born writer, and it makes me wonder about other sitcom writers that might have unpublished treasures sitting on their hard drives. The pieces range from Tweet-size to standard short-fiction length, but mostly on the brief side. They are as hilariously witty and culturally well-informed as you'd expect, and a few times - in the longer stories especially - graceful and heartbreaking. Just a few of my favorites:
-"Missed Connection: Grocery spill at 21st and 6th 2:30 pm on Wednesday", an epic faux-Craigslist posting about a chance meeting turned one-night stand
-"Sophia", a genuinely moving inversion of 'Her' in which the narrator tries to return a state-of-the-art sexbot after it falls in love with HIM
"Wikipedia Brown and the Case of the Missing Bicycle" - just what it sounds like, and spot-on funny
"Kellogg's (or: The Last Wholesome Fantasy of the Middle-School Boy", my favorite in the book, about a boy that wins a Corn Flakes cash prize that ultimately upends everything he thought he knew about his paternity
"One of These Days, We Have to Do Something About Willie": former college buddies' botched attempt to stage an intervention for a friend, in Las Vegas. With its cringe-inducing misadventures, it's the most 'Office'-like story in the book
There's quite a lot of stuff in here that's probably collected from many years' worth of writing, so some of the pieces are inevitably more insubstantial and flimsy than others. But it's never indulgent or precious. 'One More Thing' has the right mix of playful humor, keen observations, erudition, and punchlines that make me look forward to Novak's future endeavors.