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A review by sandytfrench
Hard Copy by Fien Veldman
2.5
Hard Copy by Fien Veldman, translated by Hester Velmans
⭐️⭐️ 2.5 stars
Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
A customer service assistant spends her long workdays printing letters. Her one friend is the printer and, in the dark confines of her office, she begins to open up to him, talking about her fears, her past, her hopes and dreams.
I do not mind quirky or weird; I do not mind stream of consciousness; I do not mind "no plot, all vibes." But I have to admit that this book really stretched the limits of my enjoyment of all those things. I understand some of the points the author was making such as the dehumanisation of the corporate environment; our main character is unnamed, her colleagues only known as the department they work for - "Sales," "Marketing," "HR," etc.
And there was a strong focus on mental ill-health and a mind unravelling through the story. I even enjoyed the writing a lot; the second part of the book, which is from the POV of a printer (stay with me on this one), was stunningly written. But it all felt a bit too pointless for me to fully appreciate this book - it could be a case of me being too dumb for it and missing the point, which maybe... The synopsis really caught my attention, and I was really looking forward to reading this but sadly, the delivery didn't live up to my expectations.
⭐️⭐️ 2.5 stars
Thank you to Head of Zeus and NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
A customer service assistant spends her long workdays printing letters. Her one friend is the printer and, in the dark confines of her office, she begins to open up to him, talking about her fears, her past, her hopes and dreams.
I do not mind quirky or weird; I do not mind stream of consciousness; I do not mind "no plot, all vibes." But I have to admit that this book really stretched the limits of my enjoyment of all those things. I understand some of the points the author was making such as the dehumanisation of the corporate environment; our main character is unnamed, her colleagues only known as the department they work for - "Sales," "Marketing," "HR," etc.
And there was a strong focus on mental ill-health and a mind unravelling through the story. I even enjoyed the writing a lot; the second part of the book, which is from the POV of a printer (stay with me on this one), was stunningly written. But it all felt a bit too pointless for me to fully appreciate this book - it could be a case of me being too dumb for it and missing the point, which maybe... The synopsis really caught my attention, and I was really looking forward to reading this but sadly, the delivery didn't live up to my expectations.