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A review by justinkhchen
The Employees by Olga Ravn
4.0
4.25 stars
A little book of existential crisis, The Employees is more of a literary puzzle than a conventional stories; consisted solely of interview transcripts (with interviewee unidentified and out of order), it relies solely on the reader to connect the dot, piecing together its context, characters, and the central incident that triggered the whole ordeal. In many ways this journey reflects more of a video game experience (such as Bioshock, or SOMA), where one would encounter scattered notes along the way, adding more immersive depth even without the characters currently inhabiting the space.
At times I did wish there's a little more guidance on what I'm reading (perhaps mixing in another media format?), as the explicitly objective execution provides no help on how to digest the information—multiple entries could be from the same speaker (but also not), the speaker might be human (but also not)... If you're seeking a clean-cut plot with defined beginning, middle, and end, this is not that novel. But with its theme exploring the meaning of being human in a monotonous working environment, I find the slight frustration fitting, and overall it's memorable and unique.
A little book of existential crisis, The Employees is more of a literary puzzle than a conventional stories; consisted solely of interview transcripts (with interviewee unidentified and out of order), it relies solely on the reader to connect the dot, piecing together its context, characters, and the central incident that triggered the whole ordeal. In many ways this journey reflects more of a video game experience (such as Bioshock, or SOMA), where one would encounter scattered notes along the way, adding more immersive depth even without the characters currently inhabiting the space.
At times I did wish there's a little more guidance on what I'm reading (perhaps mixing in another media format?), as the explicitly objective execution provides no help on how to digest the information—multiple entries could be from the same speaker (but also not), the speaker might be human (but also not)... If you're seeking a clean-cut plot with defined beginning, middle, and end, this is not that novel. But with its theme exploring the meaning of being human in a monotonous working environment, I find the slight frustration fitting, and overall it's memorable and unique.