I highly, highly recommend Joshua Ferris's Then We Came to the End. It certainly doesn't hurt that it's been nominated for the National Book Award. I'd like to think that reading this book has upped my literary snobbery, but damn it, lit-snobbery is so tiresome.
October 10, 2007
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I agree w/ you on Then We Came to An End (didn't know about the National Book Award nod, yay)...I thought he used the "corporate we" very effectively as a POV. Plus it was damned funny.
Posted by: LK | October 11, 2007 at 01:25 PM
LK: I agree, I love the "we" form of narration. It's a brilliant way of illustrating the collective corporate mentality. And it is VERY funny. I work in a corporate office environment, so I can relate to almost all aspects of the book: the politics, the rumor-mongering, the depression. Ferris nailed it. But I think anyone who works will enjoy this book. One of the best books I've read this year. The NBA nod is well-deserved.
Posted by: Brandon | October 11, 2007 at 02:41 PM
The narrative voice was interesting, but my favorite part about this book was the nailing of the horrible, soul-crushing nature of modern office work. I know it's been done elsewhere (most notably in the BBC's series The Office) but rarely do I see it done this well in fiction. Come on! Win that National Book Award!
Posted by: Nonanon | October 15, 2007 at 09:59 AM
I loved this one too Brandon. The first person plural POV was amazing; Ferris makes it look almost easy. I believe I'll be reading the next novel Ferris decides to write.
Posted by: J.S. Peyton | October 15, 2007 at 01:25 PM