Rating:  Summary: Imaginative and original ¿ dot.comedy rocks Review: Corks, yet another former copywriter turning his back on the evil empire and following his muse! Actually though, Matt Beaumont hasn't fallen very far from the tree with this one, an exposé of life in a purportedly fictional London ad agency over the course of two hectic weeks. You have to believe, then, that he knows what he's talking about. The result is a novel that rings so true you're feeling the characters' pain by page three. (And their panties by page 33.) There are lots of reasons to love this book. The antipodean version (and I guess that means the UK one) is subtitled "a hilariously funny novel," which you have to admire. Its email-based format means it's a damned quick read. Let's talk about that format a little. There is no, absolutely no, linking text. The entire story is told through emails, complete with addresees, cc's, bcc's and time stamps. I thought this would make for a difficult read, but it doesn't. If you're used to working in an organisation where your emails and vmails outnumber f2f's it doesn't take long to pick up the flow of the story. I think it's even got some edges over traditional narrative. In the time it takes to read six one-sentence emails you get six different perspectives on the same event, complete with insights into how each character chooses to "spin" their response to each other. Checking the cc and bcc lists tells even more of the story. Bit like real life really. Good on you Matt Beaumont. Told straight, your book would have just been a bloody funny story about life at the advertising coalface. Wrapping it in a brilliantly crafted whole new genre takes it a long way beyond that. Amazonians; read and enjoy. Amazonians in advertising; make that a double and charge it to your favourite client.
Rating:  Summary: A very funny book Review: Have you ever worked in an office? If so, you will recognize a lot of the stuff going on in the Miller-Shanks Advertising Firm. The story takes place during a few weeks in January 2000, where everybody is supposed to be busy with a new campaing for Coke. But of course, a lot of other things goes on, and we get to know a whole lot of funny, annoying, loveable and crazy persons in the firm. The whole story is told through the e-mails the different people send to each other, and it is a very funny read. Some may argue that this 'e-mail-form' haas been done before, but thsi book was written some years ago, and I think the idea was new back then. A very quick read that makes you want to read more about those persons.
Rating:  Summary: Office backstabbing Review: I found this book by luck and could not put it down. Telling Office backstabbing stories in e-mails is a very clever idea.
I loved Nigel. Is not there a Nigel in every office?
Rating:  Summary: E: The novel of liars, lunch and lost knickers Review: Comprised entirely of e-mails sent between coworkers (and the occasional friend & business associate), this novel was a refreshingly different take on the typical "office worker" novel. The action takes place at an English advertising firm, but the setting could just as easily be in the US. Powerplays, squabbling, and backstabbing abound - and as for the lost knickers? Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?
The US edition has been slightly "American-ized", but it still captures the wit of the original version.
Rating:  Summary: one of the most hilarious books i've read.... Review: ...If you have *ever* worked in an office/cubicle/desk job, you can appreciate this book... and if you haven't, well, it's still absolutely hilarious!!!
The plots (and sub-plots) are laid out entirely through the e-mail sent internally within the ranks of the London office of Miller Shanks, an advertising firm... There are characters you can love, hate, abhor, and sympathize with, and the book is filled with office/workplace back-stabbing, jealousy, and name-calling -- I laughed and laughed and laughed...
A good book to read while laying by the pool and/or relaxing, as you don't have to do much thinking to get through it quite quickly and easily...
Rating:  Summary: Hilarious ! Review: A refreshing story told totally in e-mail format, unlike the usual tiresome prose.......n funny as hell too. it's almost impossible to stiffle my laughter n giggling sounds whilst travelling in a crowded public transport. the characters n the office politics depicted are so true n realistic......even reminded me of some colleagues that i've encountered...... the e-mails r a good format where we r only given an account of a story in pieces n to hv a complete picture, we hv to continue reading the book. a great read to those who has to endure the long journeys to work or travels.
Rating:  Summary: what goes around comes around... Review: I didn't mean to read this whole book. I get books to sell on Amazon & often just read a few pages, like a gourmand sneaking a bite of one eclair and then another -- looking for the well-filled book I just HAVE to read. But I was drawn in immediately & then I couldn't put it down. While I've never had any interest in working in advertising and really stink at playing corporate power games, this book was a great giggle! No matter where you've worked, you know these people -- the temperamental ones, the backstabbing ones, the just-trying- to-get-laid ones. And the fun part is that there is justice in this book. (In real life, you hope there will be, but you're often not around to see it.) Are you bewildered in a workplace where backbiting and treachery seem to have taken the place of an actual day's work for most people? This book won't change your situation, but it will give you the chuckles you need to make it through another week.
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