Kiyoshi Martinez – nerdlusus blog the geek wants out

Bookshelf: ‘Company’ by Max Barry

For many reasons, I don’t spend as much time as I would like sitting down and reading really great fiction novels. I’d probably kill to have zero responsibilities for my entire summer and just spend them reading books and breathing fresh air. In many ways, I suppose I’m looking forward to retirement if only to make a dent in my bookshelf’s “to read eventually” collection.

Fortunately, I’ve got a little bit of time left until work starts and I decided to take a bite out of Max Barry’s “Company,” which is his third and newest novel. Previously, Barry was the author of “Syrup” and “Jennifer Government” — both of which I loved.

Barry has been a favorite author of mine for quite some time and I found him by accident one day after Fark.com linked to an online game he’d created called NationStates to promote “Jennifer Government.” One thing led to another and eventually it spiralled to me actually being able to meet him at a book signing in Chicago. I can proudly say that Barry is the first “famous person” I’ve interviewed. He’s easy-going, funny and has some great insights — and those same traits carry over into his novels.

The plot of “Company” is rather simple: the main character gets a new job in a faceless, souless work environment and rebels against it after discovering a secret. If I had to describe the book based on movies, think of “Office Space” meets “The Truman Show.”

The book reads really fast (I was able to blaze through its 336 pages in one sitting) and I found myself literally laughing out loud at certain points. It plays off of feelings we’ve all probably had at our jobs at one point or another. Questions of “Why am I doing this?” or “Why should I care?” But Barry is able to take those depressing thoughts and turn them around. If you’re thinking “Why should I read a book about working?” my answer would be “Because this book could help you find it more entertaining.”

The characters work well with each other, with the male and female leads playing off of the other’s polar opposite traits. Aside from the main storyline, several other minor stories dealing with supporting characters are also wonderfully woven in (much like Barry did with “Jennifer Government”) and these tales have an anecdotal feel to them. And they very well could be, as the novel is dedicated to Hewlett-Packard, where Barry used to work.

So, I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, smart read. If you can’t track this book down at your local bookstore (it was tough for me to find), it’s going to be reprinted in softcover in early 2007, which is a cheaper alternative. Also, be sure to check out Barry’s other books, too.

One final bit of good news, it looks like Barry might be hitting the Chicagoland area in 2007 as well. That could be cool.

–> Max Barry’s Official Web site
–> “Company: A Novel” (Amazon)

Technorati Tags: Max+Barry, novel, books, fiction, Company

I actually just read that book, because it was recommended to me by Beth, and I totally agree with your assessment. I read it on the plane back home, after not sleeping the night before, and I was still able to get through the whole thing before I reached San Jose. I still haven’t read his other stuff, though.