Clever is the story told from the POV of a subculture within another at Town Square, a fictitious big box retail store in upstate New York, where work is a daily grind, workers and management alike are eager to get ahead and will do anything to do so. This is a genuine and darkly funny tale, sharply observed, well-defined characters, I dare you to choose a favorite.
The Team Movement workers, corporate’s masked name for logistics, barely get by on their low wages but that’s not all they’re contending with; it’s the overnight shift, the need for more hours, zero health benefits, most have second jobs to barely keep their heads above water, and that’s not all, a collapsing economy (thanks to that behemoth in Seattle) and the demise of their small town. They all suffer numerous indignities thanks to their chipper yet clueless supervisor who thinks words of motivation, typically only spoken in corporate training videos, can make up for her lack of empathy. Thinking a scheme to promote one of their own might work to their advantage, a plot is set in motion.
Somebody put this book in a time capsule so when it’s discovered, say 100 years from now, folks will read it with delight, because it’s doubtful our history books will contain the nuance that Waldman has expertly imparted in her array of characters. For now, how about you read it and squeal with your own enjoyment at this unique, perceptive, genuinely humane biting comedy, about ordinary people working.
The next time you step into your favorite big box store, that is, if you still do that, you might look at the tidy aisles, meticulously displayed pyramids of products, and think to yourself, in awe, at how thousands of products made it to the great big floor and you might just chuckle to yourself while remembering one of the characters doing what the others referred to as his “box stories” or his version of performance art. I cried laughing as I read it. And as I’m writing this now. Might I add, if Waldman is inclined to write another novel about let’s say, any non-office work environment, this reader happily nominates her as the ‘It Girl’ of a new behind-the-scenes genre of contemporary fiction. I’m all in.
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From the Publisher
About the author
Entertaining and insightful
I enjoyed this book. It's about a big box store and the employees in the "Movement", or Logistics department. It delves into each of their lives and why they need to get promoted. The detail sounds first hand like the author must have lived that life. It did seem that many of them have very similar stories with living with parents and children out of wedlock. You do really feel like you get to know the characters well, and root for each of them. I found myself thinking of the book throughout the day and wondering what would happen. The story line is that the big boss, Big Will, is relocating to a different store. The Movement team plans to lie to corporate and make sure their manager, Meredith, is promoted to big boss, so that they don't have to deal with her lousy management skills any more. It details the life that each of the lowest level of employee in that department has, and if they were promoted as people move up the chain, how it would help them to get by just a little bit better. Overall an enjoyable, insightful read.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2024
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Top reviews from other countries
- M ClarkReviewed in Germany on October 1, 2024
Interesting for anyone who has worked closely in a team or managed a team
- Robert DaviesReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 20, 2024
A brilliant description of modern life
