Good Company is Hard to Find

It's Friday night and you're about to relax with the third novel of Max Barry, Company. When you first pick it up, you think you're about to embark on a literary journey, involving yet another story about seemingly worthless individuals. You're expecting a comedy, reminiscent of Barry's earlier comedic works, Syrup and Jennifer Government, as well as the television show, The Office, and expect to find between the pages a bittersweet tale of the mere cogs of the machine. You know, the ones chained to their desks, the victims of the corporate dictatorship who are just trying to find some sort of self worth in their mundane and listless existence. Consider yourself warned, reader, you are mistaken. Instead, you will find that the novel is a bizarre mix of workplace satire and an Orwell-esque Big Brother mass conspiracy.Zephyr Holdings is much like any other large company - "bereft of any distinguishing features" with a mission statement that reeks of sleaze. Its exterior design
is considered innovative only when likened to "prisons and 1970s Volvos" and, most significantly, there are hundreds of workers slaving away for unknown reasons, simply because they are being paid to. Many workers often feel like they're part of a social experiment, serving no real purpose in the great scheme of things. At Zephyr, it's a given that tasks are not questioned, but carried out obediently and efficiently; there is no uproar, it's just how things are done.So when naive graduate Jones enters Zephyr, too inquisitive for his own good and unfamiliar with the office politics, it is inevitable that the unquestioning nature of the Zephyr employees is soon to be jeopardized. As countless detective television shows demonstrate, sticky-beaks have the ability to be completely destructive to the fabric of an institution and Jones lives up to this stereotype in every respect. Though he is made aware countless times of the completely ordinary nature of the company he has recent
ly gained employment at, Jones senses foul play at Zephyr. He immediately sets about trying to satisfy his thirst for truth. Little does he know, a greater conspiracy than he anticipated is lurking somewhere between the labyrinth of cubicles and piles of stationery.In short, Company can only be described as one thing: odd. There is no doubt that Max Barry's sarcastic soul is able to rope you in with its familiarity. The problem with the novel, however, lies in the fact that like the overwhelming feeling of dread which churns your stomach as you mount a giant hill on a rollercoaster, Barry's story slowly builds. Then, you receive an almighty, unwelcome push down a catastrophic drop, into a story complete with more twists and turns than Space Mountain. And like any good rollercoaster, with the turn of the final page, you may well find yourself more confused and nauseated than entertained.The problem lies in Barry's attempt to make his novel normal, something which he and his w
riting style definitely are not. The supporting characters, Roger the slick egomaniac, Holly the weight conscious receptionist and Elizabeth, the knocked up victim of Roger's sexual allure, all exude a familiarity that makes you laugh out loud on several occasions. The manner in which he tosses around phrases such as " betraying your donut experience" as though they are of utmost seriousness is so skilful that you're often lost in the hilarity and wish you worked with the people on the page before you.Jones, however, in all his sappy do-gooder glory is nothing short of annoying. As a rule, characters with morals of steel are never appreciated. Barry struggles, unsuccessfully, to provide Jones with depth in his romantic life and in the inner conflict he experiences in dealing with Project Alpha, and he remains to be the second most uninteresting character of the bunch, second only to the depressingly stereotyped Audi-driving receptionist, Eve Jantiss. It's best to flip past t
he less-than-adequate love story portions to the juicy details developing in the missing donut conspiracy. Which, to be honest, has far more dramatic ramifications.In the spirit of making the mundane mysterious and the office a place of comedy, Barry's satirical depiction of Zephyr Holdings and its employees makes the concept of workplace conspiracy and high stakes deception more than just paranoia and, surprisingly, enjoyable. Company will make you fear for his sanity, as well as your own, as you identify with the silly idiosyncrasies that bring his characters to life. Be warned, reader, you may find yourself shocked and puzzled at times, but persevere - you're in for one hell of a ride.

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