I know some people around here have read this recently. What did you think? I didn't especially like it.
In this alter-reality novel, where “taxation has been abolished, the government has been privatized, and employees take the surname of the company they work for,” characters are colorful and interesting but (I thought) superficial. I enjoy these types of novels, where companies are the bad-guys, but there was something substantial missing from this novel: depth.
Jennifer Government’s relationship with her daughter is a dichotomy of “I’m here for you” and “I gotta go to the other side of the planet for work,” which she never seems to feel too remorseful about. The person she leaves in care of her daughter was someone she’d only met twice. Business people make random decisions for seemingly no good reason. Side characters pop in and out of the story with no inner-development to explain their actions.
Jennifer is literally obsessed with catching a man named John Nike. You know they must have history together for her to break official rules/orders, leave her daughter and recruit/blackmail people into helping her. Once you find out what the reason is in the end, though, it just doesn’t seem convincing enough.
This was a nice, light read for 320 pages but I would have liked this book more if it was heartier: more information, more background, etc.
If you want to read another book along the same plotline, where advertising to the public and sales are number one, try The Savage Girl by Alex Shakar. I enjoyed that book more than this. It's all about advertising and trend spotters and such.
― Vermont Girl (Vermont Girl), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 18:20 (twenty-one years ago)
I enjoyed it but thought it went on a bit too long, John Nike started to become a little too over the top toward the end and there was maybe one of two too many fights and chases. But the Billy NRA and Buy Matsui characters were terrific.
All the time I kept thinking "this would make a great movie" which is what I'm sure Max Barry was thinking (and hoping) when he was writing it.
― LondonLee (LondonLee), Tuesday, 9 March 2004 18:32 (twenty-one years ago)
I just got Jennifer Government because it looked interesting and some of the comments I had read around here. I'll have to get back to you on what I think, though now my enthusiasm is dappened somewhat.
Have you read Gibson's "Pattern Recognition". It was cool in that cyber punk kind of way, but it takes place in a relatively current time frame. A good read.
― Phastbuck, Tuesday, 9 March 2004 22:46 (twenty-one years ago)