The novelist Adelle Waldman has lately been in a situation that other writers both envy and fear: she’s released a long-awaited follow-up to a remarkably successful first novel.
"Driven to distraction by their casually vindictive new boss Meredith, the logistics team settle on a funny and bittersweet way to get rid of her: get her promoted."
Was it not taught from old that the upper corporate echelons are sociopaths, the middle echelons are clueless, and the line workers are losers?
looking back at my career. I'd say I'm not in the sociopath class not in the loser class but in the clueless class. Lots of gray inbetween these classes but....I get your point Feral. But I didn't feel clueless when I was working; I felt like I a saw the big picture. I knew where I fit in. Looking back as a retired recluse it's all just a big blur. But we all keep on keeping on.....until
Funny how we published reviews of Help Wanted on the same day!
Good point about how Meredith is the most Nate-like character in that she's annoying but in a sadly understandable kind of way, and how the character is the most similar to Waldman in terms of culture (FIT dropout, pursued a singing career in NYC).
I stopped reading your review after seeing the general premise of the novel and thinking I might want to read it myself. (I like going into things as cold as possible). Out of curiosity, have you read Last Night at the Lobster? I loved that book (also a portrait of 21st century retail/service economy life) and was curious if this is similar.
For those of us whose lifelong slumming was simply business as usual but who occasionally poke our heads up when a member of the classes passes, the unfailing marker of class distance is the absence of dog-eat-dogmatism in the depiction of familiar plights. Your reviewer chops are strong as usual, and I might read it to find out for myself. But it sounds like she missed that part.
What a beautifully considered and written review. I have, now, such a clear picture of two novels. Of all your almost always excellent writing, Freddie, your reviews are typically the best. I wish you did - or were hired to do - more of them.
This was an extremely thoughtful review. Freddie, I think she was tougher on her worker characters than you did. Some of the characters made foolish choices that they're paying for. Even the head of the store is convinced into staying within retail by the smart as a whip woman from corporate who knows he could earn so much more in finance.
Everyone is being gamed top to bottom. That's the system of self-interest, of modern American capitalism. The excesses are based on human motivations that I don't think will change. The solution will ultimately have to come from government.
(edit: I should have started by mentioning that the review was great to read and gave a perspective that I didn't think about. I didn't know much about the author and hadn't thought at all about the political environment she was writing in. Also, I liked the discourse-y comments. You mentioned that you get a thrill from reading about the procedures and your comments about the the conversation gave a bit of a peek at how this sort of book is produced)
I read this book with no knowledge of her previous work, so looked at it from a very different context. But I spent a few years working in rust belt warehouses at various levels and thought that her characters were all familiar.
I didn't come away with a sense of nobility for the characters. One character takes a pitiful sense of pride that a decade of unloading experience allows him to estimate the volume in a truck. Waldman notes that the skill is useless since the manifest already records that. Another worker doesn't apply to college because it has the possibility of failure. As long as she doesn't apply, she doesn't have proof a part-time job isn't her best option. Another thinks of herself as an activist. She ineffectively shuffles around t-shirts with politically incorrect slogans. Sure, the characters sometimes make bad choices due to the structural issues with the justice system, immigration or lack of childcare, but there's a pathetic pettiness that pervades everyone's outlook.
I was reminded me of Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickeled and Dimed (in which she leaves her white collar job to spend months working for minimum wage) more than any work of fiction. She contrasts the personality of "Barbara" the academic with "Barb" the waitress/wal-mart employee. "Barb" is meaner than "Barbara" and more likely to hold grudges or take offense. Her worldview narrows from criticizing Clinton's welfare reform to petty bickering about how to hang up clothes. Similarly, most of the people at Town Square have inconsequential bullshit completely dominating their lives. Maybe this is my own queasy self-identification but I came away with an uncomfortable mix of disdain or pity for most of the characters.
I enjoyed it and it did make me reflect on my own outlook a lot. It's also cynically funny in some places, like when switching between one character's viewpoint describing his great storytelling, to his audience's description of him as a rambling boor. The characters are relatable (unfortunately) and realistic. My only complaint is that the omniscient narration is done poorly and there's some continuity errors. I would have preferred if each short chapter stuck to one point of view.
It's great to read a workplace drama that takes place in a big-box store rather than a law firm or whatever. The low-stakes of everything uncomfortably encapsulates what dominates people's lives, especially those that work in warehouses.
(By the way, you're right that some people criticized her for telling others' stories. I'm not the only person to make a comparison to Ehrenreich, but most Goodreads reviewers that make the reference are critical of them both for "voyeurism". )
I rarely read novels, I loathe the NY literary scene, I never heard of this author, and I'm vaguely irritated by your (perhaps accurate?) semi-Marxist class analysis of the new book. Accordingly, it's remarkable how much I enjoyed reading your review. Well-done!
This is my first time hearing of Waldman, but then again I don't read much literary fiction. Her first novel sounds like something I almost certainly wouldn't enjoy, but your review definitely makes me want to pick this one up.
Also, I'll just jump aboard the "Freddie writes excellent reviews" train.
I enjoyed the review but I came here to agree how fascinating (and soothing) dog grooming videos are. I am a cat person through and through, but I watch almost every video posted by Girl with the Dogs on YouTube.
Excellent review, and it sounds like I have something to add to my pile of books.
Small quibble, which is really irrelevant... Big George from Fried Green Tomatoes is not mute. He just speaks very rarely and the reasons for this are obvious: a Jim Crow era southern small town is a veritable minefield for a black man, so he keeps his mouth shut in public so the existing power structure has no reason to murder him. And even that doesn't work, as he's apprehended by an out-of-town chapter of the Klan. There's actually a lot to unpack in his relationship with Idgie and the fact his life is to be in support of her whims is quietly tragic, but maybe the best he can hope for it given the circumstances he was born into. His lack of dialogue is a function of the narrator's perspective.
Thank you for the review, looking forward to reading the book! I’m curious if you’ve read Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver—it’s a truly fantastic book in a similar vein.
This is a great review and perfectly captures the dilemma facing fiction writers with any sort of social privilege. For example, many people argue that white authors shouldn't write POC characters at all (#OwnVoices) -- same with sexuality, etc. Anyone who tries knows the scrutiny is coming, and it's impossible to completely shut off awareness of that fact.
"Driven to distraction by their casually vindictive new boss Meredith, the logistics team settle on a funny and bittersweet way to get rid of her: get her promoted."
Was it not taught from old that the upper corporate echelons are sociopaths, the middle echelons are clueless, and the line workers are losers?
https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-or-the-office-according-to-the-office/
The entire link is well worth reading.
looking back at my career. I'd say I'm not in the sociopath class not in the loser class but in the clueless class. Lots of gray inbetween these classes but....I get your point Feral. But I didn't feel clueless when I was working; I felt like I a saw the big picture. I knew where I fit in. Looking back as a retired recluse it's all just a big blur. But we all keep on keeping on.....until
Funny how we published reviews of Help Wanted on the same day!
Good point about how Meredith is the most Nate-like character in that she's annoying but in a sadly understandable kind of way, and how the character is the most similar to Waldman in terms of culture (FIT dropout, pursued a singing career in NYC).
Maybe a bit of the later Tolstoy.
I stopped reading your review after seeing the general premise of the novel and thinking I might want to read it myself. (I like going into things as cold as possible). Out of curiosity, have you read Last Night at the Lobster? I loved that book (also a portrait of 21st century retail/service economy life) and was curious if this is similar.
That is a very good book.
For those of us whose lifelong slumming was simply business as usual but who occasionally poke our heads up when a member of the classes passes, the unfailing marker of class distance is the absence of dog-eat-dogmatism in the depiction of familiar plights. Your reviewer chops are strong as usual, and I might read it to find out for myself. But it sounds like she missed that part.
What a beautifully considered and written review. I have, now, such a clear picture of two novels. Of all your almost always excellent writing, Freddie, your reviews are typically the best. I wish you did - or were hired to do - more of them.
This was an extremely thoughtful review. Freddie, I think she was tougher on her worker characters than you did. Some of the characters made foolish choices that they're paying for. Even the head of the store is convinced into staying within retail by the smart as a whip woman from corporate who knows he could earn so much more in finance.
Everyone is being gamed top to bottom. That's the system of self-interest, of modern American capitalism. The excesses are based on human motivations that I don't think will change. The solution will ultimately have to come from government.
https://robertsdavidn.substack.com/p/my-candor-writing-about-wealth-comes is my take on Help Wanted from my vantage point of wealth. "My Candor About Wealth Comes With A Price; How Adelle Waldman’s new novel Help Wanted is a Rorschach test for me about wealth and modern American capitalism
(edit: I should have started by mentioning that the review was great to read and gave a perspective that I didn't think about. I didn't know much about the author and hadn't thought at all about the political environment she was writing in. Also, I liked the discourse-y comments. You mentioned that you get a thrill from reading about the procedures and your comments about the the conversation gave a bit of a peek at how this sort of book is produced)
I read this book with no knowledge of her previous work, so looked at it from a very different context. But I spent a few years working in rust belt warehouses at various levels and thought that her characters were all familiar.
I didn't come away with a sense of nobility for the characters. One character takes a pitiful sense of pride that a decade of unloading experience allows him to estimate the volume in a truck. Waldman notes that the skill is useless since the manifest already records that. Another worker doesn't apply to college because it has the possibility of failure. As long as she doesn't apply, she doesn't have proof a part-time job isn't her best option. Another thinks of herself as an activist. She ineffectively shuffles around t-shirts with politically incorrect slogans. Sure, the characters sometimes make bad choices due to the structural issues with the justice system, immigration or lack of childcare, but there's a pathetic pettiness that pervades everyone's outlook.
I was reminded me of Barbara Ehrenreich's Nickeled and Dimed (in which she leaves her white collar job to spend months working for minimum wage) more than any work of fiction. She contrasts the personality of "Barbara" the academic with "Barb" the waitress/wal-mart employee. "Barb" is meaner than "Barbara" and more likely to hold grudges or take offense. Her worldview narrows from criticizing Clinton's welfare reform to petty bickering about how to hang up clothes. Similarly, most of the people at Town Square have inconsequential bullshit completely dominating their lives. Maybe this is my own queasy self-identification but I came away with an uncomfortable mix of disdain or pity for most of the characters.
I enjoyed it and it did make me reflect on my own outlook a lot. It's also cynically funny in some places, like when switching between one character's viewpoint describing his great storytelling, to his audience's description of him as a rambling boor. The characters are relatable (unfortunately) and realistic. My only complaint is that the omniscient narration is done poorly and there's some continuity errors. I would have preferred if each short chapter stuck to one point of view.
It's great to read a workplace drama that takes place in a big-box store rather than a law firm or whatever. The low-stakes of everything uncomfortably encapsulates what dominates people's lives, especially those that work in warehouses.
(By the way, you're right that some people criticized her for telling others' stories. I'm not the only person to make a comparison to Ehrenreich, but most Goodreads reviewers that make the reference are critical of them both for "voyeurism". )
I rarely read novels, I loathe the NY literary scene, I never heard of this author, and I'm vaguely irritated by your (perhaps accurate?) semi-Marxist class analysis of the new book. Accordingly, it's remarkable how much I enjoyed reading your review. Well-done!
This is my first time hearing of Waldman, but then again I don't read much literary fiction. Her first novel sounds like something I almost certainly wouldn't enjoy, but your review definitely makes me want to pick this one up.
Also, I'll just jump aboard the "Freddie writes excellent reviews" train.
My mom’s twin was an assistant manager at Caldor’s I might have to check this out.
I enjoyed the review but I came here to agree how fascinating (and soothing) dog grooming videos are. I am a cat person through and through, but I watch almost every video posted by Girl with the Dogs on YouTube.
I'll echo the comments about the quality of your reviews. I always find myself intrigued by the books even when they fall outside my usual tastes.
Excellent review, and it sounds like I have something to add to my pile of books.
Small quibble, which is really irrelevant... Big George from Fried Green Tomatoes is not mute. He just speaks very rarely and the reasons for this are obvious: a Jim Crow era southern small town is a veritable minefield for a black man, so he keeps his mouth shut in public so the existing power structure has no reason to murder him. And even that doesn't work, as he's apprehended by an out-of-town chapter of the Klan. There's actually a lot to unpack in his relationship with Idgie and the fact his life is to be in support of her whims is quietly tragic, but maybe the best he can hope for it given the circumstances he was born into. His lack of dialogue is a function of the narrator's perspective.
Thank you for the review, looking forward to reading the book! I’m curious if you’ve read Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver—it’s a truly fantastic book in a similar vein.
This is a great review and perfectly captures the dilemma facing fiction writers with any sort of social privilege. For example, many people argue that white authors shouldn't write POC characters at all (#OwnVoices) -- same with sexuality, etc. Anyone who tries knows the scrutiny is coming, and it's impossible to completely shut off awareness of that fact.