The Award [Hardcover]

Lydie Salvayre (Author), Jane Davey (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1996

A disturbing, provocative story of an awards ceremony at a massive automotive factory takes acceptance speeches and presentations, makes them into individual minibiographies, and explores the insanity and chaos that is not isolated to fiction, but is a reflection of human life. IP.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Breaking away from the format of traditional novel as Kafka did and addressing the often "Big Brother" atmosphere of the corporate world as bluntly as Orwell's 1984, new French novelist Salvayre intertwines corporate philosophy with workers' lives in a continuous dialog of testimonies given during an automobile factory's awards celebration. Each award and recipient is introduced by a manager who often takes advantage of the podium to promote the company's philosophies. In turn, each recipient uses the stage to return a lengthy response, often baring their souls and personal lives and alternately expressing flaunting appreciation or hidden anger toward the company. All the while, the audience is increasingly aware of a labor upheaval developing behind the scenes and threatening to interrupt the ceremony's carefully prepared script. How the company deals with the revolt is also played out on the stage for both audience and readers. Although it would be helped by some cohesive structure, this interesting, experimental novel may appeal to sophisticated young adult and adult readers.?Laurel Duda, Marine Biological Lab., Pocasset, Mass.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Four Walls Eight Windows (December 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568580754
• ISBN-13: 978-1568580753
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,414,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extreme satire- an absolute masterpiece, January 2, 2000

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"radioactive_lemming" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Award (Hardcover)

Salvayre explores the effects modern industrial factories have upon the lives of modern people. The satire is often over the top and bitting in tone. The Award consist of a series of speeches givin at a corporate awards ceremony and is a quick read. Providing a juxtaposed contrast to the very humorous monologues is a riot in the far in of the factory moving toward the ceremony.

Many ideological perspectives are portrayed throught the various speakers. Being French, Salvayre provides unique insights into the state of current of future worker/ management relations that many Americans would often overlook.