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This wickedly funny, big-hearted novel about life in the office signals the arrival of a gloriously talented new writer. The characters in Then We Came to the End cope with a business downturn in the time-honored way: through gossip, secret romance, elaborate pranks, and increasingly frequent coffee breaks. By day they compete for the best office furniture left behind and try to make sense of the mysterious pro-bono ad campaign that is their only remaining "work."

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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
cold sore spots, been shitcanned, useless shit, print station, double meeting, server closet, pro bono project, cube wall, new business pitches, building guy, input meeting, office coordinator, emergency stairs

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Tom Mota, Joe Pope, Lynn Mason, Jim Jackers, Karen Woo, Chris Yop, Hank Neary, Benny Shassburger, Janine Gorjanc, Cold Sore Guy, Don Blattner, Amber Ludwig, Marcia Dwyer, Carl Garbedian, Dan Wisdom, Larry Novotny, South Side, Mike Boroshansky, Genevieve Latko-Devine, Ernie Kessler, Alliance Against Breast Cancer, Paulette Singletary, Celebrity Death Watch, Lake Michigan, Bizarro Brizz

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255 Reviews

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4 star:		(60)
3 star:		(44)
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3.5 out of 5 stars (255 customer reviews)

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66 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mornings without Promise., April 6, 2007

By	Retired Reader (New Mexico) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

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This review is from: Then We Came to the End: A Novel (Hardcover)

This is an excellent first novel about the employees of that most storied of institutions, an advertising agency. It is simultaneously touching, amusing, and engrossing. It is not, however, the hilarious laugh riot or biting satire that some would claim. Perhaps the sprit of the novel was best summed up in its second sentence, "Our mornings lacked promise." This is a story related by an anonymous narrator about a group of individuals working on the creative staff of a nameless mid-sized Chicago ad agency and it is entirely office centric. The reader sees the people as one would see one's own co-workers in an office setting with only occasional references to homes and families.

As the 21st Century begins, the billings of the agency decline precipitously and being fired or fear of being fired soon becomes a dark undercurrent that runs through everything else that happens in offices and cubicles of the agency's creative staff. As the novel progresses one learns more and more about the quirks and mannerism these hapless folks. Their humanity becomes quite real. If the reader will allow it, you can find yourself actually caring about the individuals that the narrator tells you about. Those of us that are or were knowledge workers will have a haunting sense of familiarity about the people and situations described in this book.

Joshua Ferris has an ear for dialogue and an understanding of emotions that is quite impressive. This reviewer likes his style and the way he structured this novel.

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216 of 240 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What is "Then We Came To The End" trying to say?, April 20, 2007

By	David Kusumoto (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Then We Came to the End: A Novel (Hardcover)

Despite widespread critical acclaim, this book has gotten mixed reviews from customers.

I understand it, and people who hated it aren't wrong. I'd like to address these criticisms later, so please stick with me.

The positive reviews I've read about "Then We Came To The End" are mostly spot-on -- but without giving it away, they don't consistently convey WHY this amusing, touching and ultimately tender book soars - at least for me.

It's the ending.

The last 20 pages of Joshua Ferris's book twisted and turned me in every direction. But it's THE VERY LAST LINE -- (DON'T CHEAT) -- that catapulted me into the universe with the most glorious twist of all.

Many writers searching for something to leave behind that feels ironic or profound -- I'm sorry -- in my view, they just don't know how to end their books. I say this as a consumer who's a voracious reader. Their last pages feel quietly pretentious -- or a little too contemplative or optimistic. Even great literature - especially prize-winning literature - can be so tortuous in construction or over-reaching in their efforts to convey some grand message -- that they feel like work, with sentences so mind-numbing that you need a dictionary and a level of concentration akin to taking a bar exam.

"Then We Came To The End" may not be considered great literature, but it's euphoric. It's wonderful. It underscores that nebulous "thing" that makes the office dull and robotic -- but also vital and vibrant, essential to our lives. The book makes me question, admire and dismiss -- all at once -- why I put up with so much " s***," why I find great satisfaction in my work on one day and why I hate everything the next. The masochistic, sadistic and triumphal feelings I have about work -- and about the "back stories" of my colleagues around me -- there's something weirdly magnetic about all of it -- even as I complain, complain, complain.

In my view, the simplicity (or difficulty) associated with "Then We Came To The End" really depends on whether the material hits you in a way that's familiar and funny, not dull or indulgent. It can do both. And as others have stated, the author's use of the first person plural "we" -- in every chapter but one -- can't be overstated. It's miraculous when it works -- because it's so difficult to pull off without fumbling or confusing the reader. When it does work (as it did for me) - when it's infused with content so beguiling and familiar -- you're no longer aware of the author's writing style, which should be the dream achievement of all great writers. Reading becomes effortless as the clock melts away.

Joshua Ferris recently said in an interview -- and at a recent book signing -- that the thing intriguing about every office is this: Even if you don't know everyone very well or at all, EVERYONE has an OPINION about YOU and everyone else.

This may feel like a universal nugget of common sense, but you're not really aware of it until it unfurls between the lines and chapters of this book. The beginning of most chapters include sub-chapter "headlines" which tease you about what's to come. Soon, boredom and irreverence are transformed into amusing and almost affectionate feelings -- about everything that happens.

The biggest criticism about "Then We Came to the End" is the skeletal development of its characters. Well, when I got to the last line on the last page, it became more clear to me why this MUST be the case. Every character -- in every chapter but one -- is presented as a "type."

But this feels intentional. The collective "we" is forced to guess what each character is thinking. And like most offices, "we" can only know as much as what we SEE or HEAR. The most trivial information becomes precious and titanic. And the results can be tragic AND darkly funny. The collective "we" can't read minds, so we draw our own conclusions to ridiculous lengths. In the end, we have sketches. And this feels right. How many of our co-workers become life-long friends with whom we trust to share our most intimate secrets? One or two if we're lucky. It takes work - AT WORK - to get beneath the surface of our colleagues. Almost everyone comes off thinly drawn because the collective "we" is forever deprived a complete picture of WHAT and HOW each person thinks.

For example, I know people in my office, but some remain a mystery. When I get together with colleagues, we trade stories about everyone. When one guy leaves the room, we might talk about him. Or not. Most of our stories are sprinkled with guesses and presumptions. Who's deviant? Who's got the gun collection? Who's the lush? Who's got the wild double life? "Someone" might know, but "we" as a group don't.

I would say that "Then We Came to the End" is an observational and episodic novel -- subject to wide interpretation -- because of a literary device that seldom works in most novels. If you're looking for "fleshed out" characters and profound themes, you won't find them here. This book isn't for you and this is not a criticism. Your complaints are justified. I believe expectations matter. A novel so widely acclaimed that disappoints will cause anyone to say out loud, "well, this was all hype" - or - "man oh man, those critics are so out of touch with me."

I still believe Ferris has captured the delicate balance between satire and brutal truth, the latter in ways which sound superficial and clich�, but woven in his book as they do, rang true for me.

There's something strange about that colleague you regard with derision or fear on one level, but with admiration and respect the next. And what about work itself? Why is our identity and self-image defined by it? Why does it have to matter more than just a way to put bread on the table? These questions went through my head as I turned each page.

So yeah, I know it's still early. But in my view, "Then We Came To The End" is the most remarkable debut of 2007. While it's difficult to imagine Joshua Ferris topping this, I've no doubt he has a tremendous future and a unique voice that will always feel relevant.

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64 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant first novel...Brilliant Novel, February 19, 2007

By	R. Howell - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Then We Came to the End: A Novel (Hardcover)

No matter how much we love the established names, the Roths, the Pynchons, the McCarthy's, nothing is quite so exciting as a new author. With that excitement, however, comes the peril of disappointment. Ferris does not disappoint. One gets the feeling upon reading this book that a new but permanent voice is being added to the American literary scene, and that we are lucky to have a book like this on our shelves.

Yes, it is written in the first-person plural, from the perspective of an ad agency, and yes it is laugh-out-loud funny. But the style is no gimmick--it reinforces the subtle cultural commentary offered by the book: a message leavened by the humor and delivered with the lightest of touches. This book is the full package. Ignore it at your own risk.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars They were the best of times, they were the worst of times
Told from the perspective of "we", the narrator becomes you, and you become one of the many employees at a nameless ad agency in Chicago. Read more

Published 1 day ago by Gidget

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed.
I picked up this book with high expectations. I usually decide within the first 50 pages whether a book is worth my time. Read more

Published 17 days ago by Kassie

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and realistic
This is absolutely the funniest book I have read this year! It hits home due to the fact that most people have experienced the tale first-hand on some level. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Tom Noffsinger

5.0 out of 5 stars Lives Up to the Hype
Funny, bitter, sweet, creative , memorable and true. This book deserves all the attention and praise it received. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Middle-aged Professor

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
I worked for two years in a call center in bank of America, and therefore truly enjoyed the book. Ofcourse i am not saying you have to work in a corporate world to understand and... Read more

Published 2 months ago by Ehtesham Uddin

2.0 out of 5 stars Funny writing voice but story quickly falls apart
The best thing about this book is the promise of the beginning pages. After about three chapters, though, it kind of falls apart. Read more

Published 2 months ago by BayAreaReader

1.0 out of 5 stars would not recommend it.
became a bit much. by the end of it i didn't really care about the office gossip. but parts are funny and interestingly written. but too long, far too long!

Published 3 months ago by Vasundhara Prakash

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Novel: Funny and Moving
The poignancy arrives after a first half that often had me laughing out loud. And as many readers have already commented, the final 100 pages may be the very best of all. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Mick VanValkenburg

1.0 out of 5 stars over rated
this is not a good book. People may like it for one reason or another but I had much higher hopes, and finally just puit it out with the recyckling. Read more

Published 3 months ago by H. Alexander

3.0 out of 5 stars Easy Read
While this is an easy and humorous book to read, it also succinctly describes the tensions that exist within an office atmosphere. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Judith A. bailey

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