I've been a fan of Max Barry for years but for some reason I'd not been able to find a copy of Syrup (his debut novel) for love nor money - until a few days ago when I remembered it's the 21st century and e-books exist.
What a ride it was. It's been years since I've a) been faced with a book that I've been completely unable to put down and b) that I've read in a single sitting due to the aforementioned.
While this did have a negative effect on my productivity at work and made me a potential danger to other motorists on the road, I still highly recommend the book. I found it hilarious, and it's very fast-paced - it's exactly the kind of book I was looking for.
Although I've given it 5 stars based entirely on how much I enjoyed reading it, I will admit it's not perfect and there are some minor flaws that I will admit for the sake of balance:
1. This book was released in 1999. It's 21 years old. There are a few very minor things, such as the book's (admittedly exaggerated) portrayal of the corporate world (specifically of them being a bunch of unenlightened sexist thugs) that I do feel date it to 90s. The same goes for its slightly stereotyped portrayal of Hollywood. In fairness, it is a satire and stereotype and exaggeration are tropes of the genre.
2. In a similar vein, the way the book handles subjects like sexism and feminism is a bit blunt and cliched - while perhaps this is simply a result of it being a late 90s book being read through the lens of 2020, I feel like the subjects were handled without much nuance and rather with a more stereotypical, predictable and blunt-instrument approach.
3. The ending... was a bit abrupt. While I do enjoy books that don't spell everything out to you and leave some things up to the imagination, I did feel there were one or two plot thread left unresolved and while the ending wasn't bad by any stretch, it wasn't completely satisfying either. It could have done with another page or two of denouement.
All in all, the above criticisms are nit-picking and only there for the benefit of people who care about those sort of things which honestly, I didn't: I wanted something fun, amusing and fast-paced to read on my lunch breaks and this book more than delivered.
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Syrup Paperback – July 1, 2000
by
Maxx Barry
(Author)
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Enhance your purchase
When Scat comes up with the idea for the hottest new soda ever, he's sure he'll retire the next rich, savvy marketing success story. But in the treacherous waters of corporate America there are no sure things--and suddenly Scat has to save not only his idea but his yet-to-be-realized career. With the help of the scarily beautiful and brainy 6, he sets out on a mission to reclaim the fame and fortune that, time and again, eludes him. This brilliantly scathing debut is a hilarious send-up of celebrity, sexual politics, corporate America, and the fleeting status that comes with getting to the table first--before the other guy has you for lunch.
- Print length304 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPenguin
- Publication dateJuly 1, 2000
- Grade level12 and up
- Reading age18 years and up
- Dimensions7.7 x 5 x 0.9 inches
- ISBN-100140291873
- ISBN-13978-0140291872
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"A FAST-PACED TOUR THROUGH CORPORATE AMERICA" -- CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
From the Back Cover
Scat is young, confused, underemployed, and in Los Angeles, so when he comes up with the idea for the hottest new soda ever, he's sure he'll retire as the next overnight sensation. But in the treacherous waters of corporate America there are no sure things -- and suddenly Scat has to save not only his idea but his yet-to-be-realized career. With the help of the scarily beautiful and brainy 6 -- who has all the angles Scat so desperately desires -- he sets out on a mission to reclaim the fame and fortune that, time and again, elude him. This brilliant debut is a hilarious send-up of celebrity, sexual politics, and the lengths to which a young man will go to get ahead and get a date.
About the Author
Maxx Barry, a veteran of the trenches of big-time marketing, teaches the subject at Monash and Curtin universities in Australia. This is his first novel.
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Product details
- Publisher : Penguin; Reissue edition (July 1, 2000)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0140291873
- ISBN-13 : 978-0140291872
- Reading age : 18 years and up
- Grade level : 12 and up
- Item Weight : 8.8 ounces
- Dimensions : 7.7 x 5 x 0.9 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,243,827 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,616 in Legal Thrillers (Books)
- #3,635 in Humorous American Literature
- #3,697 in Lawyers & Criminals Humor
- Customer Reviews:
Customer reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
182 global ratings
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Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2020
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Trying to not be spolierific...Good book if you like an adventure into the advertizing wold
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2015Verified Purchase
I am a huge fan of Maxx Barry. I have read all his books and none of them have disappointed me. This is his second novel out of five so far. I can see some hiccups that have since been refined over the later books, but for a second novel this is good stuff.
This book is about a man who is an "idea man." As the cover shows he is working for a soda company, and not just any soda company, Coke. He first comes up with the idea for a new soda and then starts to run ads for them. There are twists and turns along the way which I will not divulge here. There is a hint of romance and lots of hardship followed by shear determination. If you have read other Maxx Barry books then you will be able to predict some of the things that happen. If not, there might be some great surprises in store.
This book is about a man who is an "idea man." As the cover shows he is working for a soda company, and not just any soda company, Coke. He first comes up with the idea for a new soda and then starts to run ads for them. There are twists and turns along the way which I will not divulge here. There is a hint of romance and lots of hardship followed by shear determination. If you have read other Maxx Barry books then you will be able to predict some of the things that happen. If not, there might be some great surprises in store.
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is probably one of my least favorite books I've read in the last year, and that's coming from someone who generally likes Max Barry's writing. I did read it cover to cover though. I'm going to break it down into a few categories of why, and anything spoiler-ish will be labelled beforehand.
Characters: Completely one dimensional. You never learn anything about anyone or their motives. You never learn anything about why 'Sneaky Pete' did what he did. @ has literally no backstory. Nothing is explained about 6 and why she acted the way that she did. And maybe I'm the only one that thought it, but these names are completely stupid. They have business meetings and go 'And now presenting Mr. Sneaky Pete'. Seriously bring me out of the moment.
Marketing: For something about marketing, I don't think I've ever seen anyone get anything so wrong. Every 'marketing' idea they had I groaned and rolled my eyes. Then there's little 'Marketing Tips' throughout the book that add very little to the context. This entire part fell flat to me.
Spoilers ahead!
Story (Spoilers ahead): None of the story made sense. None of it. At one point, they have to come up with a new summer campaign because they decided not to do the old summer campaign. And now there's not enough time to do the old summer campaign, but there *is* enough time to come up with an entirely new campaign? How does that work?
Then the ending falls absolutely flat. Everything works just because, there is no ending, no sense of closure, no character development or growth. All around disappointing.
I do like Max Barry's earlier stuff though, so I was surprised at my reaction to this. I recommend picking up Machine Man as a light read if you'd like to get acquainted with him rather than this.
Characters: Completely one dimensional. You never learn anything about anyone or their motives. You never learn anything about why 'Sneaky Pete' did what he did. @ has literally no backstory. Nothing is explained about 6 and why she acted the way that she did. And maybe I'm the only one that thought it, but these names are completely stupid. They have business meetings and go 'And now presenting Mr. Sneaky Pete'. Seriously bring me out of the moment.
Marketing: For something about marketing, I don't think I've ever seen anyone get anything so wrong. Every 'marketing' idea they had I groaned and rolled my eyes. Then there's little 'Marketing Tips' throughout the book that add very little to the context. This entire part fell flat to me.
Spoilers ahead!
Story (Spoilers ahead): None of the story made sense. None of it. At one point, they have to come up with a new summer campaign because they decided not to do the old summer campaign. And now there's not enough time to do the old summer campaign, but there *is* enough time to come up with an entirely new campaign? How does that work?
Then the ending falls absolutely flat. Everything works just because, there is no ending, no sense of closure, no character development or growth. All around disappointing.
I do like Max Barry's earlier stuff though, so I was surprised at my reaction to this. I recommend picking up Machine Man as a light read if you'd like to get acquainted with him rather than this.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2012
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Having first read Machine Man, and thoroughly enjoyed it, I chose to read Syrup after reading several favorable reviews. I found the premise of the book and the cynical view of Marketing and big corporations enjoyable. I also liked the naming of the Characters: Sneaky Pete, Skat, 6, @. How could a book with character names like that miss? But I found the climax of the book a little disappointing. After a huge buildup, the ultimate defeat of Sneaky Pete was a little too easy. And the characters didn't seem to have much depth. What was Sneaky Pete's back story? How did he get to be Sneaky Pete? Why was 6 so closed about feelings and relationships? We will never know. I did enjoy the book, just not quite as much as Machine Man, but I will be reading more Max Berry.
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Top reviews from other countries
Persona
3.0 out of 5 stars
Clever and mature
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2013Verified Purchase
Scat is a great character and I like him. I think the storyline is witty and smart, but possibly too mature and sophisticated for me. I like how unique it is - a fictional book about business. Max Berry did a great job of constantly throwing problems in Scat and 6's path which weren't solved easily (most books it turns out characters find an obvious solution). This novel is great for someone who's probably 30+ because of the mature themes. There isn't any sex or violence, I mean mature in the way that it is intelligent and some moments are subtle which I had to re-read to understand. On the other hand, I felt like there was a cycle story wise with Scat (tiny spoiler) gets job, gets fired, uses Cindy, gets job.... so it had an element of predictability. Also, other books I've read made me feel an emotion, whereas a lot of this book is very logical and focused on the plans of characters. As a final note, I think this writer could be good at writing romantic fiction, as he came up with inventive and creative ways to describe 6's attractiveness.
Olav
1.0 out of 5 stars
This book needs some serious downrating
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 27, 2013Verified Purchase
Hated it! I think this is for me the first book that tries to be funny but failed to make me giggle once. The fast pace writing comes across for me, more than anything else, as a lazy excuse for not actually writing imaginable portraits of situations and characters. It is not particularly smart in any way what so ever. The plot is weak, lacks focus and not engaging at all. If I was Paltrow, Cruise, Ryder or any of the other celebrities "portrayed" in this mediocre book I would take an offence in the cheap way the writer takes advantage of their famous names. The ending was hurried and as predictable as a family friendly sit-com.
There is a spoken line in the book that goes like this: "It's a democratic society. Your opinion of what's quality is no more valid than mine. Popularity is quality"
This is not true. The review for this book proves it. Maybe that's what advertisement have done with our society?
There is a spoken line in the book that goes like this: "It's a democratic society. Your opinion of what's quality is no more valid than mine. Popularity is quality"
This is not true. The review for this book proves it. Maybe that's what advertisement have done with our society?
One person found this helpful
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Consumer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Top Marks
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 15, 2013Verified Purchase
This novel is a pure pleasure read. At just under 300 pages, this satire on the marketing world never felt like a chore and it is, at times, very witty. There are lots of interesting notes about marketing but the true pull of this story is the relationship between the two protagonists. I read it over 2-3 days or so, with the majority being read on the last day because I quite simply couldn't put it down. I won't spoil it too much by going into excessive detail about what happens and why I loved it but I thoroughly recommend. I really hope they release the film in England soon.
Sean Slippers
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 26, 2014Verified Purchase
I was looking for books by people who liked the Average American Male and was steered onto this. What an enjoyable read and fun romp through marketing with great characters, situations and plot.
Rhys Harries
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great feedback from recipient
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2016Verified Purchase
I've heard great feedback for the friend i bought it from.





