Personal Days Review

by Ed Park

Overall 2.00 of 5 (by 1 user)

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leon
Glen Ellyn, IL

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Great idea, poor story

software engineer, a web professional, a book a week reader

Pros

Interesting setting

Cons

Unlikable characters, Very difficult to read last chapter

MAY

2008

I love the idea of Personal Days. Part of the point (maybe, in hind sight, the whole point) is to explore modern forms of communication and their impact on readers and writers. The book is split into three sections each of which is named after an all-too-familiar word processing comand/issue/error (Can't Undo, Delete All, Revert to Saved) and each of which is formatted and laid out differently. The first is fairly normal, the middle is in outline form (II.A.3.c.iii). The last of them, be warned is in the form of a single sentence that rambles for 46 pages or so. There is a reason in the story for that, but still. It was difficult to get through.

I like stories set in modern corporations, and I like writers exploring the impact of technology and modern office social structures on the people who experience them. And this book does both. However, few of the characters are likeable, few of their decisions are beleivable, and the literary devices put in play by the technology seem forced at best.

If you want to read books set in modern corporate environments, read a Max Barry novel (Syrup, Jeniffer Government, or Company.) Jennifer Government is my favorite, and belongs on a short list of books i call Books I Hope My Marketing Department Never Reads.

If you want to read a book that better explores the impact of technology on stories and story telling read e by Mathew Beaumont. Its a great tale filled with colorful characters told as an epistolary novel via emails. You have to read the headers to understand the story: meta data plays a part in the story. You can't get more modern than that.