Personal Days
This is a fast-moving book that also requires patience. It DOES all come together in part 3 -- not because the first two sections are faulty, but because the reality of one of the characters ends up making a great statement about the world that the other characters drift through in parts 1 & 2. Ed Park has a great sense of control over his narrative, especially considering how easy it would be to jump all over the place infinitely, there is a clear movement from character to character here. Are all the anecdotes elaborate? no -- but I felt like even the little, seemingly innocuous anecdotes ended up contributing to the overall themes and characters. Not sure everyone would love this or find it funny (I spent time in a company eerily similar, so lots seemed familiar), but I thought this was well done and look forward to his future work!
