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Anyone who has spent time in corporate America will recognize the inhabitants of Joshua Ferris's office: the Gossip, the Whiner, the Stapler Thief__and why not? Statistically, Americans spend more time with coworkers than with their families. Ferris, a former cubicle dweller himself, has created a rich cast of characters whose depth and realism surprised reviewers. Some admitted to initial doubts about Ferris's use of the first person plural__a collective, omniscient "we"__but all agreed that th

Anyone who has spent time in corporate America will recognize the inhabitants of Joshua Ferris's office: the Gossip, the Whiner, the Stapler Thief__and why not? Statistically, Americans spend more time with coworkers than with their families. Ferris, a former cubicle dweller himself, has created a rich cast of characters whose depth and realism surprised reviewers. Some admitted to initial doubts about Ferris's use of the first person plural__a collective, omniscient "we"__but all agreed that the generic narrator succeeded in pulling readers into the story. While the piercing, razor-sharp wit will keep readers laughing out loud, the plot twists and sudden character revelations make Then We Came to the End an insightful, intelligent commentary on humanity and individualism in the workplace. Concludes the Los Angeles Times: "It may even be, in its own modest way, a great American novel."

This is an excerpt from a review published in Bookmarks magazine.