Follow the clerk's adventures through vast government offices as he struggles to make a name for himself on a secret mission for the director.
The clerk promised his betrothed he would build a life for them in the city when he moved away from his parents' farm, so he refuses to let any absurd situation prevent him from doing his job so well that he'll be promoted to senior clerk. The clerk comes face-to-face with a philosopher queen leading saboteurs to overthrow the government with philosophy. Inscrutable bureaucratic systems that seem tangled with war crimes ensnare the clerk. He must also shake a hobo who is convinced the clerk's pocket change can transform him from hobo to senator.
As the ordeals mount, the clerk takes strength from the little black mouse who lives in his shirt pocket.
How to Get a Promotion When Your Boss Is Trying to Kill You is at turns hilarious, intelligent, exhilarating, and imaginative. Part riotous lampoon of the modern workplace and part existential drama of one's place in society, this is the novel about which you won't stop talking.
A mix of quirk and philosophy, HOW TO GET A PROMOTION WHEN YOUR BOSS IS TRYING TO KILL YOU sends you on an adventure with a clerk as he tries to complete a myriad of tasks given to him by his direct manager, a temporary manager, and the director all with the aim of procuring a promotion. The style is Kafka-esque and the mysterious plot keeps the reader involved until the very end. Joseph Patrick Pascale also does a great job at presenting thought provoking issues that may seem unimportant to the clerk, but that are relevant in today's climate. I can't wait for the second installment with focus on the Problem Department!