Work

by Joseph Heller

Bob Slocum is anxious, bored and fearful of his job. So why is it he wants nothing more than the chance to speak at the next company convention? In this darkly satirical book, Joseph Heller takes us for a turn on the maddening hamster wheel of work. Heller’s workplace is a cradle of paranoia, bravado and nauseating banter, forever shadowed by that perennial question, who’s really running the show here? In Heller’s hands, our daily grind has never seemed so absurd.

Selected from the book Something Happened by Joseph Heller

VINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS.

A series of short books by the world’s greatest writers on the experiences that make us human

For the full list of books visit vintageminis.co.uk

Also in the Vintage Minis series:
Drinking by John Cheever
Swimming by Roger Deakin
Liberty by Virginia Woolf
Death by Julian Barnes

Genres: Fiction, Classics, American, Humor

77 pages, Paperback

First published June 8, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Joseph Heller was an American author of novels, short stories, plays, and screenplays. His best-known work is the 1961 novel Catch-22, a satire on war and bureaucracy, whose title has become a synonym for an absurd or contradictory choice. He was nominated in 1972 for the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Reviews

[Haifa Alhamzah · Rating 3 out of 5]

first, i'm amazed by vintage minis! well done penguin.
i read this book in one sitting (and some standing, it was a flight actually, from geneva to riyadh)
anyhow, this book is good for you if:
you like dark comedy/feeling cynical.
you liked Mad Men (the show) and the 60s 70s work environment.
you'd like to understand more about work, somehow it helped me to develop a personal idea or two of how feelings and things in workplace are.
you'd like to read a lot of adverbs.

[Ria · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you question 100 people '' Do you love your current job?" how many of them would respond that they actually like or love it? I bet no more than the 5%. Miller is the colleague that we have, a friend of ours complaining about his job, our father feeling stressed about the situation at the office, our wife boyfriend husband that is doing the most indifferent job in the world but still wants to be recognized and promoted. In the end, Heller is you and I. We have all experienced and felt at least once in our lives how Joseph feels here. I laughed while reading the book because I could picture myself thinking the same things!

If you don't want to read it give it to this friend of yours that is always feeling miserable and unsatisfied with his job. Plus make a note inside the book that things could always be worse!

[Suad Shamma · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book, especially as I sat reading most of it while at work...ahem.

I loved Joseph Heller's style of writing. His wit and dripping sarcasm while remaining unfailingly matter-of-fact were very amusing.

It is very relatable, very true to a work environment - for the most part - and more importantly, it made me want to delve more into his work. I admit, this was my first book for him (and yes, I realize it was more of an excerpt than a book, but still), and I know I should have read Catch-22 by now, but I haven't. I will though. After this, I'm definitely going to pick up Catch-22 next.

[The Contented · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excerpt from Joseph Heller's 'Something Happened'. The Penguin Vintage Minis (bought from a pocket shop in Hammersmith) work well as a 'taster' of a lengthier work. You can decide if you want to read more.

This was a brilliant satire on corporate life. Even funnier than Catch-22. Some of the reviews suggested that it came from one of the best novels of the 20th century, but that has to do with the ending, which I did not read here.

I did not like the racism and sexism and I am not sure 'Something Happened' is going to find its way on to my reading list anytime soon. There is much more to read in 2018.

[Dane Cobain · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book took me by surprise because I wasn’t too sure what to expect from it. I knew Heller as the author of Catch-22, which I still haven’t read, but this Vintage Mini Modern is basically an excerpt from Something Happened, his second most famous novel.

It’s basically all about the petty squabbling and politics that you get in an office job, and so because of that, I could relate to it. Recommended!

[Blacknlp · Rating 3 out of 5]

هلر تو این کتاب به مفهوم دیگر از ترس اشاره داره که ارتباط با آدم ها دلیلشه.
شروع خوب، ادامه متوسط و پایان بندی عالی. ارتباطات تو هر محیطی پیچیدگی خاص خودش رو داره و هلر بهش پرداخته.

[Books et Compagnie (G.) · Rating 4 out of 5]

didn’t expect to like this so much! loved the writing style which flowed so easily. definitely adding the full book to my tbr!

[Gavin Felgate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of a series of "Vintage Minis" published by Penguin Books.

As I understand it, each one is an extract from a longer novel by a well-known author, this one being from Something Happened. I think it jumped off the shelf for me because I really enjoyed some of Heller's other works, particularly his most well-known book, Catch-22.

The book is narrated by a character called Bob Slocum, and is set around the office that he works in. Reading this extract, I was able to spot Heller's distinctive style from the start:

In the office in which I work there are five people of whom I'm afraid. Each of these people is afraid for four people (excluding overlaps), for a total of twenty, and each of these twenty people is afraid of six people, making a total of one hundred and twenty people who are feared by at least one person.

This book gave me a good feel for what the book is about, and that a lot of it is about Slocum's own internal thoughts, and the complexities of office politics. A lot of the extract is about his relationship with another character called Andy Kagle, whose welfare he seems to worry about (Kagle is set out as someone on the verge of getting the sack), but who he also gets frustrated about (in one scene he sees Kagle and talks about his overwhelming desires to viciously attack him). The novel's darkly satirical tone, with its references to suicide is similar to Catch-22, and - since I work in an office myself - it all felt just very real, mostly the portrayal of the office as a very cut-throat world, and how everyone fears for their job security. Also...

The extract in this book ended with Slocum being told that he was going to get Kagle's job (Kagle inevitably about to be sacked), but he can't tell anyone else at this point, and that leads to him having to lie to Kagle. Since it is evident that Slocum is the only person Kagle trusts, I was intrigued to know how this would eventually affect their friendship.

Reading this convinced me that I should read "Something Happened" in its entirety, not daunted by its 550 plus page length (apparently). I've now bought the whole book on my Kindle, and plan to read it soon.

[Prachi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read only for the writing

[Johnny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humor may seem to be too light as a classification for a published selection of literary icon Joseph Heller's Something Happened. Work is satire, not as rich in satire as the literary jewel known as Catch 22, but intriguing, entertaining, and enlightening nonethelesss. It makes me wonder why someone who has read Catch 22 twice has never read Something Happened. [NOTE: I skimmed it as an undergraduate and didn't see anything in the satirization of corporate America that related to me. I'll probably need to check it out now that I'm later in life.]

When I picked up Work in the duty free bookstore while on an extended vacation trip, it looked interesting to me because it covers an area of corporate lifestyle that I just missed. If I had engaged in any of the proclivities in which Bob Slocum indulged, I would have been out the revolving door faster than DC's The Flash could reach Earth-2. Yet, some truths seem timeless. Knowing how every corporate culture has its colossal bores and its ice maiden (in terms of expression and reaction, not sexually) personal assistants, how apt was it to read: "She listens to him with great intensity because she is paying no attention to him at all." (p. 24)

Indeed, the wisdom describing corporate warfare on p. 41 still very much applied in my experience. "It is considered much better form to wage our battles sneakily behind each other's back than to confront each other directly with any semblance of complaint. (The secret attack can be denied, lied about, or reduced in significance, but the open dispute is witnessed and has to be dealt with by somebody who finds the whole situation deplorable.)" There is also a marvelous bit about "call reports" on p. 55 that I have seen played out in multiple industries: "The salesmen know beforehand that most of the information they will have to supply in their call reports is false." (p. 55) Nevertheless, managers still insist on such reports to have some assurance that sales personnel (often with the very legitimate suggestion of being "lazy") are doing "something." Yes, irony was something that Heller could write regarding any subject.

Speaking of sales personnel, my absolute favorite line in the book is: "'You tell terrible lies,' I say. 'You tell the worst lies of anybody in the whole business. I don't see how you ever made it as a salesman.'" (p. 58) It reminded me of the real-life experience when an individual in our front office assured a subscriber that an issue which had not yet finished being printed was already in the mail. Being caught, she looked up and excused herself by saying, "It's not a lie. It's marketing."

Yes, I suppose the full work of Something Happened from which Work was excerpted must be added to my reading list.

[Sam Still Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Getting to know a new author through the Vintage Minis collection is a genius idea. Like everyone else, I’ve heard of Catch-22. Unlike most other people, I haven’t actually read it. A satire about work really appealed to me and gave me a good taste Heller’s cynical wit.

Work is taken from Heller’s novel Something Happened and is about Bob Slocum. Bob is middle aged, bored and desperately wanting to present at the next company conference. His boss doesn’t want him to even though he knows Bob wants it. Why? Because there is a hierarchy at this company and everyone needs to be scared of someone else. Bob analyses his workplace in this fashion, noting the relationships and pecking order. As this is set in the 1970s, there is a fair bit of sexism and racism involved. Women are objects for nothing more than a bit of afternoon delight and the white older man reigns supreme. Bob sees all of this but isn’t really willing to change any of it. Why do anything when he’s just the middle man in middle management?

Heller’s take on office life is sly with wit and the peculiarities of work politics. But Bob knows he is part of the system and willing to work with it, unlike his friend Andy Kagle who worries about work, his superiors and the staff he manages. (Of course, Bob works things to his own advantage). Work is an enjoyable read, but is of course quite dated in some of its ideas. For me, this just added to the satirical effect. I’d certainly go further and read Something Happened based on this and of course, check out Catch-22.

http://samstillreading.wordpress.com

[Anuranjan Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last time I had tried reading Joseph Heller was when I was 12. I must confess that the few pages that I read of "Catch 22" were a bit too much for me. Confident that my comprehension skills had changed for the better in the 25 years that followed, I took my chances with "Work". The book is itself an excerpt from a larger work by the same author. I read this book partly as a proof that 12-year olds shouldn't be trusted as judges of quality. A funny and bleak piece of writing lives in the pages of this Mini. It will speak of the truth to cubicle workers of every persuasion. The cutthroat competition over petty matters and the fog of mistrust coursing through corporate office finds vivid expression here. Our cynical, manipulative narrator seems in line from what we have already experienced on a daily basis for the most of our working lives.

[Yeliz Ö.]

The excerpt ends just as the story becomes intriguing. This Vintage Mini is from Heller’s book Something Happened and is considered satire. We read Bob Slocum’s days at the company he works for. He gives detailed information about how things work out and how colleagues interact with each other. He lets us inside his mind and corporate America’s mind. He talks about grim subjects as if they are accepted facts and unavoidable.

Andy Kagle
Green
Brown
Arthur Baron

“It is considered much better form to wage our battles sneakily behind each other’s back than to confront each other directly with any semblance of complaint. (The secret attack can be denied, lied about, or reduced in significance, but the open dispute is witnessed and has to be dealt with by somebody who finds the whole situation deplorable.)” (41)

[Fabrizio Ciatti · Rating 4 out of 5]

As refreshing and punctual as the day it was published, this intriguing excerpt from Something happened offers a cynical analysis of the working life. Without specifying time and location, Hellers takes the shape of a universal story of alienation with which anybody can easily identify.

Heller is unparalleled in his ability to portray with crude and vivid colors the tragic life inside a company, where every employee has reason to fear another one, the prospect of being fired is constantly present and everybody lives an isolated and meaningless existence. But, and here comes the greatness of Heller, even if he acknolwedges the tragedy of human existence, he irremediably laughs at it. Consequently the book is entertaining and easily digestible.

[sekar banjaran aji · Rating 4 out of 5]

Work by #JosephHeller
Buku ini merupakan seri kedua dari #VintaGeminis yang aku baca. Ini lebih singkat dan compact daripada sebelumnya. Jadi buku ini adalah hasil sinopsis novel #SomethingHappened nya Pak Heller. Novel yang panjang lebar menceritakan Slocum bekerja. Aku membaca cerita ini sebagai update dari apa yg dituliskan Federich Engels soal buruh seratus tahun sebelumnya soal kondisi buruh. Namun Heller menuliskannya dengan fiksi dan satire bahwa alienasi tetap terjadi bahkan si level tertinggi manajemen. Frustasi adalah makanan sehari hari pekerja di sistem kapitalis. Heller, juga menyindir kebijakan Amerika tidak menyelesaikan masalah. Semuanya ditulis dengan satire.

#whatsekarreads #WhatSekarReads2019 ✨
@ Wonderland

[Jonathan Corfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joseph Heller made his name with Catch 22 but at some stage he and millions of others had to return to civilian life. Some went back to the farm, some returned to their careers making midget pornography and some ended up filling mid-level management jobs in faceless corporations riddled with internal politics and the daily fear of being fired.
If Catch 22 was an indictment of the war machine then this is an equal indictment of a different kind of mincing machine; just as lunatic, just as stark and just as competitive. There aren't many alternatives to economic slavery and there's always someone ready to throw you under the bus for their own perverse satisfaction.
Brutal.
Quality.
Heller was a master satirist

[Michelle Marre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy going back to my book reviews to add new insights after finishing a book. Revisiting my thoughts on a book can sometimes lead to a better understanding of what I enjoyed or didn’t like. It’s a great way to keep my reviews accurate and fresh for future readers. While editing reviews or reflecting on books, I like to take short breaks to relax and recharge. One platform that’s helped me unwind is Layboard https://layboard.in/ It’s a great place to explore job opportunities, but I also use it to take a quick break from my tasks. It’s simple, engaging, and offers a nice way to clear your head between more focused activities like writing reviews.

[dv · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought considering it a short novel, I realized - with initial delusion - it’s actually an excerpt from 1974 novel Something Happened. In these pages Heller’s direct and witty prose addresses all the idiosyncrasies of a male driven, highly competitive office work. Very often, the irony turns into bittersweet sadness, especially when the main character looks beyond the work environment: “I’ve got the decline of American civilization and the guilt and ineptitude of the whole government of the United States to carry around on these poor shoulders of mine”.

[Karan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains an excerpt from 'Something Happened' by Joseph Keller. Despite having been written in a different time, many of the glimpses of corporate life that I saw in this short piece still holds good. It describes the essence of most enterprises and specifically the experience of an above-average middle-management employee. It is a highly caricaturised satire that is also relevant to the Indian corporate landscape in 2017 and made me want to read the work in its entirety.

[Artur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Slocum is an old ass. He works at a relatively high position, he cheats on his wife and pursues vanity and better conditions at the expense of the others, he does his job, but does not like it too much. He fits right into the puzzle of the corporative ignorance and hypocrisy, but even though every line above is true, he is still a likable human. A man you’d expect to see in that position. A man that is party you, now or in the future. And this is why this book is so goddamn entertaining.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining book to read and very short; can be done in one (longer) sitting. I liked the style of writing employed by Heller and found myself liking Slocum (main character) despite him being (time-period characteristically) sexist and misogynistic. Classic old-office setting with cynicism we all feel in our jobs. For what it is, I'm sure it is well done; it's just not a story / book I prefer.

[Shrinidhi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heller's satirical take on the office spaces and politics of yesteryear which has laid the foundation to the modern corporate ecosystem.
Bob Slocum, the protagonist, wants nothing more than to present at the yearly convention while scaring his subordinates and being scared of his higher-ups. Short, funny and sarcastic, it's a good read without being too poignant (3.5/5).

[Natalie Pampelmuse · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all I want to say that I really love the vintage mini series. I've already read a few of them.

But this one was my least favourite. It was not the way I expected it to be.
This little book might be good for you if you like dark comedy. I'm just not a fan of jokes that are racist and sexist.

[Răzvan Ionescu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bit cynical, bit jaded, with a healthy serving of the absurd. Can also be read as a guide to why corporations function the way they do.
"Nobody is sure anymore who really runs the company (not even the people who are credited with running it), but the company does run"

[Paul J · Rating 5 out of 5]

A smart, cynical satire on the pitfalls and problems that many of us will navigate in some form or another during our working lives. Frequently found myself with a wide, wry smile whilst reading. I definitely intend to read the book (Something Happened) that this book is an excerpt of.

[Oryx · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, great, funny and great, although sexist, very sexist, context is everything.

3.99

[Aman Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smirky to read. Excruciating to live.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need to write about this book.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It might be great writing and very insightful, but it does drone on a bit

[Ivana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Captivating story about lifes of executives in a typical corporation. Had fun reading.