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Maybe The Horse Will Talk
'I am absolutely terrified of losing a job I absolutely hate.'
Stephen Maserov has problems. A onetime teacher, married to fellow teacher Eleanor, he has retrained and is now a second-year lawyer working at mega-firm Freely Savage Carter Blanche. Despite toiling around the clock to make budget, he's in imminent danger of being downsized. And to make things worse, Eleanor, sick of single-parenting their two young children thanks to Stephen's relentless work schedule, has asked him to move out.
To keep the job he hates, pay the mortgage and salvage his marriage, he will have to do something strikingly daring, something he never thought himself capable of. But if he's not careful, it might be the last job he ever has...
Warm, dramatic, and at times laugh-out-loud funny, with the narrative pull of a thriller, Maybe the Horse Will Talk is a love story, a reflection on contemporary marriage, and on friendship. It is also an unflinching examination of sexual harassment in the workplace and an expose of corporate corruption that taps directly into the pulse of our times.
'Australia's outstanding social novelist' (Times Literary Supplement), Elliot Perlman '...has many things working in his favor as a novelist- curiosity, erudition, daring and a gift for seducing readers into going along with him for the ride. He'll get you where you want to go...' (Washington Post)
Stephen Maserov has problems. A onetime teacher, married to fellow teacher Eleanor, he has retrained and is now a second-year lawyer working at mega-firm Freely Savage Carter Blanche. Despite toiling around the clock to make budget, he's in imminent danger of being downsized. And to make things worse, Eleanor, sick of single-parenting their two young children thanks to Stephen's relentless work schedule, has asked him to move out.
To keep the job he hates, pay the mortgage and salvage his marriage, he will have to do something strikingly daring, something he never thought himself capable of. But if he's not careful, it might be the last job he ever has...
Warm, dramatic, and at times laugh-out-loud funny, with the narrative pull of a thriller, Maybe the Horse Will Talk is a love story, a reflection on contemporary marriage, and on friendship. It is also an unflinching examination of sexual harassment in the workplace and an expose of corporate corruption that taps directly into the pulse of our times.
'Australia's outstanding social novelist' (Times Literary Supplement), Elliot Perlman '...has many things working in his favor as a novelist- curiosity, erudition, daring and a gift for seducing readers into going along with him for the ride. He'll get you where you want to go...' (Washington Post)
352 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2019
136 people are currently reading
873 people want to read
About the author
Elliot Perlman
19 books332 followersElliot Perlman is an Australian author and barrister. He has written two novels and one short story collection. His work "condemns the economic rationalism that destroys the humanity of ordinary people when they are confronted with unemployment and poverty". This is not surprising in a writer who admires Raymond Carver and Graham Greene because they "write with quite a strong moral centre and a strong sense of compassion". However, he says that "Part of my task is to entertain readers. I don't want it to be propaganda at all. I don't think that for something to be political fiction it has to offer an alternative, I think just a social critique is enough". He describes himself, in fact, as being interested in "the essence of humanity" and argued that exploring this often means touching on political issues.
Perlman often uses music, and song lyrics, in his work to convey an idea or mood, or to give a sense of who a character is. However, he recognises that this "is a bit of a risk because the less familiar the reader is with the song, the smaller the pay off.
Perlman often uses music, and song lyrics, in his work to convey an idea or mood, or to give a sense of who a character is. However, he recognises that this "is a bit of a risk because the less familiar the reader is with the song, the smaller the pay off.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
November 20, 2019
It is with great sadness and inner conflict that I decided to quit on this novel around the 40% mark.
There's a huge discordance between how much I care about the issues at the core of this novel and how little I've enjoyed it. I appreciate what Perlman is doing and I'm convinced he had the best intentions, it just didn't work for me. I'm sorry to say that I found it trite, at times, the conversations were unbelievable, moralistic and read like essays on women's discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
This was one of the books I was most excited to read this year, but it turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments. :-(
There's a huge discordance between how much I care about the issues at the core of this novel and how little I've enjoyed it. I appreciate what Perlman is doing and I'm convinced he had the best intentions, it just didn't work for me. I'm sorry to say that I found it trite, at times, the conversations were unbelievable, moralistic and read like essays on women's discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
This was one of the books I was most excited to read this year, but it turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments. :-(
January 20, 2020
Who is this book for?
The 'social message' is so hamfisted it feels condescending. Just one example:
"When, when we've dealt with these cases, after we've dealt with them, we need to address the culture of the corporation to prevent these things from happening again."
"Well, boys will be boys, but you can draft a memo telling them to keep their hands in their pockets, not that they will, and I'll be happy to sign it. That it?" 148
The bad guys are really rich, dumb and irredeemable and the good guys are a ragtag quirky yet lovable bunch. The Jessica character seems to be speaking to the reader sometimes. All the women are saved by the male protagonist. He is "one of the good ones". This was published in 2019 but the politics feel dated.
I think Perlman was going for a Stephanie Plum-esque romp vibe? Maybe his publishers wanted something like The Rosie Project but with sprinkled with more zeitgeist.
The main sin of "Maybe the Horse Will Talk" is that it is so totally bland.
The characters are bland. The dialogue is bland. The satire is bland. The plot is like a bland John Grisham novel.
It's interesting that this book was published. I've heard nothing but good things about Perlman's earlier work.
The 'social message' is so hamfisted it feels condescending. Just one example:
"When, when we've dealt with these cases, after we've dealt with them, we need to address the culture of the corporation to prevent these things from happening again."
"Well, boys will be boys, but you can draft a memo telling them to keep their hands in their pockets, not that they will, and I'll be happy to sign it. That it?" 148
The bad guys are really rich, dumb and irredeemable and the good guys are a ragtag quirky yet lovable bunch. The Jessica character seems to be speaking to the reader sometimes. All the women are saved by the male protagonist. He is "one of the good ones". This was published in 2019 but the politics feel dated.
I think Perlman was going for a Stephanie Plum-esque romp vibe? Maybe his publishers wanted something like The Rosie Project but with sprinkled with more zeitgeist.
The main sin of "Maybe the Horse Will Talk" is that it is so totally bland.
The characters are bland. The dialogue is bland. The satire is bland. The plot is like a bland John Grisham novel.
It's interesting that this book was published. I've heard nothing but good things about Perlman's earlier work.
September 27, 2019
As you know if you've read his
Meet an Aussie Author profile
, Elliot Perlman is one of my all-time favourite authors. No other author that I know of has so consistently been able to combine social critique and an exploration of the human condition, within novels that are unputdownable.
As an added bonus, Perlman's latest novel Maybe the Horse Will Talk is set in Melbourne, in the streets and alleyways of our corporate jungle, our bars and cafés, and even in Hawthorn's tree-lined streets and manicured gardens where it is said that people tend not to die because they're already in heaven.
Maybe the Horse Will Talk is the story of lawyer Stephen Maserov, who is absolutely terrified of losing the job he hates. Bound by the mortgage on the family home, (from which his wife Eleanor has evicted him because he's never home anyway) he—like every other lawyer employed by Freely Savage Carter Blanche (!)— lives in fear of the regular staff culls and the inevitability of losing his job. And so it is that when he stumbles upon a risky opportunity to stave off looming unemployment, he abandons caution and walks an extraordinary tightrope, while the senior partners sabotage him at every turn.
Maserov wangles himself into secondment in the office of a major client called Torrent Industries, where his more than somewhat awkward task is to make the claims of sexual harassment go away. Maserov is an ethical man so this (to put it mildly) puts him in a bind.
This issue gives Perlman an opportunity to articulate the problem of sexual harassment with forensic precision. The value of this is that men are going to be reading this book and getting the message that (a) sexual harassment is morally wrong and (b) it's stupid for any business to risk its reputation and the cost of litigation. Jessica, Maserov's colleague at Torrent Industries is being harassed by a senior colleague called Frank Cardigan, and she needs Maserov to stay behind after work to be nearby in case of trouble. 'Trouble', she knows, has already been very serious indeed for other women, but Maserov has a crucial meeting with one of the sexual assault victims so he can't help that night. And he sees beyond her usual office hours corporate demeanour that she is genuinely frightened. When he gently asks her about it, she acknowledges that while the corporate workplace delivers all kinds of fear because of the way power operates, there's a whole additional level of terror and disequilibrium that most men never really understand.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/09/27/m...
As an added bonus, Perlman's latest novel Maybe the Horse Will Talk is set in Melbourne, in the streets and alleyways of our corporate jungle, our bars and cafés, and even in Hawthorn's tree-lined streets and manicured gardens where it is said that people tend not to die because they're already in heaven.
Maybe the Horse Will Talk is the story of lawyer Stephen Maserov, who is absolutely terrified of losing the job he hates. Bound by the mortgage on the family home, (from which his wife Eleanor has evicted him because he's never home anyway) he—like every other lawyer employed by Freely Savage Carter Blanche (!)— lives in fear of the regular staff culls and the inevitability of losing his job. And so it is that when he stumbles upon a risky opportunity to stave off looming unemployment, he abandons caution and walks an extraordinary tightrope, while the senior partners sabotage him at every turn.
Maserov wangles himself into secondment in the office of a major client called Torrent Industries, where his more than somewhat awkward task is to make the claims of sexual harassment go away. Maserov is an ethical man so this (to put it mildly) puts him in a bind.
This issue gives Perlman an opportunity to articulate the problem of sexual harassment with forensic precision. The value of this is that men are going to be reading this book and getting the message that (a) sexual harassment is morally wrong and (b) it's stupid for any business to risk its reputation and the cost of litigation. Jessica, Maserov's colleague at Torrent Industries is being harassed by a senior colleague called Frank Cardigan, and she needs Maserov to stay behind after work to be nearby in case of trouble. 'Trouble', she knows, has already been very serious indeed for other women, but Maserov has a crucial meeting with one of the sexual assault victims so he can't help that night. And he sees beyond her usual office hours corporate demeanour that she is genuinely frightened. When he gently asks her about it, she acknowledges that while the corporate workplace delivers all kinds of fear because of the way power operates, there's a whole additional level of terror and disequilibrium that most men never really understand.
A woman in the workplace has her clothes discussed by her male colleagues, her appearance, her body shape, changes in her body shape, her reaction to sexual innuendo, to off-colour jokes about sex, unwanted, unasked-for flirting and her reaction to that, fear of casual bodily contact all the way along the continuum, offers to trade sexual favours for career advancement and the consequences of rejecting them, blackmail and every conceivable permutation of sexual harassment and assault all the way down the line to rape. There's no overtime, no salary, no perks of the job that make any of that worthwhile. (p.114)
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2019/09/27/m...
October 28, 2019
Lawyer in-jokes and mansplaining of Me Too for those living under a rock for last few years. The literary equivalent of "But some of us are nice guys".
November 4, 2019
So disappointed in this book. I love, love all Perlman’s other books so was really looking forward to this. Unfortunately I found it trite, unbelievable, poorly written - like a potboiler - and sexist, no powerful female characters, they all did what the men told them to. It felt like the book equivalent of eating fast food. An easy read but completely unsatisfying.
October 3, 2019
How insightful is Elliot Perlman. He taps into the socio-economic zeitgeist as no other Aussie writer is able to do. He is our pre-eminent social commentator.
I couldn't put this book down. Th characters are somehow people we get to know intimately and they enact and address themes so relevant to our way of life. The major theme of sexual harassment in the corporate world is treated with authorial empathy lacking in the psychopaths at the top of the legal pyramid. A former barrister, Perlman knows this world well. He writs with authority, holding up a mirror to our world. Remarkably the book has a rare brand of humour and wit. It's a great read.
I couldn't put this book down. Th characters are somehow people we get to know intimately and they enact and address themes so relevant to our way of life. The major theme of sexual harassment in the corporate world is treated with authorial empathy lacking in the psychopaths at the top of the legal pyramid. A former barrister, Perlman knows this world well. He writs with authority, holding up a mirror to our world. Remarkably the book has a rare brand of humour and wit. It's a great read.
August 15, 2019
Reading this is like a drug. Everything else goes out of the window. A very fast paced, laugh out loud and witty account of life in a big legal firm. Stephen Maserov, a second year lawyer, hates his job but is terrified of losing it. In a convoluted plot he manages to outsmart the hated senior partner, reveal and skewer sexual harassment in a major client, explore the nature and pitfalls of friendship and marriage, and earn himself some time to consider his future. I was definitely hooked into this, but not sure how satisfying it was in the end.
October 8, 2019
This is funny and clever. It is also a summary of so many times that I was backed into a corner by a horny manager . Elliot Perlman has written a book that describes ,so perfectly, the conflict of being an essentially good person ,with having to survive in the modern world: such as being a lawyer.
December 3, 2019
I found this novel to be utterly condescending and in some places nauseating. Am I wrong, or is Pearlman appropriating the harm perpetuated upon millions of women every day in order to pen a best-seller?
Why do we need a 'nice guy' to rescue women from 'bad guys', all the while emotionally manipulating them and making blushing comments about how he desperately wants to bend them over a desk at work but knows that 'now' that would be 'perceived as wrong'?
Does anyone else feel that having a novel that supposedly examines women's struggles to survive and thrive in corporate culture centres on a whiny gentleman's desperate NOT ALL MEN bid, deeply ironic?
I was disgusted.
Why do we need a 'nice guy' to rescue women from 'bad guys', all the while emotionally manipulating them and making blushing comments about how he desperately wants to bend them over a desk at work but knows that 'now' that would be 'perceived as wrong'?
Does anyone else feel that having a novel that supposedly examines women's struggles to survive and thrive in corporate culture centres on a whiny gentleman's desperate NOT ALL MEN bid, deeply ironic?
I was disgusted.
August 7, 2021
I decided that life is too short and that I have too many reads lined up, to waste any more time on this one. Cliched silly jokes.
December 17, 2019
2.5 ⭐️
Sadly I didn’t find this as enjoyable as “seven types of ambiguity” or “the street sweeper”.
“Maybe the horse will talk” lacks the richness and depth that make Perlman’s other novels so captivating. Clever as the writing may be, Perlman missed an opportunity to write quality female characters which would have much better fit the narrative centred on the #metoo movement. It just comes off yet another ‘man saves woman from man’ novel.
Sadly I didn’t find this as enjoyable as “seven types of ambiguity” or “the street sweeper”.
“Maybe the horse will talk” lacks the richness and depth that make Perlman’s other novels so captivating. Clever as the writing may be, Perlman missed an opportunity to write quality female characters which would have much better fit the narrative centred on the #metoo movement. It just comes off yet another ‘man saves woman from man’ novel.
October 13, 2019
I absolutely loved the opening pages of this book, but found it lagged a bit in the middle and I started to lose interest. Still, a very clever reflection on the state of our modern working lives. Some absolutely brilliant reflections and some very witty dialogue.
January 20, 2024
What a writer, what a ride.
I feel bereft because I’ve not read and studied Kafka and Gogol. This fantastical journey into a salaryman’s sacrifices and existentialist fears would make a great stage play.
The dialogue is like a hotly contested tennis match, and is probably referencing and parodying a famous 20th century writer I’m not familiar with, but I loved it.
My favourite line:
Most people think their manager is an idiot. The contempt in which you hold them is what allows you to continue working for them day after day. Do it long enough and you might just get to be someone else’s manager and have them bottle up their contempt for you. It’s all part of the life cycle of an employee.
I feel bereft because I’ve not read and studied Kafka and Gogol. This fantastical journey into a salaryman’s sacrifices and existentialist fears would make a great stage play.
The dialogue is like a hotly contested tennis match, and is probably referencing and parodying a famous 20th century writer I’m not familiar with, but I loved it.
My favourite line:
Most people think their manager is an idiot. The contempt in which you hold them is what allows you to continue working for them day after day. Do it long enough and you might just get to be someone else’s manager and have them bottle up their contempt for you. It’s all part of the life cycle of an employee.
January 21, 2020
I am no stranger to pitfalls of corporate work. I have experienced everything from verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and discrimination to then watch it all get covered up by HR and middle management. You could say I might be a little jaded when it comes to my opinions on corporate life, but then that wouldn’t even scratch the surface.
I came across Eliot Perlman’s novel in my first few weeks of moving to Melbourne. I wanted to read something Australian and preferably something local. When the local bookstore mentioned it would be up for their next book club meeting, I bought the book and signed up for the event.
Perlman’s book can be described as the sort of dark, bleak comedy that you only get after year’s of the system wearing you down. The dark comedy hinges on the relationship of the main protagonist, Stephen Masenov, his wife Elanor, the HR professional Jessica, and the strange lawyer, Betga. Tied up in the plot of the novel is sexual assault and harassment charges at Torrent Industries, which is described as a ludicrously profitable construction firm.
Woven between this Me Too narrative is a vicious and often hilarious attack at corporate capitalist offices with everything from open-plan offices, hot-desking, and collegial competition being mocked. If you have ever felt your job has eaten into your personal life, or perhaps that your personal life no longer exists then this book might bring you comfort in knowing that you aren’t the only one pissed-off and tired.
Perlman offers up a lot of food for thought throughout the novel. It feels at times like not just a novel, but a long rhetorical question for the reader. Especially when he talks about the hatred of our jobs, coupled with our complete financial dependence on them.
“Most of them are absolutely terrified of losing a job they absolutely hate.”
“White collar wage slaves,” as Perlman calls many of the characters in his book appear to be living the dream. They did everything right: finished school, got into law or business at university, graduated, and then worked their way up the corporate ladder. This dream promises us fulfilment at the end of it, but most of us are wondering what the heck we were thinking.
Perlman’s book will not make you comfortable, but you will get some Schadenfreude and snickering in.
“You need to understand that there are now just two kinds of people in this city, the people who are relegated to selling crafts by the side of the road—called consultants—and the people who still have the option of not buying those crafts.”
What Australian literature are you loving at the moment? As always, share the reading love.
I came across Eliot Perlman’s novel in my first few weeks of moving to Melbourne. I wanted to read something Australian and preferably something local. When the local bookstore mentioned it would be up for their next book club meeting, I bought the book and signed up for the event.
Perlman’s book can be described as the sort of dark, bleak comedy that you only get after year’s of the system wearing you down. The dark comedy hinges on the relationship of the main protagonist, Stephen Masenov, his wife Elanor, the HR professional Jessica, and the strange lawyer, Betga. Tied up in the plot of the novel is sexual assault and harassment charges at Torrent Industries, which is described as a ludicrously profitable construction firm.
Woven between this Me Too narrative is a vicious and often hilarious attack at corporate capitalist offices with everything from open-plan offices, hot-desking, and collegial competition being mocked. If you have ever felt your job has eaten into your personal life, or perhaps that your personal life no longer exists then this book might bring you comfort in knowing that you aren’t the only one pissed-off and tired.
Perlman offers up a lot of food for thought throughout the novel. It feels at times like not just a novel, but a long rhetorical question for the reader. Especially when he talks about the hatred of our jobs, coupled with our complete financial dependence on them.
“Most of them are absolutely terrified of losing a job they absolutely hate.”
“White collar wage slaves,” as Perlman calls many of the characters in his book appear to be living the dream. They did everything right: finished school, got into law or business at university, graduated, and then worked their way up the corporate ladder. This dream promises us fulfilment at the end of it, but most of us are wondering what the heck we were thinking.
Perlman’s book will not make you comfortable, but you will get some Schadenfreude and snickering in.
“You need to understand that there are now just two kinds of people in this city, the people who are relegated to selling crafts by the side of the road—called consultants—and the people who still have the option of not buying those crafts.”
What Australian literature are you loving at the moment? As always, share the reading love.
October 13, 2019
Eliot Perlman’s novel is brilliant and unusual - it had me flying through the pages with a burning need to know what would happen next while also delighting at how perfectly he has captured our vulnerabilities and laughing out loud at his spot-on satire. An entirely satisfying read!! Perlman has cleverly highlighted the mix of desperation and commitment that many professionals are feeling as corporate mergers, downsizing, offshore work and automation impact on these areas (following on from our manufacturing sector). Within this frame, he has generated a thrilling story on the potential circumstances and impacts of sexual harassment through multiple viewpoints putting forward the fears, entitlement approaches and doubts of his male and female characters in a nuanced, genuine and witty manner. Highly recommend.
November 2, 2019
Perlman has certainly written more intense, more complex and hard-hitting novels than this one; but, I thoroughly enjoyed this satire and felt that the author had definitely smiled as he was writing it. So contemporary in its cynicism of the corporate world, the novel presented an astute view of the human condition, which we have come to expect from this talented Australian author.
The humanity of his main character, Stephen Maserov, engaged me from start to finish. Vulnerable to changes in his marriage and to the insecurity of his job as a Second Year lawyer, Stephen launches an absurd plan to save his job that uncovers the corporate corruption rife in the high-powered law firm in which his future dangles so precariously. The characters Perlman creates within Stephen's circle of colleagues and bosses personify the "good, bad, and the ugly" of the corporate world and present a striking social commentary. Although I laughed out loud on so many occasions, I never felt that the twists and turns of his corporate thriller were stereotyped or exaggerated.
As well as the corruption Perlman portrays, he examines the sexual harassment that women experience within the work force. His forthright exposure of such abuse sends a clear message to all readers, men and women, that change must be demanded in 2019. In this regard, Stephen develops as a lawyer, as a friend, and becomes more of the man he needed to become.
The humanity of his main character, Stephen Maserov, engaged me from start to finish. Vulnerable to changes in his marriage and to the insecurity of his job as a Second Year lawyer, Stephen launches an absurd plan to save his job that uncovers the corporate corruption rife in the high-powered law firm in which his future dangles so precariously. The characters Perlman creates within Stephen's circle of colleagues and bosses personify the "good, bad, and the ugly" of the corporate world and present a striking social commentary. Although I laughed out loud on so many occasions, I never felt that the twists and turns of his corporate thriller were stereotyped or exaggerated.
As well as the corruption Perlman portrays, he examines the sexual harassment that women experience within the work force. His forthright exposure of such abuse sends a clear message to all readers, men and women, that change must be demanded in 2019. In this regard, Stephen develops as a lawyer, as a friend, and becomes more of the man he needed to become.
March 22, 2020
This book touched on big issues, sexual harassment the big one but also corporate life, relationships. I found the main character to be believable, leading a life of quiet desperation. Trying so hard and falling short. There were some very funny moments with Steven and Betka trying to outsmart Hamilton.
It is a long time since I read it but this book reminded me of Catch 22.
It is a long time since I read it but this book reminded me of Catch 22.
November 25, 2019
This does not read at all like Eliot Perlman's previous literary gems. There is no life in the characters, the plot is unbelievable and the dialogue seems forced. It was with a heavy heart that i abandoned it close to halfway through.
November 1, 2019
An excellent read. Very entertaining and incredibly well written.
November 10, 2019
'I am absolutely terrified of losing a job I absolutely hate.'
Stephen Maserov used to be a teacher. He retrained as a lawyer to try to give his family financial security. He’s now a second-year lawyer for a big corporate law firm, Freely Savage Carter Blanche where he’s working impossible hours to try to make budget. His wife Eleanor, who supported him in his career move, has asked him to move out of the family home because of the hours he works.
Sigh. So, there’s Stephen, working in a job he knows he hates, generating income to pay a mortgage for a home he can’t live in, supporting his wife and two small children. And, if that’s not enough stress, he isn’t sure that he’ll make it into the ranks of the third-year lawyers.
Stephen is both desperate and resourceful. He needs to keep his job to pay his mortgage and he wants to salvage his marriage. He sees and seizes an opportunity.
‘Under the right circumstances, I can make your horse talk.’
Torrent Industries is a major client of Freely Savage Carter Blanche. Stephen manages to get himself seconded there for a year on the basis that he can make some claims of sexual harassment go away.
Can Stephen do this, and how?
To write more about what Stephen does (and how) could ruin the story for an intending reader. Suffice to say, Stephen is walking a tightrope here. Can he survive and maintain an ethical position? Will he be able to expose the corrupt corporate world of which he is a part? And what about his marriage?
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, with its descriptive prose and its humour. I admired the way in which Mr Perlman explored several contemporary issues.
Highly recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Stephen Maserov used to be a teacher. He retrained as a lawyer to try to give his family financial security. He’s now a second-year lawyer for a big corporate law firm, Freely Savage Carter Blanche where he’s working impossible hours to try to make budget. His wife Eleanor, who supported him in his career move, has asked him to move out of the family home because of the hours he works.
Sigh. So, there’s Stephen, working in a job he knows he hates, generating income to pay a mortgage for a home he can’t live in, supporting his wife and two small children. And, if that’s not enough stress, he isn’t sure that he’ll make it into the ranks of the third-year lawyers.
Stephen is both desperate and resourceful. He needs to keep his job to pay his mortgage and he wants to salvage his marriage. He sees and seizes an opportunity.
‘Under the right circumstances, I can make your horse talk.’
Torrent Industries is a major client of Freely Savage Carter Blanche. Stephen manages to get himself seconded there for a year on the basis that he can make some claims of sexual harassment go away.
Can Stephen do this, and how?
To write more about what Stephen does (and how) could ruin the story for an intending reader. Suffice to say, Stephen is walking a tightrope here. Can he survive and maintain an ethical position? Will he be able to expose the corrupt corporate world of which he is a part? And what about his marriage?
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, with its descriptive prose and its humour. I admired the way in which Mr Perlman explored several contemporary issues.
Highly recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 17, 2019
Daily life can be stressful in the 21st century. It certainly is for second-year associate lawyer Stephen Maserov toiling away at the uber-firm Freely Savage Carter Blanche to make his budget and not become a ‘downsizing’ statistic. At the same time, he’s trying to salvage his marriage and turn around his separation with his wife; be an attentive (though non-live-in) parent to his two young children and pay the mortgage via the job that he hates. To succeed, he finds himself daringly taking a professional risk he never imagined was in his make-up to do – pushing himself boldly out from his coterie of lawyer colleagues in a desperate attempt to make himself professionally indispensable.
Perlman, the superlative author of the earlier best-selling Seven Types of Ambiguity and The Street Sweeper is not known to date for his comic talent but reading Maybe The Horse Will Talk is often a laugh-out-loud experience as it ruminates on contemporary survival; marriage; love & friendship; the workplace and issues of corporate corruption and sexual harassment. Perlman is an erudite wordsmith and storyteller of the highest order. A book to be recommended unreservedly.
Perlman, the superlative author of the earlier best-selling Seven Types of Ambiguity and The Street Sweeper is not known to date for his comic talent but reading Maybe The Horse Will Talk is often a laugh-out-loud experience as it ruminates on contemporary survival; marriage; love & friendship; the workplace and issues of corporate corruption and sexual harassment. Perlman is an erudite wordsmith and storyteller of the highest order. A book to be recommended unreservedly.
March 31, 2020
What’s with the ending? Not clever. Just seemed like he couldn’t be bothered to wrap it up?
The book was easy to read, a bit silly at times. A bit light.
The book was easy to read, a bit silly at times. A bit light.
May 1, 2020
When I was buying Boy Swallows Universe for my cousin’s sixteenth birthday present (retrospectively a far too gritty choice), I was chatting to the sales assistant at Avid Reader about how I wished the ending was left a little untied (more about this book to come), and she pointed out Maybe the Horse Will Talk and said I might enjoy it. After a cursory glance, I nodded politely and rushed out of the store to rescue my carpark from expiry. Like all names of places, persons and things, the book title left my brain immediately. But I DID remember that it was an Australian novel and I definitely remembered the “Bojack”-style character on the front cover - this was enough to find it again weeks later when I was hungry for homegrown authors.
I didn’t realise that this book would so closely align with a prevailing news story this week, namely the conviction of the once untouchable Harvey Weinstein. Given this relevance, and the fact that Elliot Perlman is an Australian author, I’ve chosen Maybe the Horse Will Talk as my debut review.
Maybe the Horse Will Talk is set in familiar Melbourne, and is a fictitious story about Stephen Maserov, a second-year lawyer (who knew there were so many ‘years’ of lawyership) who lives in a permanently anxious state because his workplace is essentially a cesspool of egos, unchecked patriarchal power and literal psychopaths. He left his (relatively) cushy job as an English teacher to increase his income, and is now living in joyless inertia. After neglecting his two children and home-life to maintain his position in the firm, his wife kicks him out the family home (the one he got the job to pay the mortgage of). Then the firm’s terrifying senior partner tells Maserov that he’s entirely dispensable, and more than likely to be moved on in a matter of months due to his forgettability (or lack of sucking-up).
So it’s Maserov’s desperation which causes him to undermine the senior partner and approach the firm’s largest client for secondment to quietly settle a spate of sexual assault claims - for most of the story, it seems as if Maserov’s gamble paid off.
I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the law terminology or corporate climate, but given Perlman’s first profession was as a barrister in Melbourne, it’s probably not too far off (though hopefully the workplace machismo is at least a little bit vintage). To Perlman’s credit, the language isn’t too hot-and-heavy for a pleb like me. It does seem entirely plausible that the predatory, sexist law firm could exist (or even be the norm), and it’s definitely authentic that sexual assault criminal cases are both complex and devastating for all parties involved. The women in this story (because it’s sexual assault acts by men towards women) are encouraged by all parties to settle, rather than be subject to the media and subsequent character-assault.
It’s a devastating storyline that stings of reality. In a recent article (post Weinstein conviction), Dr Karen O'Connell (discrimination law expert from University of Technology Sydney) was quoted as saying that “there are still a lot of stereotypes about survivors and one of the most pervasive is that women bring false accusations to bring down a powerful man.” As Perlman’s narrative echoes, it’s really not worth the psychological turmoil and career destroying effort just to alleviate a grudge against the patriarchy – I’m wondering how people can believe this? I mean honestly, does anyone (apart from Bill Cosby’s defence attorney apparently) think Weinstein is not guilty of sexual crimes and abuse of power?
Anyway… I won’t give any spoilers here, but don’t expect every dog to have his day in the short 350-odd pages of Maybe the Horse Will Talk, because apparently justice is not the norm.
Aside from the topical content, I really like Perlman’s exhaustive, descriptive sentences which read like explosive rants – the kind which have you red-faced should you say them aloud. The long-winded structure matches the self-deprecating and anxiety induced voice of the protagonist perfectly. Here’s one of my favourites:
Maserov is honourable and likeable, but my favourite character is A.A. Betga, whose roles include life-coach, private investigator, lawyer and philanderer. He is clever, obnoxious, enjoys craft beer and for some reason, dresses like he’s from the 1950s. Perlman seems to have spent a lot of effort to get me to like him - this silver-tongue who threw in his promising law career and now chairs the survival support group for those affected by the aforementioned terrifying partner. He says things like this:
The only female character of note is Jessica Annand, an under-utilised HR employee with a Master of Psychology – she’s wildly intelligent, unaffected, bold and beautiful and just a little bit unbelievable.
I thought the light and shade was well-balanced; the finer details of the affidavits are confronting and probably triggering for some readers, but the regular gags including the misleading origin of craft beers and the sadness of the policeman are a nice respite. You’ll get a kick out of this book if, like me, you’ve long suspected that great amounts of money equals corruption. I have read some critique on the lack of female representation, and though it would have been nice to have seen more females working in the upper echelons of the law or construction industries, my guess is that Perlman was going for realism rather than fantasy.
I am curious if this novel captures Maserov’s voice or Perlman’s, and I will definitely seek out another title to test this. Perhaps Seven Types of Ambiguity would be a good choice; shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award in 2004, it’s probably not a bad read.
I give Maybe the Horse Will Talk 4 out of 5 Belgian-styled wheat beers (that are really brewed by Wesfarmers).
I didn’t realise that this book would so closely align with a prevailing news story this week, namely the conviction of the once untouchable Harvey Weinstein. Given this relevance, and the fact that Elliot Perlman is an Australian author, I’ve chosen Maybe the Horse Will Talk as my debut review.
Maybe the Horse Will Talk is set in familiar Melbourne, and is a fictitious story about Stephen Maserov, a second-year lawyer (who knew there were so many ‘years’ of lawyership) who lives in a permanently anxious state because his workplace is essentially a cesspool of egos, unchecked patriarchal power and literal psychopaths. He left his (relatively) cushy job as an English teacher to increase his income, and is now living in joyless inertia. After neglecting his two children and home-life to maintain his position in the firm, his wife kicks him out the family home (the one he got the job to pay the mortgage of). Then the firm’s terrifying senior partner tells Maserov that he’s entirely dispensable, and more than likely to be moved on in a matter of months due to his forgettability (or lack of sucking-up).
So it’s Maserov’s desperation which causes him to undermine the senior partner and approach the firm’s largest client for secondment to quietly settle a spate of sexual assault claims - for most of the story, it seems as if Maserov’s gamble paid off.
I can’t vouch for the accuracy of the law terminology or corporate climate, but given Perlman’s first profession was as a barrister in Melbourne, it’s probably not too far off (though hopefully the workplace machismo is at least a little bit vintage). To Perlman’s credit, the language isn’t too hot-and-heavy for a pleb like me. It does seem entirely plausible that the predatory, sexist law firm could exist (or even be the norm), and it’s definitely authentic that sexual assault criminal cases are both complex and devastating for all parties involved. The women in this story (because it’s sexual assault acts by men towards women) are encouraged by all parties to settle, rather than be subject to the media and subsequent character-assault.
It’s a devastating storyline that stings of reality. In a recent article (post Weinstein conviction), Dr Karen O'Connell (discrimination law expert from University of Technology Sydney) was quoted as saying that “there are still a lot of stereotypes about survivors and one of the most pervasive is that women bring false accusations to bring down a powerful man.” As Perlman’s narrative echoes, it’s really not worth the psychological turmoil and career destroying effort just to alleviate a grudge against the patriarchy – I’m wondering how people can believe this? I mean honestly, does anyone (apart from Bill Cosby’s defence attorney apparently) think Weinstein is not guilty of sexual crimes and abuse of power?
Anyway… I won’t give any spoilers here, but don’t expect every dog to have his day in the short 350-odd pages of Maybe the Horse Will Talk, because apparently justice is not the norm.
Aside from the topical content, I really like Perlman’s exhaustive, descriptive sentences which read like explosive rants – the kind which have you red-faced should you say them aloud. The long-winded structure matches the self-deprecating and anxiety induced voice of the protagonist perfectly. Here’s one of my favourites:
“It was a warm and sunny autumn day and the city streets were blooming with lightly dressed women, lycra-clad superheroes cunningly disguised as bicycle couriers on amphetamines, ripped-off foreign students hopelessly lost and staring at their smartphones, avantgarde art students from the south-eastern suburbs clutching their caffeine fixes, street musicians sustained by the hope of reaching somebody, and a multitude of homeless people hopped up on cocktails of anti-dandruff shampoo, nail-polish remover and methylated spirits.”
Maserov is honourable and likeable, but my favourite character is A.A. Betga, whose roles include life-coach, private investigator, lawyer and philanderer. He is clever, obnoxious, enjoys craft beer and for some reason, dresses like he’s from the 1950s. Perlman seems to have spent a lot of effort to get me to like him - this silver-tongue who threw in his promising law career and now chairs the survival support group for those affected by the aforementioned terrifying partner. He says things like this:
“You’re like a baby caterpillar that has burst through his cocoon to become an incredibly beautiful, translucent-winged commercial lawyer. The only thing that would make your theory better is me having thought of it.”
The only female character of note is Jessica Annand, an under-utilised HR employee with a Master of Psychology – she’s wildly intelligent, unaffected, bold and beautiful and just a little bit unbelievable.
I thought the light and shade was well-balanced; the finer details of the affidavits are confronting and probably triggering for some readers, but the regular gags including the misleading origin of craft beers and the sadness of the policeman are a nice respite. You’ll get a kick out of this book if, like me, you’ve long suspected that great amounts of money equals corruption. I have read some critique on the lack of female representation, and though it would have been nice to have seen more females working in the upper echelons of the law or construction industries, my guess is that Perlman was going for realism rather than fantasy.
I am curious if this novel captures Maserov’s voice or Perlman’s, and I will definitely seek out another title to test this. Perhaps Seven Types of Ambiguity would be a good choice; shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award in 2004, it’s probably not a bad read.
I give Maybe the Horse Will Talk 4 out of 5 Belgian-styled wheat beers (that are really brewed by Wesfarmers).
January 22, 2020
The opening line of this book is a classic.
'I'm absolutely terrified of losing a job I absolutely hate'
How many of us is that. A lot I would suggest given there's good data to show that the majority of employees are moderately or actively disengaged. So that opening line alone will have many wage slaves reading on.
The protagonist is a mature-age second year lawyer in a top tier firm who's treated like a slave by a sociopathic partner. This has resulted in a pause in his marriage. All real so far. And now he has managed to be seconded to the biggest client in the firm to defend them against Sexual Harassment cases.
Elliot is nothing if not current. He is a keen observer of the details of corporate life. His research on how employees think and what they say is impeccable if sometimes a little cartoon-like. And this is where my rating goes from 4 stars to 3 stars.
I love that the author is covering sexual harassment in the workplace. He has done his research and I hope that the book will be read by those who want to understand the how's and whys of it and why it is complex to prosecute.
The problem for me is that there's so much to explain that the book comes across as a large corporate training video. The characters feel overacted, hence the cartoon-like quality. The book is part satire and part information. His characters have the feel of Alexander McCall Smith's satire without the subtlety.
There are some beautiful lines, interspersed with dreary paragraphs, attempts at almost slapstick humour and characters that took me half the book to care about.
"He experienced but did not allow himself to acknowledge the small relief in which hone briefly luxuriates when a difficult or at least unpleasant task is removed from a person's schedule though no fault of one's own."
"Are you a religious man?" "No, we're Anglican"
The second half of the book is way better than the first.
I imagine this as a sitcom that I would struggle to get past the first episode, thereby missing the important messages therein.
I think you will either love this book or think it a bit meh. Nevertheless I hope there's a bunch of mid level corporate blokes out there that read it.
'I'm absolutely terrified of losing a job I absolutely hate'
How many of us is that. A lot I would suggest given there's good data to show that the majority of employees are moderately or actively disengaged. So that opening line alone will have many wage slaves reading on.
The protagonist is a mature-age second year lawyer in a top tier firm who's treated like a slave by a sociopathic partner. This has resulted in a pause in his marriage. All real so far. And now he has managed to be seconded to the biggest client in the firm to defend them against Sexual Harassment cases.
Elliot is nothing if not current. He is a keen observer of the details of corporate life. His research on how employees think and what they say is impeccable if sometimes a little cartoon-like. And this is where my rating goes from 4 stars to 3 stars.
I love that the author is covering sexual harassment in the workplace. He has done his research and I hope that the book will be read by those who want to understand the how's and whys of it and why it is complex to prosecute.
The problem for me is that there's so much to explain that the book comes across as a large corporate training video. The characters feel overacted, hence the cartoon-like quality. The book is part satire and part information. His characters have the feel of Alexander McCall Smith's satire without the subtlety.
There are some beautiful lines, interspersed with dreary paragraphs, attempts at almost slapstick humour and characters that took me half the book to care about.
"He experienced but did not allow himself to acknowledge the small relief in which hone briefly luxuriates when a difficult or at least unpleasant task is removed from a person's schedule though no fault of one's own."
"Are you a religious man?" "No, we're Anglican"
The second half of the book is way better than the first.
I imagine this as a sitcom that I would struggle to get past the first episode, thereby missing the important messages therein.
I think you will either love this book or think it a bit meh. Nevertheless I hope there's a bunch of mid level corporate blokes out there that read it.
January 19, 2020
Having bought this book as a gift for my son at Christmas and learning how he enjoyed it, I was keen to tackle it myself.
I found it an intriguing mix of humour, unpredictability and honest social commentary that compelled me to think that perhaps as the allegory claimed there are times when “maybe the horse will talk!” Impossible- not at all suggests Perlman who seems to contend that no situation is totally irretrievable no matter how desperate or improbable it would first appear or seem.
Staying ahead of the game requires individuals to be open to all possibilities and desperate times call for deeper measures, the outcome of which may rarely be what was imagined.
As Maserov advises Featherby immediately after he has rescued him from attempting to kill himself for fear he has no job prospects or no future, “things can change in a heartbeat, my friend. Your only real job is to nurture the heartbeat. It’s a job (our job) for life.”
Perlman is a perceptive writer who generates important social commentary through this text based in contemporary Melbourne as it explores sexual harassment, exploitation, corruption, career humiliation and relational breakups and restitutions.
A timely read in the current context of #metoo movement and a number of other social responses including whistleblowing and entrapment. However, I too, found the ending somewhat disappointing and unsatisfying given what had preceded it up to that point.
I found it an intriguing mix of humour, unpredictability and honest social commentary that compelled me to think that perhaps as the allegory claimed there are times when “maybe the horse will talk!” Impossible- not at all suggests Perlman who seems to contend that no situation is totally irretrievable no matter how desperate or improbable it would first appear or seem.
Staying ahead of the game requires individuals to be open to all possibilities and desperate times call for deeper measures, the outcome of which may rarely be what was imagined.
As Maserov advises Featherby immediately after he has rescued him from attempting to kill himself for fear he has no job prospects or no future, “things can change in a heartbeat, my friend. Your only real job is to nurture the heartbeat. It’s a job (our job) for life.”
Perlman is a perceptive writer who generates important social commentary through this text based in contemporary Melbourne as it explores sexual harassment, exploitation, corruption, career humiliation and relational breakups and restitutions.
A timely read in the current context of #metoo movement and a number of other social responses including whistleblowing and entrapment. However, I too, found the ending somewhat disappointing and unsatisfying given what had preceded it up to that point.
May 16, 2021
2.5 stars
Stephen is a second year lawyer who is terrified of losing a job he hates. He works at a huge Melbourne law firm where no one in management really knows who he is - yet Stephen is certain that he is about to be culled from the firm unless he can do something daring.
This opportunity presents itself when he attends a meeting between his boss and the owner of a large construction company dealing with a spate of sexual harassment complaints. When Stephen’s boss clearly fobs the client off in order to charge more billing hours, Stephen boldly confronts the client after the meeting advising him he can make the complaints go away if he engages Stephen to his company on a secondment.
As one of the author’s previous books The Street Sweeper, is one of my favourite books, I am disappointed to say that this book just wasn’t for me 😞
The politics of business and searching for creative ways to be indispensable was interesting and although it was a satirical look at corporate life, it felt to me like I was watching an amateur play where everyone is overacting.
The characters almost felt a bit cartoonish and a lot of the scenes felt quite implausible to me. I get it’s fiction and doesn’t have to be plausible....but I at least want the author to convince me that it could be and in this instance I wasn’t. If you like a satirical look at corporate life and relationships, then this may be right up your alley but unfortunately this one just wasn’t really for me ⭐️⭐️.5/5
Stephen is a second year lawyer who is terrified of losing a job he hates. He works at a huge Melbourne law firm where no one in management really knows who he is - yet Stephen is certain that he is about to be culled from the firm unless he can do something daring.
This opportunity presents itself when he attends a meeting between his boss and the owner of a large construction company dealing with a spate of sexual harassment complaints. When Stephen’s boss clearly fobs the client off in order to charge more billing hours, Stephen boldly confronts the client after the meeting advising him he can make the complaints go away if he engages Stephen to his company on a secondment.
As one of the author’s previous books The Street Sweeper, is one of my favourite books, I am disappointed to say that this book just wasn’t for me 😞
The politics of business and searching for creative ways to be indispensable was interesting and although it was a satirical look at corporate life, it felt to me like I was watching an amateur play where everyone is overacting.
The characters almost felt a bit cartoonish and a lot of the scenes felt quite implausible to me. I get it’s fiction and doesn’t have to be plausible....but I at least want the author to convince me that it could be and in this instance I wasn’t. If you like a satirical look at corporate life and relationships, then this may be right up your alley but unfortunately this one just wasn’t really for me ⭐️⭐️.5/5
October 22, 2020
I've noticed from the other reviews posted for this book, it appears to be controversial. I am a big fan of Elliot Perlman and have enjoyed all his books but I also understand that his writing style is unconventional. He tackles social issues and provides social commentary in his books but uses a satirical style. His main characters are not traditional heroes or crusaders, but ordinary people navigating a career in a contemporary corporate environment.
The hero, Stephen Maserov, is uncomfortable in this work environment, he wants to do the right thing and make a good life for himself and his family but he's hindered by the corporate cultures and moral dilemma's they throw up. He is not a traditional 'hero'.
I liked the way Elliot writes the everyday environment, the tongue in cheek style and the cutting observations. He highlights contemporary issues like bullying in the workplace, exploitation of employees, corporate corruption and sexual harassment in an unconventional storyline. There is cynicism about how the captains of industry respond and how his main character deals with these issues.
It's a thought-provoking poke at the society we live in, an unflattering look at today's issues and the way our society has evolved and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The hero, Stephen Maserov, is uncomfortable in this work environment, he wants to do the right thing and make a good life for himself and his family but he's hindered by the corporate cultures and moral dilemma's they throw up. He is not a traditional 'hero'.
I liked the way Elliot writes the everyday environment, the tongue in cheek style and the cutting observations. He highlights contemporary issues like bullying in the workplace, exploitation of employees, corporate corruption and sexual harassment in an unconventional storyline. There is cynicism about how the captains of industry respond and how his main character deals with these issues.
It's a thought-provoking poke at the society we live in, an unflattering look at today's issues and the way our society has evolved and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
June 19, 2022
How did it take over a month for me to read bleak house but under a day to read this (and mostly in a SpecSavers?) The answer is because this book can and should be skimmed. Nearly abandoned this at the 50 page mark but I am glad I didn’t because ultimately it was enjoyable. The quicker you realise that the themes of sexual harassment / punitive corporate culture are mainly vehicles for Perlman to stuff the book with witty dialogue (irrespective of character. Everyone in this book is funny in exactly the same way and have very few personality differences.) the better. I think the merit of this book should be judged on what appears to be Perlman’s bifold intentions - to jam out as many wisecracks as can fit into a book without entirely compromising its coherence, and to namecheck as many Melbourne CBD streets, bars, cafes, etc as possible (both of which he carries out excellently.) Finally I greatly appreciate Perlman's acknowledgement of how steep and gruelling that slope is on Collins St between Docklands and Southern Cross. Every time I walk that I die a little.
March 1, 2021
3 1/2 stars. I loved parts of this book - a humorous look at the very serious issue of sexual assault in the work place. Narrated by the 2nd year lawyer whose job is it to make the claims disappear, the story is full of quirky characters who you want to sit at a bar and have a chat with them! There are a few odd tangents, and you do have to remember when you are reading the book that it is a novel and meant to be entertaining.
June 15, 2023
If a book takes me over a month to read, I hate it. This book was indulgent, confusing and uninteresting. The characters were unlikeable, the back stories hard to follow and the main plot ridiculous. The writing waffled as many points - sometimes taking over a paragraph to say “she was happy to be in the bar”. The only upside was recognising Melbourne suburbs. The ending? Took too long to get to and then ended jarring and abruptly. Ugh.
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