Man Out of Time

by Michael Hogan

For the nameless hero of Michael Hogan’s riveting, savagely comical novel, everything feels a little off-kilter. On his first day of work at a prestigious Manhattan firm, the bright, young would-be lawyer can’t help feeling that he’s living in the wrong time, at the wrong speed, in the wrong place. With the best of intentions, he’s put on his finest clothes, fought his way through a hangover, and entered a bewildering world of billable hours, office flirtations, and pedigreed posturing.

Even on day one he can’t quite show up on time. And the woman who catches his eye couldn’t be more inappropriate. Now for the wide-eyed young lawyer matched with a button-down firm a contest has begun. Because in one horrible moment, for all the right reasons, our hero makes a wrong move—an ill-timed chuckle that makes a fast enemy of one powerful partner-in-training. And the retribution that follows is quite possibly the most devastating, darkly comic portrayal of the punishment exceeding the crime in modern fiction...

Genres: Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2003

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I pushed myself through the first third of this book - I really did not like it during that time. It got better, but was never stellar. An unnamed hero, straight out of law school, experiences the trials and tribulations of a highly political office environment (where he couldn't care less and doesn't even know that he really wants to be a lawyer), gaining and losing friends right after school, family issues, love issues, alcohol issues, etc. It's kind of boring, but it gets a bit more interesting around the middle.

[Austin Savill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a decent book. The book starts fairly slow but eventually picks up nicely. I like that some of the characters are just there to exist and there are flashback stories that expand on the characters psyche without being to campy.

[Tim Ferris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Hogan. So does my wife. We will now trade the Hogan books we've read and then get on to the one we have in PDF format.

[Jess ☠️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some absolutely beautiful writing very much in the spirit of an alcohol drenched Holden Caulfield fresh from law school.

[Robert Clancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent first novel of a personal friend. Should be made into a movie.