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How Ferris Wolfe Got Fired
Ferris Wolfe is flying high. Having just pulled off a major marketing coup for his small magazine, Ferris feels his star finally rising. But beneath his feet his company is crumbling. For Aquatic Hobbyist is a publication that rewards slackers and punishes its most dedicated staff. And when a mysterious act of sabotage rocks its offices, clues point to an inside job. Someone is gunning for Publisher Wolfe. Suspects abound, but is something more going on? As crises escalate and Ferris stumbles to the end of his publishing career, the company confronts a karmic siren song that will make every office worker howl.
112 pages, Paperback
Published January 2, 2021
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 17, 2021
The title of Beverly Garside’s novella, “How Ferris Wolfe Got Fired,” (HFWGF) gives away its ending. Ferris Wolfe is an ambitious, self-absorbed upper-middle manager aspiring to advance into the executive ranks of Pendulum Publishing. Following his success improving the profit margins of Aquatic Hobbyist Magazine, he believes that greatness is his due.
Wolfe is the epitome of a “hands off” manager – not in a good way. Rather than empowering his employees, Wolfe doesn’t really care a whit about what they do, so long as they don’t create problems for him. He offloads the minutiae of running the company to his assistant, Chase Fowler, whose behind-the-scenes job is spying on people. Wolfe’s indifference to front-line workers occasions numerous grievances among them. Four early chapters begin with short but telling sentences:
“Kayla Parker groaned.”
“Imogene Riley held her breath.”
“Elena Gutierrez swore.”
“Theo Roswell sighed.”
These diligent staff members are unhappy with various aspect of their jobs, but, ultimately they attribute these systemic office problems to Wolfe’s sanctimonious leadership. It seems inevitable, then, that one or more of them would scheme to undermine him. When he falls, he falls hard:
"Ferris sunk into a deep mire of depression. Yes, it was Chase. But it was also the whole world. It was a concerted effort. The entire universe had turned against him. But what, in the name of all that was holy, had he done wrong to deserve it?"
It’s typical of egomaniacal bosses to blame others for their failure, but turnabout is fair play when the scapegoats get revenge.
At just 20,000 words, Garside’s novella is punchy with an underlying comic cynicism. The narrative, however, lacks depth or originality. Dysfunctional offices have inspired numerous books and movies, and a recurring theme among them is the boss who gets deserved comeuppance from underappreciated subordinates. In HFWGF, character development get short shrift, so the only thing readers know about Kayla, et al is that they are dissatisfied and frustrated at work. There are also a slew of minor characters who contribute little more to the story than a single scene. HFWGF would be more compelling with a complex, relatable main character, rather than several one-dimensional actors.
Still, HFWGF is replete with silliness and satire, as well as occasional perspicacity, which at is best parodies the absurdities of office bureaucracy. It is worth reading, perhaps to relax after a hard day at the office.
Wolfe is the epitome of a “hands off” manager – not in a good way. Rather than empowering his employees, Wolfe doesn’t really care a whit about what they do, so long as they don’t create problems for him. He offloads the minutiae of running the company to his assistant, Chase Fowler, whose behind-the-scenes job is spying on people. Wolfe’s indifference to front-line workers occasions numerous grievances among them. Four early chapters begin with short but telling sentences:
“Kayla Parker groaned.”
“Imogene Riley held her breath.”
“Elena Gutierrez swore.”
“Theo Roswell sighed.”
These diligent staff members are unhappy with various aspect of their jobs, but, ultimately they attribute these systemic office problems to Wolfe’s sanctimonious leadership. It seems inevitable, then, that one or more of them would scheme to undermine him. When he falls, he falls hard:
"Ferris sunk into a deep mire of depression. Yes, it was Chase. But it was also the whole world. It was a concerted effort. The entire universe had turned against him. But what, in the name of all that was holy, had he done wrong to deserve it?"
It’s typical of egomaniacal bosses to blame others for their failure, but turnabout is fair play when the scapegoats get revenge.
At just 20,000 words, Garside’s novella is punchy with an underlying comic cynicism. The narrative, however, lacks depth or originality. Dysfunctional offices have inspired numerous books and movies, and a recurring theme among them is the boss who gets deserved comeuppance from underappreciated subordinates. In HFWGF, character development get short shrift, so the only thing readers know about Kayla, et al is that they are dissatisfied and frustrated at work. There are also a slew of minor characters who contribute little more to the story than a single scene. HFWGF would be more compelling with a complex, relatable main character, rather than several one-dimensional actors.
Still, HFWGF is replete with silliness and satire, as well as occasional perspicacity, which at is best parodies the absurdities of office bureaucracy. It is worth reading, perhaps to relax after a hard day at the office.
Displaying 1 of 1 review