Don't judge a book by its cover

It’s funny how sometimes a book can’t be described well enough to do it justice. I’d noticed the bright yellow cover of Then We Came to the End, but didn’t think much of it. I knew it had obtained positive reviews but still had no what it was all about nor have any idea what to make of it. All I knew was that it was about an Office. Hmm..not much to go on, I agree. But this shouldn’t put you off this book. It is chock full of sly humor and a story that grows on you. And now I know why the adage “don’t judge a book by its cover” holds true even in its literal sense.
The story is all about a group of people working for an ad agency towards the end of the 90s. It is a time of great anxiety as this is the beginning of the economic downturn that sets of massive lay offs. Due to the spiraling collective apprehension, the office is awash with numerous rumors and in response to such anxiety the staff begins to behave in increasingly bizarre ways. Ferris captures perfectly the microcosm of an office with all the petty jealousies among the people, the various groupings within the group, and always the gossip that percolates persistently among them. His use of the “We “ point of view is an effective way of demonstrating the pervasive group mentality as well as the boredom and anger that the members of the group feel. But more than being a humorous take on office life, Ferris writes with a voice that rings true. The story is acerbic, poignant and funny because we know that these things do happen in real life.