Synopsis:
Brian is a public servant. He is his career and his career is him. He spends his days besieged by coworkers that he believes he is far better than.
The politicians put demands on his time and sanity that he wishes he could live without. Someone in the office is stealing lunches from the communal fridge.
As a mysterious virus sweeps across the world, sending people insane, Brian and his team work to protect the economy. Brian knows they can save the world and maybe they can, if only his team stops getting in his way.
Part workplace comedy, part cosmic horror, part reflection on the global pandemic, Lunch Eater will speak to anyone who has ever hated their job or just tried to get through the day.
Favorite lines:
“They don’t realise that the class warfare extends to those of us that went to university. No one really cares what university you studied at our what your degree is, it’s not like you use any of that knowledge in your work. They do care about what school you went to before university. That tells them your pedigree. That tells them your family and the environment you were raised in.”
“The 6.45am train into the city is haunted by the unaware. eye contact is unwelcome. Talking is verboten. No one notices anything of their fellow passengers. This is the way it is. This is the way it should be.”
My Opinion:
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
The two phrases that come to mind when trying to describe this book are humorously dramatic and entertainingly chaotic. Both of which could also be used to describe my personality probably 75% of the time so me and this book got along just fine.
This is a satire about being a public servant but I would expand it beyond public service work to anyone who feels like they are on the “working for the man” grind. In my opinion, there is a generational shift in how work is viewed with younger generations valuing their work/life balance far more than those older than us who will eat, sleep, and breathe work if they can. This humorous story captures that notion in a mad, apocalyptical vision.
There were a few spelling/grammatical errors and the narrative shifts were a bit confusing at times causing me to go back in order to comprehend where the story was pivoting. Other than those minor nit-picky details, this was an interesting read.
Summary:
Overall, if you like satirical humor especially about the 9-5 work grind, then this book could be for you. Happy reading!
Likely Story 