Then We Came to the End

Then We Came to the End follows the employees of a Chicago advertising agency during the dot-com bubble collapse of the late 1990s. The story is told through an unconventional first-person plural voice - the collective "we" of the office workers facing waves of layoffs and uncertainty. The novel captures the rhythms and rituals of corporate life, from stolen office chairs and endless meetings to workplace rumors and personal dramas that unfold in cubicle corridors. Through interconnected stories of different employees, it chronicles both mundane workday moments and significant events that impact the entire agency. The narrative weaves together the professional and personal lives of the advertising staff as they deal with dwindling accounts, difficult clients, and a boss confronting her own crisis. The unique perspective allows readers to experience both individual stories and the shared consciousness of an office community. The novel explores themes of identity in corporate America, the tension between individualism and collective experience, and how people derive meaning from work in times of instability. It stands as both a satire of office culture and a deeper examination of human connection in professional spaces.

Readers say this book captures office life and workplace dynamics with accuracy and dark humor. The first-person-plural "we" narration resonates with those who've worked in corporate environments, though some found it gimmicky. Readers appreciated: - Realistic portrayal of office gossip and politics - Balance of comedy and serious themes - Memorable characters and dialogue - Ability to make mundane work life compelling Common criticisms: - Slow middle section - Challenging narrative voice takes time to adjust to - Some characters blend together - Too long for the story being told "Feels exactly like being at work," notes one Amazon reviewer. "Made me laugh out loud and cringe in recognition," says another. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.6/5 (47,000+ ratings) Amazon: 3.9/5 (500+ reviews) LibraryThing: 3.7/5 (800+ ratings) The book ranks higher with readers who have office experience, while those without corporate backgrounds report feeling disconnected from the story.

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➊ The book's distinctive "we" narrative voice was so successful that it helped earn Joshua Ferris the PEN/Hemingway Award for best first novel in 2008. ➋ The corporate backdrop of the novel draws from Ferris's own experience working at various advertising agencies in Chicago during the late 1990s. ➌ The dot-com bubble, which provides the economic context for the novel, saw the NASDAQ index fall 78% between March 2000 and October 2002, leading to widespread layoffs across tech and advertising industries. ➍ The book's title comes from Joan Didion's memoir "The Year of Magical Thinking," where she writes about grief: "Then we came to the end of another thing, and life itself." ➎ While primarily a work of fiction, many office items described in the book - including the obsession with Herman Miller Aeron chairs - were actual status symbols in 1990s corporate culture, with these chairs selling for over $1,000 each.