Anonymous Lawyer

Well good on me for actually finishing one of our set texts! I must admit that by halfway through this novel I was bored and very tired of the protagonist and his obsession with hierarchy and self importance. However, as the character started to face certain obstacles, I admired him a bit more (only a little bit).

My question is: Does Anonymous Lawyer deserve the final outcome? My answer is yes, most certainly. But I believe there is a twist in the final pages and the end might not be as it seems...

Writing style: Being a blogger, I liked this entertaining mode of delivery for a novel. What I liked most were the date stamps and related emails, which told the real parts of the story; for example, the true ending of the volleyball tournament vs the published version. I thought this was a different and refreshing way to write a book and I enjoyed it. I liked the technical references to things like Blackberries. I could relate to the comments about how technology means we are never really away from the office!

Plot: AL, a hiring partner, seeks to become chairman of his firm and plots ways to get there. Some subplots are: bring down The Jerk, make life a misery for The Suck Up, talk his neice into joining his firm and build a better relationship with his son. Oh, and write a blog without being found out.

Character: Every good jerk deserves to be brought down by his own impudence. I half liked AL because he shows some love towards his son (not his wife and daughter though) and he admires and supports his neice. I thought his treatment of subordinates was ludicrous yet rather hilarious at the same time. I couldn't understand how he could possibly think he was actually better than anybody, but I am not in the field of law and i don't know if that is really the case. I'd hate to work in that kind of office environment with that kind of politicking going on! Sometimes I felt sorry for AL because he has to put on a show every time he talks to anybody. He has to give off the impression that he is rich, successful and professional. He probably is all of these things to an extent, however, his bedside manner is atrocious!

Themes: power corrupts but absolute power corrupts absolutely. AL deserves his downfall. He has enough money to make it through the rest of his life.

Some questions about the novel:

• What are some examples of AL's attitude to women?
• Is working life really this difficult for women who are wives and mothers? Is there such thing as not being able to work part time? I'm thinking of Ellis Grey in 'Grey's Anatomy.' Look how she turned out.
• For what is his office/home/wife a metaphor?
• How would you feel if you were a) talking to Al, b) working for Al? c) hiring Al (ie a client)?
• Does this type of office hierarchy exist in real life? Give examples. How can we work around it/deal with it/embrace it?
• Is such office politics healthy?

Do I recommend this novel? Yes, because it is written in a different form. It is an eye-opener and my sister wants to be a lawyer so I thought she should read it. The book is based on an actual blog (see link to the left) but I think the book is better. Still, very entertaining. ***