I prefer animal farm. A humorous satire of european socialism.
After reading a summary and visiting Max Barry's website i feel as though this book may be rather low brow - much akin to something the perpertually misinformed michael moore would write.
I think Max says it best:
At last! Jennifer Government hits bookstores across the UK today, in "ridiculously large paperback" format. It's been a while coming, mainly for legal reasons associated with using real company names in a work of not-so-flattering fiction.
Its not flattering and it doesn't seem to be factually stimulating either. I wouldn't say the book is flattering or insulting IMO; it reads as a story concerning a fictious world (Max's commical capitalist strawman) which serves him as his rant against his version of consumerism.
Sometime in the near future, the entire world except France is a part of the USA, and the government hides in the shadows of two massive corporate conglomerates: the US Alliance and Team Advantage.
I snickered when i read this comment. Anyone who would suggest France is some how the ideal antithesis of the capitalistism
must be writting a work of fiction.
Honestly i think he should change the name of France to "Grand State of Unwell" and divide its populace amongst three teams: EconPreserve, EconServe and SocialLeach.
He could also discuss the Grand State of Unwell's government! In my mind the Grand State of UnWell would be rulled by a group of narrow minded and economically ignorant philosophers of the political parties "Unthink Tank", "Al-R=in-our-Is","BUT-W/R-nOT-FASCIST", and "BCUZ-WE-Say-SO". As the ruling body, they would enact legislation to exploit the successful people of Unwel (EconPreserve and EconServe) finacially in order to to buy the support of the lazy and unproductive SocialLeachs who do nothing to deserve the money they get which does nothing but further their unwillingness to work as they have no incentives. A sad state indeed.
to better understand the plight of this society a bit of history and backgroud is necessary to explain the positions of EconPreserve and EconServe:
The EconPreserve are business owners and investors who helped create the basis of UnWell's economy. They are forced to higher the SocialLeachs and pay them undo salaries for minimal work. They have a problem keeping their businesses afloat and competitive against the USA do to lack of productivity, inferior products, etc. They sell their products mainly to their own people do to their inability to legitimize their business elsewhere.
The EconServ are the honest working class whom are higher wage earners who are finacially exploited by the government of the State of Unwell.
Neither the EconPs nor EconSs are allowed to make all the money do them. This "surplus" money is taken from them and provided to the SocialLeachs whom did nothing to earn it. The reasoning behind this is that the government felt it wasn't right for EconPs and Ss to make money they worked for as it would only serve to upset SocialLeachs whom don't have the willingness to work for it. Why, after all should these other people make more money when it would only make the SocialLeachs jealous? That would hurt their feelings!
The SocialLeachs need no introductions or explinations. They simply are and always will exist.
Now that we haved finished with a summary of a bit of Unwell's societal background we can move on to some of its history:
a portion of the Grand State of Unwell's history will be related to us in the form of a story concerning important characters involved in the countries development from the first person perspective of each of these characters;
Dr. Ifwe R. Equal
-In the Grand State of Unwell, in the county of Unfair lives a man by the name of Dr. Equal who resides at 5427 EconDiscrimination Ave. Dr. Equal is a man who has suffered all of his life for being different, for developing talents/abilities/skills/etc the members of Team SocialLeach just don't have or wish to expose. Such talents/abilities/skills/etc are so frowned apon infact its considered politically incorrect to speak or even write their names! These politically shunned terms as are follows: Work Ethic, Creativity, Education, and Dedication.
Much of Dr. Equals life has been spent progressing his carrier which has, for the most part, been his emmotional crutch to shield him from his problems with team SL, the government and the lose of his deceased father's most prized possesion; his ship Minitel. Being that he comes from the "Materialistic" upper class he has had a number of problems managing his father's shrinking estate. The government takes from his father's estate every year to pay for their finacial instability under the auspices he doesn't need all what his father gave him. One such acquisition was of the ship Minitel. The poor ship Minitel, in the hands of the government, was sunk do to their indolence and ignorance. The lose of Minitel wounded Dr Equal terribly although in the end it helped him in his process of self realization.
More to come later.
