Yes! I finally read a book that wasn't for class! Of course at 160 pages it is more accurately described as a novella, but I'll take what I can. At least it's not Levinas, right? But I did get an A- in the class and good closure. Whether or not we broke the prof's spirit is not the issue, right?

I listened to the interview with the author on one of my favorite podcasts, The Bat Segundo Show and decided to check it out. Listen, it's all about carrying on. No matter how hard you try, no matter how good you are, it all falls apart. I've spent a lot of time recently mourning the death of good old American work ethic, so this book makes me both happy that maybe there's someone out there like Manny, and sad that this is just a fictional character and there may not be real folks out there.

I have only worked in food service for four days (and that was a Taco Bell, hardly anything as classy as a Red Lobster) but management is a rough existence. I've had my run-ins with retail management and when you find a good one s/he rarely sticks around. In fact, you'll probably get in a passive aggressive battle with a woman who collects cats and Precious Moments figurines--a deadly combination.

Anyway, it's all about carrying on, something I don't remember enough.

Labels: books