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Jennifer Government

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Jennifer Government

By: Max Barry
Narrated by: Michael Kramer
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About this listen

 The irreverent author of the cult classic Syrup hits his target in this satire on the wages of big capital. In Max Barry's hilarious vision of the near future, the world is run by giant American corporations, and employees take the last names of the companies they work for; The Police and The NRA are publicly traded security firms, and the U.S. government may only investigate crimes if they can bill a citizen directly. When lowly Merchandising Officer Hack Nike unwittingly signs a contract that involves shooting teenagers to build up street credibility for Nike's new line of $2,500 sneakers, he goes to The Police, only to be pursued by Jennifer Government, a tough-talking agent with a bar-code tattoo under her eye, the consumer watchdog from hell.©2003 Max Barry (P)2003 Books on Tape, Inc. Dystopian Fiction Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Political Satire Science Fiction Comedy Witty Funny

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Critic reviews

"Wicked and wonderful....[It] does just about everything right. Fast-moving, funny, and involving." (The Washington Post Book World)
"Funny and clever....A kind of ad-world version of Dr. Strangelove. [Barry] unleashes enough wit and surprise to make his story a total blast." (The New York Times Book Review)
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well paced and enjoyable found it when trying to look for the less known sci fi style books. Great characters and loved the concept of the different factions, corporations, government, policy, NRA all having their own agenda.

Corporate Dystopian world.

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A really great book!!

I do not know why Jennifer Government is not more famous.

It should be a TV film or series.

It should be as well know as Handmaids tale or Brave new world or 1984.

Its funny and particularly today with the ongoing rise of multi-nationals and Britain thinking of leaving the EU its seems shockingly modern. I first read this book in 2006 and came back to reread it recently and its just great. This goes on my books everyone should read list ... So go read it :)

Should be much more famous!!

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Great ideas, taking corporate capitalism to it's absurd conclusion, but poorly told by and large.

Interesting ideas, mediocre storytelling

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I first read this book when it came out and some 20 years later it suddenly feels worryingly possible. Max Barry was well ahead of the game.

superb satire that feels worryingly possible

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It is a great book. The book is about capitalism gone mad. Where people names are based on who they work for. And anything can be bought; or can it? This is where Jennifer comes in. She is a law enforcement person who thinks things should be done for the good of the people, not just for capital gain. Does she win out?

Great Read for Slightly Off the Wall Life

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This book is certainly different. The essence of the story is well set out in the blurb above so I wont repeat it. Suffice it to say that the book is part-satire, part thriller and part romance. It is at its strongest when satirising the whole concept of marketing - for example, the marketing strategy for the new brand of Nike trainers is, well, different (I would spoil the story if I spelt it out) and the notion is developed and put across with great verve and savage humour.

If I had a criticism it is that the pace is a little uneven; the switch between styles - thriller, satire, romance - is not always successful. The author can't seem to strike a consistent balance between treating his characters as real people and as pawns in the satire. But that said, the narrative bowls along at a good pace and it is never dull - the narration is very good too; the story and characters are put across very well, and his handling of some of the more bizarre scenes is laugh out loud funny.

Overall, if you are looking for something a little different from the normal sort of audiobook thriller, "Jennifer Government" should be on your short list. I certainly enjoyed it, and anyone who works in marketing would I am sure enjoy the joke too.

a quirky read

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Has some good ideas. Jennifer herself could have been an amazing character (Molly Millions-esque, maybe) but turned out not to be. The same goes for the story as a whole. Could have been really good but wasn't.

Good Ideas

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What did you like most about Jennifer Government?

This tale is a logic-stretching view of a future where corporations vie with countries to run the world - a plausible premise writ large which may make you see the future direction of big business differently

What was one of the most memorable moments of Jennifer Government?

The action at the mall - various times. Sneaker marketing!

Which scene did you most enjoy?

Jennifer catching up with John...

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No - I listen to these audiobooks on my 90 minute commute. Makes the drive more bearable

Any additional comments?

I'm a big fan of Max Barry - I recommend you try Company too. It will make you think twice about things going on in the office!

Innovative, different and thought-provoking

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