Name: Not Working
ISBN: 9780812988819

Lisa Owens

In the tradition of Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary and Allison Pearson's I Don't Know How She Does It comes a wise and laugh-out-loud debut novel that captures a young generation trying not to have it all, but to figure out what it all means. Claire has just resigned from her job without a plan for her next move. As she struggles to explain herself to friends and family, she experiences the emotions and minutiae of day-to-day life as only someone without the distractions of a regular routine can--and discovers what happens when she seeks true purpose in life.

Not Working

The writing was good, but the story wasn't really. Nice premises but sugarcoated as chicklit it was a story of a depressive girl trapped in a series of bad relationships (parents, boyfriend, girlfriends) 
And the happy ending is def. troubling. Sorry. Nice try but no.

Now and again we all lie awake wondering what on earth we're doing with our lives . . . don't we? Claire Flannery has had more than a few sleepless nights lately. Maybe she shouldn't have walked out of her job with no idea what to do next. Maybe she should think before she speaks -- and maybe then her mother would start returning her calls. Maybe she should be spending more time going to art galleries, or reading up on current affairs, and less time in her pyjamas, entering competitions on the internet. Then again, maybe the perfect solution to life's problems only arises when you stop looking for it . . . 'Warmth and wit leaps off the pages . . . sharp, incisive and laugh-out-loud funny' Observer

Lauren Attaway

It's difficult to have strong opinions about this book. Claire is kind of fumbling through her own life, and we as the reader are just along for the ride. The plot of this book is that Claire is on a find-herself crusade. She quits her job before the book begins and is vaguely searching for the job that will change everything around for her. I have to stress she's only slightly trying to find a job because she doesn't know what she wants to do next. I didn't hate or love this book, and as someone who has graduated from college and desperately tried to find any job, I could understand her desire to have a meaningful job, but I couldn't relate to the idea of just not working for such a long period of time. I think it would have helped if she was passionate about anything.

A laugh-out-loud, irreverent debut novel that forces you to imagine what might happen if you quit your job to find your true purpose. First there was Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones, then Allison Pearson's I Don't Know How She Does It and now Lisa Owens' Not Working, capturing the point of view of a young generation trying not to have it all, but to figure out what it all means. Twenty-something Londoner Claire has just resigned from her job without a plan--and although she is pleased, her family and friends can't seem to understand. Before too long, she manages to push away both her safe, steady, brain-surgeon boyfriend and her difficult but loving mother. Quirky, questioning Claire hilariously navigates and comments on the emotions and minutiae of day-to-day life as only someone without the distractions of a regular routine can. This is a story of self-discovery, packed with wry humour and told in sparkling vignettes.

Caitlin Berger

This was a surprisingly good read! I do love British books but I figured this might turn into a woe-is-me-I’m-a-struggling-white-middle-class-lady-searching-for-herself story, which is boooring. But thankfully this had much more personality and nuance to it! The writing style was refreshing and, apart from some problematic statements that went unchallenged by the characters, it was a very enjoyable read! Would recommend.

Not Working

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