( 6 reviews )
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( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Apr 4 2009
The premise in Ayun Halliday's "Job Hopper" is an interesting one; that few people mourn the loss of those arduous, sometimes disgusting or incredibly boring jobs with tyrants among both the employer/manager as well as the coworkers. Her fond memories are of the camaraderie with her fellow, often unappreciated workers. Whether someone is a rebel and not career-minded, or an artist, unable to make ends meet with the income they make in their own field -- those who resist "career-like" jobs often do so because they cannot relate to the office atmosphere, and the "costume" required to fit in. Ms. Halliday's telling of her various "day jobs" is terrifically funny and often, cringe worthy. So why would she miss that stage of her life? Because there's something to be said for variety and being "the help" (for lack of a better term.) It symbolizes youth, a rejection of the mainstream, and allows her to bond with the other shleps. Together, they look down on those who look down on them -- generally those who are mean or impossible to please, and think their positions in life automatically make them better than those who choose a different path. If you've ever had a job that was ridiculously bizarre or infinitely frustrating, you will love this book!
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( 2 of 2 found this review helpful ) Posted: Nov 29 2006
This book hits ever so close to home and the "what if" thoughts that flash through my mind once in a while when I fall into crazy reveries while slogging through the slower parts of my, albeit awesome, job. I too was a theatre nerd (but, you know, the cool kind) and spent a short period after college exploring the same path as Ayun: half-heartedly working crap jobs by day, and doing experimental theatre [......] Fortunately, my low tolerance for audition rejections and the sickening appeal of paid vacations, forced me to bail on "the life" a mere 18 months later and I became a willing tool of the Man for nine surprisingly swift years (now I'm a used car salesman in Little Rock, jealous?). Seriously, I loved (and deeply commiserated with) this book. You just can't make this stuff up. Believe me, I tried. Even if you didn't come a whisker away from this lifestyle like I did, the stories will draw you in, make you shake your head and wonder how some people get through the day without being arrested or accidentally killing themselves. These are sociological findings that college professors pay good money for, not to mention being hilarious. Ayun is a wizard at taking all forms of misery, and the jackholes that play supporting roles, and making it funny. This is something I'm put in the position of doing all too often, so I know it ain't easy. Good one Ayun.
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( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Nov 29 2006
What a fun idea for a book! I love the comedic tour through various jobs, some of which I have held (and in the same area, since I graduated from the same University, albeit a decade or so later.) Classic Ayun Halliday style is applied to her adventures through the world of the classic jobs of youth. Humor, honesty, candor, fun, rollicking storytelling; all that you'd expect from this author.
