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Reviewed by Gaius Konstantine for Readers' Favorite
“Always have papers in your hand, walk fast, and look worried. Fewer people bother you.” Interestingly and funnily enough, I experienced this at a job I once had, though we used a clipboard, not papers. Even funnier is the whimsical nonsense in Average Civil Employee: A Novel Of Bureaucratic Absurdities by Stephen J. Wallace. The story follows a man identified as Ace, an acronym for the book title, as he suffers a catastrophic event at the (unnamed) Federal agency where he (pretends) to work. The event you ask? He's been promoted to temporary supervisor by his boss, Less. Now, working for an agency full of directives that sound great in theory but make everything worse, and staffed by sycophants, malcontents, and incompetent buffoons, Ace will discover that not only is the grass not greener on the other side, but sometimes, there is no grass at all.
Witty, sarcastic, and dripping with innuendo, Average Civil Employee by Stephen J. Wallace is a well-crafted tale with one of the best closing lines I've read in years. The nonsensical plot is straightforward, focusing on a man who attempts to balance work and life under laughably challenging conditions. Yet, even though the story seems unserious, subtle themes of personal growth, perseverance, and being a good person are woven into the narrative. Character development is a blast, and the zany cast is well thought out and reflective of the clownish types one may meet in any big, bureaucracy-laden institution. With a fast pace, along with a concise, humorous, and clear writing style, this is an excellent read for anyone looking for some good-natured laughs and a nice respite. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.
