Review of Working At The Warehouse
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Matthew Little
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Review of Working At The Warehouse
[Following is a volunteer review of "Working At The Warehouse" by Jerry A. Greenberg.]
Working At The Warehouse by Jerry A. Greenberg is a introspective, satirical take on money and greed in modern-day religion. The story follows Lew Thompson, a manager at a large warehouse that distributes religious tools and props to various clients- regardless of their religious affiliation. Despite slinging "salvation kits" and "Original Messages from God", Lew himself is not a religious man. Rather, his interest in religion is only in the practical sense: how much can he mark up the holy water, or maximize profits on bibles? However, when a box of 10,000 year old prayers arrive at his warehouse and threaten the breakdown of organized religion, Lew is thrust into an existential crisis. Does one need a church to communicate with God? Is he on the right side of morality?
Where Greenberg succeeds in his presentation of his beliefs, he fails in storytelling. The plot is often strung along with little to no support or development; with twists being dropped left and right, it was often hard to keep up. In terms of characters, Greenberg does create a rather compelling protagonist. Lew is initially ambivalent about religion, and as the story progresses he begins to explore very complex themes regarding man and God. However, Greenberg's other characters felt rather flat and one-dimensional, and sometimes made decisions that made no sense given their characterization.
By far my biggest gripe with this book were the long-winded condemnations of modern religion that seemed to occur every few pages. This made the book feel less like a story and more like an essay, especially because the author's main points were simply repeated most of the time.
Another issue I take with Greenberg's style is that he would sometimes make a clever point in the story and then immediately begin explaining it, often directly addressing the reader. This really took the wind out of any point the author was making; it is much more effective to let the story speak for itself and let the reader interpret the author's meaning. Not to mention, it's more enjoyable for the reader as well.
Overall, I rate Working At The Warehouse 2 out of 4 stars. It is at times a clever satire, but mostly heavy-handed and crude. I had a difficult time getting through the weak story and constant barrage of the author's commentary. However if a reader were to ignore the plot and character issues and focus on the message, the author is able to clearly and effectively display a thought-provoking take on religion.
(This book has heavy religious themes)
******
Working At The Warehouse
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Working At The Warehouse by Jerry A. Greenberg is a introspective, satirical take on money and greed in modern-day religion. The story follows Lew Thompson, a manager at a large warehouse that distributes religious tools and props to various clients- regardless of their religious affiliation. Despite slinging "salvation kits" and "Original Messages from God", Lew himself is not a religious man. Rather, his interest in religion is only in the practical sense: how much can he mark up the holy water, or maximize profits on bibles? However, when a box of 10,000 year old prayers arrive at his warehouse and threaten the breakdown of organized religion, Lew is thrust into an existential crisis. Does one need a church to communicate with God? Is he on the right side of morality?
Where Greenberg succeeds in his presentation of his beliefs, he fails in storytelling. The plot is often strung along with little to no support or development; with twists being dropped left and right, it was often hard to keep up. In terms of characters, Greenberg does create a rather compelling protagonist. Lew is initially ambivalent about religion, and as the story progresses he begins to explore very complex themes regarding man and God. However, Greenberg's other characters felt rather flat and one-dimensional, and sometimes made decisions that made no sense given their characterization.
By far my biggest gripe with this book were the long-winded condemnations of modern religion that seemed to occur every few pages. This made the book feel less like a story and more like an essay, especially because the author's main points were simply repeated most of the time.
Another issue I take with Greenberg's style is that he would sometimes make a clever point in the story and then immediately begin explaining it, often directly addressing the reader. This really took the wind out of any point the author was making; it is much more effective to let the story speak for itself and let the reader interpret the author's meaning. Not to mention, it's more enjoyable for the reader as well.
Overall, I rate Working At The Warehouse 2 out of 4 stars. It is at times a clever satire, but mostly heavy-handed and crude. I had a difficult time getting through the weak story and constant barrage of the author's commentary. However if a reader were to ignore the plot and character issues and focus on the message, the author is able to clearly and effectively display a thought-provoking take on religion.
(This book has heavy religious themes)
******
Working At The Warehouse
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Wandering Feelings by Boyko Ovcharov
