Play Audiobook Sample
Play Audiobook Sample
This wickedly funny, big-hearted novel about life in the office signals the arrival of a gloriously talented writer.
The characters in Then We Came to the End cope with a business downturn in the time-honored way: through gossip, secret romance, elaborate pranks, and increasingly frequent coffee breaks. By day they compete for the best office furniture left behind and try to make sense of the mysterious pro-bono ad campaign that is their only remaining "work."
Download and start listening now!
"I read this for a book discussion, which ended up being a very lively and interesting discussion of job experiences. We were a varied group of ages and careers, but we all agreed that the diverse characters that made up the mob mentality of the group in the book had a very distinct ring of truth. Funny, in a smirking , not laughing out loud way, Ferris did a good job of describing the ennui, hope, and ultimate despair of a job in an unstable job market. I enjoy his writing style very much."
— Suzanne (4 out of 5 stars)
“A masterwork of pitch and tone…Ferris brilliantly captures the fishbowl quality of contemporary office life.”
— New Yorker“What looks at first glance like a sweet-tempered satire of workplace culture is revealed upon closer inspection to be a very serious novel about, well, America. It may even be, in its own modest way, a great American novel.”
— Los Angeles Times“In this wildly funny debut from former ad man Ferris, a group of copywriters and designers at a Chicago ad agency face layoffs at the end of the 90s boom…At once delightfully freakish and entirely credible, Ferris’ cast makes a real impression.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Deanna Hurst’s narration gives each character life without going overboard with different voices for dialogue. In other words, like the characters themselves, the voices all sound different and the same, simultaneously. With Hurst playing Ferris dry, sharp humor perfectly, listeners will be sorry to hear the story come to an end.”
— AudioFile“This debut novel about life in a Chicago advertising agency succeeds as both a wickedly incisive satire of office groupthink and a surprisingly moving meditation on mortality and the ties that band…The funhouse mirror here reflects the office dynamic at its most petty and profound.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)" This is a hilarious train wreck. If you've worked in close quarters with others in an office setting, you'll be laughing and commiserating throughout. "
— Katie, 2/11/2014" Successfully narrated using the first person plural voice, Ferris's novel is a unique and clever take on the mundane (and not so mundane) minutiae of office life. "
— Joy, 2/4/2014" It's hilariously funny, well-written, and has wonderful insight into how people interact in an office setting, telling their stories. The narrator is an anonymous "we" and it was really interesting to see how he pulled that off. But there didn't seem to be much of a plot, and after a while I put it down because I never wondered "what's going to happen next?" "
— Juliette, 1/31/2014" I should have read this when it was trendy, because I know I would have enjoyed it more. that was also back when I worked in a "real" office and so I would have felt more connected to the subject and themes and the whole "we" narration thing. as it stands I just couldn't get into it. lately if it's not about England or high school, it just doesn't feel like any fun. I can tell this guy is a really good writer though, so I feel sort of guilty abt quitting on him so quickly. :( maybe I'll get on board with his next book in a more timely fashion. "
— Lucy, 1/26/2014" This was a funny, quirky book that I think was well-written, but I didn't just love it as I was reading it. I was ready for it to be over about halfway through. Anyone who has worked in an office setting might appreciate it more than I did, though. "
— Jennifer, 1/15/2014" Wasn't digging this book all that much in the first section but it definitely got stronger as the story unfolded. Maybe it was because there were so many characters that it took me a while to get into it. "
— John, 1/9/2014" Wickedly funny and poignant. Plus, I really think he pulls off the first person plural pov. A great book! "
— Susan, 1/1/2014" Excellent read, hilarious insight into the lives of creatives. "
— Grace, 12/25/2013" Somewhat quirky, with a lot of characters whose names you sometimes can't remember . . . sort of like the people you used to work with. A very good take on life in the cube farms. Highly recommended. "
— Greg, 12/3/2013" I thought this would be great reading since I worked 7 years in HR and laid off so many people. It was difficult to follow. Half way through I quit. I just didn't care about any of the characters and the storyline was too disjointed to follow. "
— Christine, 11/30/2013" I really enjoyed this book though my book club was divided! Different kind of writing. Very satirical. A change from what I'm used to reading. "
— Tracy, 11/4/2013" Interesting idea; not so interesting writing style. I skip-read after the first 50 or so pages. "
— Joan, 10/26/2013" Corporate America relates to this book. The chair swiping was funny and I tried to share it during my own similar experience IN corporate America, but none of these corporate Americans had READ this book. Sigh.....could have been a bonding experience! "
— GoodDay, 10/21/2013" Its honest but did not find it funny. True depiction of how life in cubicles is "
— Ibrahim, 10/14/2013" Written in first person plural. Cute. "
— Mike, 5/30/2013" I'd been meaning to read this for ages. I really liked it -- especially how well Joshua Ferris portrays the way we both need and hate work at the same time, how he captures the eddy and flow of office gossip, and how he shows the good and bad of office relationships. I could totally relate ... "
— Eman, 4/17/2013" Slow moving, boring, did not engage me as the reader. "
— Janet, 1/24/2013" Yuck!! Did't like it at all, so I didn't even finish it. "
— Elaine, 11/24/2012" Hilarious novel about working and layoffs. It reminded me of Office Space. "
— Kent, 9/10/2012" I didn't understand the hoopla over this book. It was fine, but nothing special -- one of those books that you keep reading to see if something happens at the end and something big does happen at the end, but it seems weird. "
— Patty, 11/23/2011" 3.5 stars actually. great read with shout outs to woodridge and downers grove. "
— Nicole, 11/19/2011" couldn't wait for it to end. i saw places where it was supposed to be funny and ironic but i just didn't see the humor or irony. "
— Melissa, 8/19/2011" the first person plural thing is, granted, a bit of a gimmick. but i found it worked for me. we aren't so special, after all, are we? "
— Cat, 5/22/2011" Funny but depressing. Ferris had some pretty accurate depictions of office life though the book was a bit slow at some points. "
— Mary, 5/17/2011" one of the more hilarious, compelling, and honest novels I've read. Joshua Ferris is good. a must read. "
— Andrew, 5/17/2011" If I started to describe this book to myself, I probably wouldn't want to read it. There are probably a whole lot of books like this that aren't as good as this one. Ferris totally pulls it off where so many others just kind of complain about a job they used to have.<br/> "
— Steev, 5/7/2011" Pleasant surprise! Was expecting it to be smarmy and smug "
— Ctb, 5/7/2011" Excellent, excellent, excellent! Fun and yet sad. Highly recommend! "
— Jessica, 5/4/2011" I thought it was great. "
— Mattymatt184, 5/2/2011" Great and Entertaining read, a funny and very true look at cubicle workers and the office and gossip of a small ad firm in the early 90's <br/> "
— Michael, 5/1/2011" Started out like an episode of The Office and then it just derailed and turned really long. "
— Lina, 4/27/2011" This book had a Douglas Coupland flavor, but the narrative style was SO detached I could not get invested in the characters at all. "
— Adele, 4/26/2011" Excellent read, hilarious insight into the lives of creatives. "
— Grace, 4/25/2011" Essential reading for anyone who has ever worked in a corporate office, although it's both a relief and a little disturbing to know that by the evidence presented here, all offices engage in rituals like the shitcanned colleague office-chair scavenger hunt. "
— Elise, 4/22/2011Joshua Ferris is the author of three previous novels, Then We Came to the End, The Unnamed, and To Rise Again at a Decent Hour and a collection of stories, The Dinner Party. He was a finalist for the National Book Award, winner of the Barnes and Noble Discover Award and the PEN/Hemingway Award, and was named one of the New Yorker's “20 Under 40” writers in 2010. To Rise Again at a Decent Hour won the Dylan Thomas Prize and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. His short stories have appeared in the New Yorker, Granta, and Best American Short Stories. He lives in New York.
Deanna Hurst is an actress, voice-over artist, and singer-songwriter. She has performed on stages throughout the United States, and her television credits include Judging Amy, Hunter, and Silk Stalkings. She has voiced hundreds of commercials for radio and television. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two dogs.