J. Bradford Hipps spent ten years in the software industry, and he was paying attention. Existentialism aside, he has brought us startlingly vivid insights into the corporate sales culture and life under the gun: tough quarterly sales goals, risk of
firing, win or go. This world is brought to life by the steely pragmatic views of the veteran division manager, Keith. The protagonist at the center of the story is Henry Hurt, and the word hero is more appropriate given the big life issues he digs into. OK, maybe his name is a little too obvious, but this is a small price to pay for a very good read. He's a long-time software engineer, who
manages a development team. Henry is called into a big marketing push by Keith
and his newly hired sales director. But, Henry is adrift: single, he lost his mother to cancer,
his father is flirting with dementia & being cared for by Henry's non-profit
centric sister. His reponse to all this is to fall in love with a married woman
in sales, who is on the big push team. Henry's reflections on life & his
boss' comments on corporate life are the joys of the book. Keith's one
liner's are priceless. Keith on the phone: "Now he is nodding testily.
'Look,' says Keith, 'My rule? Never carry a salesman longer than his mother did.
You're profitable in nine months or you're out.' The receiver goes back into
its cradle." There is one weak point in the novel. While the story's ending is believable, the event that triggers it seems unlikely. This is surprising given Hipps' on-target insights about corporate life. But, I can happily live with that, given how much Hipps has to say about careers, relationships, & the search for meaning in the modern workplace. The writing is superb, and it's a debut novel, so I'll watch for more.
