e Squared

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ٢١ سبتمبر ٢٠٠٩

A novel comprising electronic communications, Beaumont's sequel to e creates a stinging satire from a British ad agency's dirty laundry. An ensemble piece with meandering plot lines, it features a workaholic boss who can't figure out how to remove "The Man" from his e-mail signature, his lawyer wife who's lost control of their children, and several snarky staffers. Many of the story lines revolve around the agency's ridiculous (though perhaps not far-fetched) campaigns, including one to market minicigarettes to children and another to use Margaret Thatcher to sell perfume. Other subplots are more personal, such as a gullible staffer intent on traveling to Nigeria to rescue an heiress who e-mailed him a plea for help. Meanwhile, the characters who spend their workdays gossiping on social networks are so plugged in that one character answers his texts while about to jump off a building ledge. American readers might struggle with some British slang and pop culture references, and though some jokes are run into the ground, Beaumont's dry wit and pithy writing will have readers laughing out loud.