E Squared

by Matt Beaumont

Out of the ashes of doomed ad agency Miller Shanks has risen Meerkat 360, a very 21st century workplace. Staff include David Crutton, an MD with the worst email signature in history; Milton Keane, a definitely-straight PA with a yearning for reality TV fame; Liam O'Keefe, a creative with an online gambling addiction who may be linked with the contents of the stationery cupboard appearing on eBay; and, Harvey Harvey, a creative who politely replies to pornographic spam and who might just have met his future wife online - a rich Nigerian princess in deep trouble...Told entirely via emails, texts, webchat and blogs, the long-awaited follow up to "E" is a hilariously funny insight into the hearts, minds and inboxes of the world's most engagingly dysfunctional ad agency.

• ISBN10: 1101195169
• ISBN13: 9781101195161
• Publish Date: 26 January 2010 (first published 14 August 2009)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Plume Books
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 512
• Language: English

Reviews

[Leah]

e² is the sequel to Matt Beaumont’s first novel e. which was hugely successful but which I haven’t read. It’s told entirely in the format of emails, text messages, instant messages and blog posts and answers some of lifes important questions: Can threatening to jump out of a window really make you a YouTube star and lead to an appearance on BB? Can you really sell off office furniture to pay off your debts? And, the most important of all, how on Earth do you type the accents above letters?

e² is a huge book. The large paperback contains 500 pages but you’ll be surprised to learn it’s an incredibly quick and easy read. There’s always another crisis happening to keep you hooked and I whizzed through it. Like a previous book, Bad Money, I think it was, it’s not character-central but more plot central and what it’s like to work for Meerkat360.

There are a huge number of characters (many who appeared in e., if I’m not mistaken) so you need to flick back and forth between the pages regularly to check out who is who. I could generally keep up with everyone but it took a while! I have to say I’d love to work for Meerkat360 on account of how hilarious it would be to work there. I wish there really were an office like that one.

Not a page goes by without some disaster occuring, be it David Crutton wanting to get rid of “The Man” at the end of his emails or Donald Gold freaking out about aeroplanes (which by the way was ridiculously funny). Not only that but you have all of the PA’s (Suzy (who has the longest surname ever), Dotty (who I loved) & Milton (the drama queen who is NOT gay) gossiping with each other as well as Liam O’Keefe trying to get his ex back as well as coming up with fab advertisements. There’s also Caroline Zitter who is never in the office so we get to experience her wonderful and wacky auto-replies and Ted Berry – MC Ideaz – being bonkers. My personal favourites were Harvey Harvey (a bit on the weird side) and Roisin (the “I’m not Irish”) receptionist. There are also a few more who all add to the book and the amusing moments.

As well as the amusing hytericalness of it all there are important issues throughout the book. Particularly with the Crutton family who do indeed give the Katona’s a run for their money. They have huge issues, not only do David and Janice have marital problems but their children (Noah and Tamara) just rebel for the whole book. It’s complete and utter madness. Another issue tackled is gambling debts which is handled rather amusingly as items keep disappearing from the office before we see their adverts up on Ebay. I knew exactly who it was, but found it amusing all the same.

I found myself laughing out loud on many occasions and it takes quite a book to make me laugh out loud. I’m only glad no one could hear me. The funniest moment for me was the coked-up dog who ran rampant around the office. Even remembering it now, it still amuses me. (”Harvey that wasn’t sugar!”)

e² probably isn’t something I would have picked up myself so I’m thrilled I loved it as much as I did. It really is an amusing read. While the characters can take themselves seriously the book itself doesn’t. It’s slapstick, it’s funny and it’s just a really great read.