NationStates Jolt Archive


Ok, so I read the first chapter of Jen. goverment...

Talimenia
10-11-2004, 02:59
I am so totally lost. Hack needs to go kill some ghettos? What does "Jennefer have to do with any of this?
Talimenia
10-11-2004, 03:03
Help... please?
Right thinking whites
10-11-2004, 04:42
no think early 90's when kids in the "ghetto's" would litterly kill for nike's
Unfree People
10-11-2004, 22:39
I am so totally lost. Hack needs to go kill some ghettos? What does "Jennefer have to do with any of this?
Go get the book and read the whole thing :)

The first chapter isn't supposed to explain much, it's supposed to get you interested in it. :p
New Marigold
11-11-2004, 21:41
Okay. I surfed over to read the first chapter....

My impression is that Max (aka "the author") does a good job of establishing the problem of Hack Nike. The beat of the chapter feels like a self-contained story. That is the part that is of the good.

As I entered the world of the first chapter, the first name of "Hack" gave me the idea I might be in a parody or social satire. The fact that two of his co-workers in a different department had the same first name was interesting in that it could be deemed as amibigous (with wanting to find out more to see if everyone in the department has that first name, or if it just happens to be a co-incidence or a favoring of hiring people with the first name John).

I liked that the style was breezy, yes, but due to the lack of 5 senses details other than the water cooler (which could have been a chair -- very generic object that fits in the general idea of the space) and the POV character's first name (which could have been a nick-name for Henry if it was less of a satire or parody -- and may yet to turn out to be so), I wasn't sure if I wasn't in a computer world like TRON.

Later, however, the details which the two Johns had planned lead me to believe that this was not a virtual world, but something trying to be a little bit like a Catch-22 or Breakfast of Champions type genre book.

So, since I did say in title that my response is my own personal opinion, let me tell you that the two above books are not on my reading list, however I do like the movie TRON.

What I liked about the two Johns are both the media reference to the universe of the Buckaroo Banzai movie, meaning that somewhere we might find this culture was effected or assimilated by aliens, and the social slang reference to clientelle of prostitution.

All said, if the readers are to follow Hack through the story, then yes this was enough of a sample. Is there a synopsis to go along with this theory/hypothesis? Don't know. Link me, if you will to the book-jacket copy!

In any case if the character of "Jennifer Government" or multiple characters and their problems are more of where the story goes, I don't think there's enough information to make me want to read the book, as is.

I really understand that part of the style is to establish the generic and/or company-loyalty feel to the book's universe, but the lack of physical details or 5-senses details left me unsure if I would find the book entertaining.

My thanks for taking the time to read this. I enjoyed the style and content of some of the recent blog entries.

-Rachel
http://www.bestfriendsproductions.com/rachelinfo.htm