(Posted by Douglas Cole on Amazon.com on April 12, 2024)
5 Stars
Nightmares in publishing!
Fans of stories about the behind-the-scenes of publishing (I’m thinking of some recent delights such as My Salinger Yearby Joanna Rakoff, or the classic The Devil Wears Prada) will want to go out and buy this book immediately! Told with humor, tenderness and insight, The War on Sarah Morris takes inside the world of publishing in Toronto. Like the earlier-mentioned predecessors, Kathleen Jones’ book is not without its gritty, sometimes cringy moments of work at the bottom! Low pay, little respect, capricious decisions from managers…it’s a true story of life in the publishing trenches as business models evolve or even devolve! The beauty is in the writing and the character of Sarah Morris who deals with adversity with intelligence and pluck! As the title indicates, it’s a war! But it’s not without its surprises, and Jones takes us through the journey offering examples of how to survive and thrive in the most brutal artistic business of all.
“ONE DAY, YOU’RE A VALUED EMPLOYEE OF THE COMPANY … THE NEXT DAY, YOU’RE BEING PUSHED OUT THE DOOR.
What happens when your secure corporate job suddenly becomes precarious? Book editor Sarah Morris finds herself in this predicament when the company she has served for twenty-one years is reorganized. Sarah’s boss gives all the company’s book editing projects to freelancers and a pet employee, unofficially demoting Sarah, who must spend her days tagging documents. And when Sarah’s boss starts bullying her, she realizes that she’s been pigeonholed into a dead-end job.”
Author:
“Kathleen Jones was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in English literature. For thirty years, she toughed it out in the corporate world, chiefly as an editor for various Canadian book publishers. Sometimes, Kathleen had the opportunity to do work that she enjoyed, but too often, she didn’t. Towards the end of her career, the type of work that interested and challenged Kathleen began to slip away, and she became less and less happy.
Then one day, Kathleen realized something: creative, out-of-the box thinkers like her don’t belong in the corporate world, and if she wanted “meaningful” work, she would have to create it for herself.
That was when Kathleen decided to pursue the only work that she’d ever really wanted to do since she was a child: the work of a novelist!
Today, Kathleen is a full-time author who writes for a number of popular book blogs. She also contributes monthly book reviews to Goodreads. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.”
I struggled to even decide what genre to indicate this book fit in. The small publisher that published this book describes themselves as specializing in non-fiction genres “such as memoir, autobiographical fiction, poetry, or a combination.” While I’ve never heard the term autobiographical fiction before and it seems like two words that contradict each other, what they mean by that is easy enough to figure out and based on the author’s biography this novel almost surely has some degree of that. But what I could be sure of is that while far from what we think of or the typical definition of a coming-of-age story, that description still seems to fit this one as the protagonist struggles with life’s changes and how to deal with them in the same way as a teen trying to move into adulthood might.
However, unlike a coming-of-age story, the ideal reader for this is probably a touch older. To really get into the story of Sarah Morris, I think a reader needs to be old enough to be somewhat established in their career, possibly seen and struggled with unanticipated changes, or at least observed others deal with that struggle. Those in this position will understand where Sarah is coming from and get sucked into the story, wondering how it is going to end.
(Posted by Bernice Leahy on Amazon.com on April 19, 2024)
5 Stars
A poignant, coming of age story
The War on Sarah Morris is a thought-provoking tale of one woman’s struggle to survive in the cutthroat corporate world of publishing.
Having worked in a corporate environment for several years, I could relate to this story, having witnessed first-hand incessant bullying in the workforce, talented people constantly overlooked for promotion because of their age, sex, and their unwillingness to suck up to the boss, in a toxic workforce, often rife with misogyny. And don’t get me started on those endless, pointless meetings. As the author says, those are hours of your life you will never get back.
The author does a fine job of narrating this story from the POV of Sarah Morris, who not only has to battle to keep a job she comes to loathe but cannot leave due to the economic climate. She must also battle her own demons. A lot of people will relate to this compelling, well-written story, with its realistic characters, heart, humour, and soul. The author does a terrific job of describing the pitfalls of corporate life. At one point, I wanted to punch Sarah’s boss, Gillian, in the face and had to keep turning the page to find out what happened next. I highly recommend this engaging tale. And the ending is terrific. It’s five stars from me. Well done.
Reviewed by Susan Sommers on Goodreads, October 21, 2023
What a wonderful ride through the world of stand-up comedy and the romance of Holly and Josh. Kathleen Jones tells the story with strength, romance, and compassion. The characters become lovable and human in her expert hands. Bravo!
A washed-up actor come Rodney Dangerfield-esk, stand-up comedian Josh Steinberg meets businesswoman Holly Brannigan. Their first interaction ends with Holly tossing a drink in Josh’s face. And there were several instances throughout the book where I wished she’d do it again!
Josh doesn’t leave the self-deprecating schtick on the stage. He carries it in life and wears it just like he does his navy wool suit. Though, I guess a lot of comedians do draw from a place of misery or tragedy for their act—the proverbial sad clowns.
Throughout the book, Josh battles with depression and his insecurities. However, Holly does her level best to build Josh up and encourages him to fulfill his dreams. She believes in his ability, talent, and vision, even when he doesn’t believe in himself. Yet, Josh’s insulting brand of comedy leads to many misunderstandings and turmoil between the two—he self-sabotages the tenuous relationship at every turn. Often making Holly the butt of his jokes. For the sake of the act, of course. Holly is a saint for hanging in.
Love Is the Punch Line is not a cookie-cutter romance, which is refreshing. Yes, this book has some romance, and Josh performs stand-up, but it is hardly a romantic comedy. It’s a turbulent, unconventional, and offbeat read yet original and full of ups and downs. Holly and Josh never seem quite in sync with each other, leaving the reader guessing, right to the bitter end, if the relationship can ever really work.
A strong debut! I look forward to this author’s next project.
Vintage microphone on stage with red curtains. Moody stage lighting creates drama and suspense.
Love is the Punch Line is a well-written, suspenseful novel. You’ll meet Josh Steinberg a self-loathing comedian with severe depression, problems maintaining his career and a nonexistent love life. Then he meets Holly Brannigan at one of his shows, and when her phone rang during his set, he calls her out and demands she leaves the club. She did; right after throwing a glass of water in his face.
The author, Kathleen Jones, did an excellent job with the dialog, diving in deep to show the honest feelings of the characters. Waves of tension pulsate throughout the novel, leaving you wondering if both the major characters could release their baggage from the past and start over again.
This is an excellent read with an underlying powerful message — Never Give Up!
I was lucky enough to become aware of Love Is The Punch Line. I found it to be funny with romance in all the right places. I appreciated the perspective of comedy in romance and not in a formulaic rom-com way. As a reader, I enjoyed the deft way the author handles comedic and romantic elements of the story to an enjoyable conclusion.
Jones pens a unique and raw story in Love Is the Punch Line. I haven’t read anything from this author before, and I really enjoyed this story. The characters were raw and very real. Reader, enter the world of comedy clubs and an adventure in romance. The author’s writing style is smart and while balancing romance with the raw lifestyle of comedy and fame (or fall of fame). The author brings Josh and Holly’s story to life. There is a great chemistry between the characters, and a depth that makes them realistic and flawed. Josh and Holly’s connection is not forced. A very well-written story, and I enjoyed it. The author’s technique of intense and believable characters and great plotlines is a gift. I look forward to reading more by this author. This book is a definite recommendation by Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews.
I received this book free in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. ~Amy’s Bookshelf Reviews
Kathleen Jones, The Quirky Novelist 