By
Matt Beaumont
This was a quick, fun read - with no higher literary
merit whatsoever. The basic premise is a standard epistlatory novel,
a series of letters in which the narrative unfolds, but with a twist
- e-mail, hence the trendy title.
The story follows a week in the life of a London ad agency as they try to land the Coca-cola account. The fun part is the office scandal - sex, lies, and even some videotape. I found it particularly enjoyable because I've worked in three ad agencies, though luckily none quite so scandalous. Anyone who's worked in an office environment, especially one where e-mail is an essential form of communication, will be able to readily relate to this novel. A nice touch was that the perils and quirks specific to e-mail where often incorporated into the storyline, but just in a fun way. The novel certainly didn't make any sort of memorable or meaningful statement about the degradation of communication in our society or anything like that. I read this novel in about two days, and forgot it two days later.