Paul Neilan

Despite being a decent, quick and easy read, this book is let down by a hazy plotline and the lack of even a single likeable character. Many of the laughs generated come from the protagonist's narration as he riffs on the despair of office and cubicle life and the depressing mundanity of our ordinary lives. However, the plotline is merely there to provide an excuse for riffing on these topics, and as such is never developed enough to warrant the reader's sustained interest. Similarly, none show more of the characters had much to recommend them, so that by the end of the book I really didn't care who lived and who died. But, I suppose, maybe it was the intention of the author for us not to care anyway. The book is called Apathy after all. But it makes it hard to write a review without stimulation, and makes the book rather forgettable. show less

I'm giving this book a 4.5 but only because it's the author's first novel and the writing got a little tedious near the end. Otherwise, it is a brilliantly messed-up hilarious book that I plan to read again later (and that's rare for me). I stayed up late at night cackle-giggling and shaking my head in disbelief at the same time. It's sick, but I can identify with some of the main character's experiences, too. I'll be first in line for Mr. Neilan's next book, which I hope comes out sooner show more than later. show less

Well. I must admit … I have felt rather apathetic about writing this review. I know, I know, obvious joke. But the odd thing is, it’s true. And it’s not that I didn’t enjoy Apathy. I certainly did. Despite the fact that it’s one of the worst book titles I’ve ever read. Is the sequel going to be called Meh? Followed up by Not So Much and Whatevs?

The story itself is a twisted version of Office Space. The main character, Shane, is a slacker who lands a temp job he doesn’t want at show more the insurance company where his abusive girlfriend works. Of course, he never actually tells her that she’s abusive. That would take too much effort. Instead, he allows her to beat the crap out of him during sex. He has an odd friendship with his deaf dental hygienist and sleeps with his landlord’s wife once a week. By request. Of the landlord. It’s complicated. And then shit happens.

As you might guess, the main character lives a life of apathy. Or, more accurately, jaded detachment. With the exception of his seemingly sincere friendship with his deaf hygienist—despite the fact that he makes fun of her behind her back—whom he seems to really like. At points, Shane teeters on opening up to someone about himself. To admit he has feelings. Under the surface, he seems to care. But he never takes it further than a brief internal debate. He can’t seem to figure out how to express himself directly. He doesn’t have the guts to show his feelings. Instead he deflects emotions with mocking humor directed at everything and everyone around him. Most of whom are set up by Neilan as deserving to be skewered. It’s rather like how in movies, even if the hero (or anti-hero) has to kill many people to achieve his goal, they are usually set up as “bad people” in some fashion so you don’t hate the hero. So every institution and individual Shane rips into pretty much deserves it and that leaves Shane mostly sympathetic. Except for his general inertia, of course.

Beyond the title, Apathy left me feeling undecided. Ironic, no? Some elements I quite enjoyed. The main character was often hilarious but with a cynical, ironic tone that kept him at a distance. He was generally well intentioned but also an obnoxious asshole. I must call out specifically that I hated his casual use of the word “retarded.” (I do feel its okay to hate a character’s attributes even if it’s hard to tell if the author is neutral or critical. Since people are often unlikable, I prefer an author be honest than sugar coat humanity.) The book had great energy throughout but the ending fizzled. The plot was rather intriguing but also far-fetched, and I felt the whole “there’s been a murder” bit too easy. (Not a spoiler, it’s on the back cover.)

So you can see, all my reactions are Yes, but, Yes, but. Not a good technique for improv. It’s that pull and push that left me non-plussed. I am glad that I read Apathy. I’m going to call it a 3.5 with solid entertainment value and smatterings of cultural critique that resonated positively. show less

This novel, which I think is Neilan's first, is about a 28-year-old man named Shane who pretty much hates his life and has no particular liking for himself either. He has a highly dysfunctional relationship, spends his working hours sleeping in the bathroom, often fantasizes about his own accidental death, and spends a lot of time with his dentist. He also becomes sort-of friends with the dentist's deaf secretary, Marlene. And then one day Shane is awoken by a couple of detectives who want show more to question him about Marlene's murder, which is where the book starts. This isn't actually a mystery story though, and if it were it would be pretty bad because the ending doesn't really try to be exciting; it's just a funny book about a not very good person and his often offensive views of the world. A blurb by Neal Pollack describes it as follows: "If Camus and Bukowski had written A Confederacy of Dunces and combined it with the screenplay for Office Space, it would have been this book." It's weird and bitter and very funny and sometimes mean. I enjoyed it and laughed out loud a few times (mostly during scenes where Shane describes his harrowing bike rides to and from work). I feel I should mention that if this were a movie it would be rated R; to be more specific, it probably falls above average but below Chuck Palahniuk and Irvine Welsh in terms of potentially gross-out descriptiveness. I was eating nachos during one scene that made me wish I had saved the nachos for later.

PS--The American Sign Language letters for "apathy" are spelled out under the letters of the title, but the sign that's supposed to be a "P" is actually a "D" or something resembling it. I can't tell if that was an accident or an intentional nod to the title and theme of the book. show less