On the Floor

If you want a fly-on-the-wall view of London finance, through a woman's POV, this is it. It starts out a tableau of characters (caricatures, maybe) but soon enough, the plot evolves. Leaves you with a protagonist you'll think and wonder about after the novel's final page. How IS Geri Molloy doing today?

On the Floor has a fascinating premise: it's set against the Gulf War of 1991 and focuses on a career I know little about: investment banking. I was immediately drawn to Geri as a character. She lives large, plays hard, and works hard. It's clear she can't keep up the pace, but I was looking forward to the journey. While there was much I liked in this novel, the pacing was uneven. Some parts were filled with suspense, while others were dragged down by detail.

I particularly enjoyed Geri's observations (and premonitions) regarding the Gulf War. Knowing both the end of that war and the coming second Gulf War, there were some chilling scenes. It's a slippery slope when the reader knows more about the coming events than the characters. In On show more the Floor, it mostly worked, but at times the premonitions began to feel heavy handed.

The verdict: A strong setting, intriguing characters and good writing gave this novel all of the elements of success, but together it never quite came together for me. Ultimately, I appreciated what Campbell was trying to tell with this complicated story and setting, but I think she lost focus in unnecessary details too often to truly succeed. show less

This is the tale of Geri, an investment banker working in the stock market. At the beginning we see Geri's big trade and find out about her big client, Felix, who will only trade through her.
As the book progresses, we see her life falling apart. Her boyfriend left her ~ 6 months ago and she is still not over that. Felix wants her to move to Hong Kong. She is drinking too much and not sleeping, running on fumes, living on her past achievements and is on a slippery slope downwards. Things come to a head over the few days leading up to the 1st Gulf War, when she gets flown out to Hong King to meet Felix and understand his intention in relation to a specific stock, and a potential takeover. At which point Stephen reappears, takes advantage show more of her, and leaves again. It all gets very complicated on her return. In the final section we hear about Geri's upbringing, what has taken her to her current position.
At the end, Geri seems to be faced with a choice of planes to catch, to two different locations. One would be the continuation of her current life, the other would be a complete break from the past. I find myself hoping that she made a decision that made her happy for herself - I just can't decide which one it should be. show less