Everything and More

Goodreads recommended this novel to me, probably because I’ve read several ‘retail space as theatre of social breakdown’ novels. In fact I have a tag for them. This one is fun, but not as dark or violent as I've come to expect. Possibly because the exemplar of this little sub-genre is JG Ballard. ‘Everything and More’ is set in a gigantic department store, owned by an eccentric recluse who lives in a penthouse at the top. (This is a very similar setup to [b:Days|1550076|Days|James Lovegrove|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1185069790s/1550076.jpg|1542436] by James Lovegrove.) The narrative centres on two new employees with very different agendas, Charlie Mayhew and Vita Carlisle. Although I was entertained by the farce that show more plays out in a gigantic baroque temple of consumerism, it didn’t have a lot of depth. There was some very snappy dialogue, which could work quite nicely in film format, but not much insight into the oppressive psychology of conspicuous consumption. I prefer it when things get a little weirder, as in [b:Maul|1280157|Maul|Tricia Sullivan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1182462635s/1280157.jpg|1269161] by Tricia Sullivan and [b:Yarn|8844696|Yarn|Jon Armstrong|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1391343212s/8844696.jpg|13719602] by Jon Armstrong. I think the reason might be setting - [b:Maul|1280157|Maul|Tricia Sullivan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1182462635s/1280157.jpg|1269161] and [b:Yarn|8844696|Yarn|Jon Armstrong|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1391343212s/8844696.jpg|13719602] are both sci-fi, while ‘Everything and More’ is set when it was first published, 1994. It certainly reminded me how much more febrile and pervasive consumerism has become since. The satire here thus wasn’t quite sharp enough for my taste, which is admittedly very specific. Nonetheless, the pseudo-revolutionary furniture porters and secret tunnels were amusing conceits and Vita’s counterproductive revenge neatly executed. Worth reading of a weekend. show less