Then We Came to the End

Joshua Ferris’s debut novel offers a sharply observant portrait of corporate life through the collective voice of an advertising agency staff in Chicago. Narrated by a nameless “we,” the book traces the daily routines, quiet rivalries, and unspoken anxieties of office workers navigating an industry in flux. When a sudden loss disrupts the workplace, the narrative shifts from satirical observation to a more reflective meditation on mortality, loyalty, and the fragile bonds that form in professional environments. Ferris captures the peculiar rituals of modern employment—endless meetings, performance reviews, and the constant pressure to appear indispensable—while quietly examining how people seek meaning beyond their job titles. The novel’s distinctive first-person plural perspective creates an intimate yet detached atmosphere, mirroring the way individuals both merge into and withdraw from group dynamics. Grounded in the economic uncertainties of its time, the work remains a thoughtful exploration of how we define ourselves through labor and how communities endure when the structures that sustain them begin to fracture.