A collection of essays that scream Michael Scott… but may leave you wanting more.
I know, I know. It isn’t popular for a 20-something-year-old to not be absolutely obsessed with “The Office.” I apologize in advance, because it isn’t my favorite. I am a diehard Ross and Rachel fan, what can I say?
So, coming upon a collection of papers on “The Office,” so aptly called “Conference Room, Five Minutes,” I was already skeptical, but willing to see what they had to offer.
I am also an avid reader and consumer of all things news, entertaining, philosophy and otherwise, so I pay attention to the little details. That is why the first “introduction” already having a footnote breaking the fourth wall with its reader was how I knew I would enjoy these essays.
The work is a collection of a variety of topics and lengths, ranging from a real scouting report on the players from the fifth episode to a recasting of a fake “Ocean’s 14” movie based on the main characters of the show. Together the ten papers represent the author’s most emotional, funny, calculated and interesting thoughts on the characters, plotlines and scenes from “The Office.”
Obviously, not being the biggest fan, I will acknowledge that I am not the target audience of these papers, something the author even recognizes and admits. That being said, I can appreciate a good piece of literature.
What to love:
Best Essay: 5-6 “The Olympiad” (Parts 1 and 2)
1. If you love “The Office,” these papers were made for you.
Anyone who is a superfan of any show knows that there is always a shortage of content to consume. These essays not only create a new way to look at “The Office,” but even provide a variety of arguments and conversation starters. Whether you disagree with who the best couple is (I’m not sure “surviving a breakup” is a category for the best couple…) or you take issue with Jim’s attractiveness (hard to disagree about John Krasinski), the author provides a fan service to those invested. So, if you like “The Office,” casually or desperately, they might be worth the read.
2. The writing itself is comical and easy to read.
The author has a very unique style of writing that includes a variety of prose, tone, language (foul included) and formats. This keeps things both light and entertaining. The lighthearted elements leave it so that even those not terribly interested in the show can find something to laugh about. Furthermore, the tone is inviting, as though you are speaking to a friend about your favorite thing in the world.
3. The attention to detail.
I already mentioned this, but I really do love footnotes. I also love detail. I appreciate that the author took the time to pay attention to the smallest of things in individual episodes. While this seems like just a superfan ranting, it is clear that there is a lot of work that went into this project. Categorizing couples and individuals, and analyzing where they would fit in certain scenarios is more work that it sounds like. I can appreciate the effort put into the entire project.
The Biggest Downfall
Worst Essay: 7 “There Are No Accidents”
1. You love it. Or you don’t.
Like I said, I am not the biggest “The Office” fan there is. While there is plenty there to enjoy in a few of the papers, for the majority of them, if you are not looking for interesting talking points or to spark a debate between friends, you might be left wondering “so what”? That is pretty much where I am.
My recommendation?
Casual Fans of the show: Read papers 3, 5, 6 and maybe 10.
Die-hard viewers: You’ll probably love them all.
I thought the papers were all clever in their own right, and I have tremendous respect for the jokes made, straightforward candid discussion posed by the author and interesting possibilities for if the characters were in a heist movie, I just am not sure if they are really for everyone.
In conclusion, the casual fan might just get a few laughs, but the die-hard Dunder Mifflin employee will be ready to hand out some Dundies.
The Beat @APU 