A short life of the author
Joshua Ferris (b. 1974) was born on 7 September 1974 in Danville, Illinois. He studied English at the University of Iowa and has an MFA from the University of California, Irvine. He lives in New York.
Life and Career
Then We Came to the End (2007) — narrated in the first-person plural (“we”), about the employees of a Chicago advertising agency during the dot-com bust, watching colleagues get laid off one by one while they gossip, scheme, and try to make sense of a life spent in cubicles — was a National Book Award finalist and one of the most praised debuts of the 2000s. The collective voice captures the herd mentality and collective anxiety of office culture.
The Unnamed (2010) — about Tim Farnsworth, a successful Manhattan lawyer who develops an inexplicable compulsion to walk, which destroys his career, marriage, and body — was darker and more divisive. To Rise Again at a Decent Hour (2014) — about a misanthropic dentist whose online identity is stolen by a mysterious ancient religious group — was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
A Calling for Charlie Barnes (2021) — about a serial entrepreneur and serial husband, narrated by his son — was his fourth novel.
Major Works and Themes
Ferris writes about the absurdity of modern American professional life, the gap between how people spend their days and what they believe matters, and the body’s rebellion against the demands of civilisation.
Key Works
- Then We Came to the End (2007)
- To Rise Again at a Decent Hour (2014)
- The Unnamed (2010)
Collecting Ferris
Then We Came to the End (2007, Little, Brown) brings $15–$40 for firsts.