While in Detroit this past weekend, I finished reading “Syrup” by Max Barry. This is the second novel by Barry that I have read (”Jennifer Government” was the other), though it was his debut. Like my previous read, Barry takes a satirical jab at big business and marketing, but includes the film industry here as well.
From Publishers Weekly via Amazon.Com here is a quick rundown:
Ingenuous new marketing graduate Scat (he feels that his full name, Michael George Holloway, just won’t do for a career in marketing) moves to L.A. hoping to become rich and famous. After he gets a million-dollar idea for a new cola product, cheeky and arrogant Scat approaches a beautiful, ruthless marketing manager named 6 at Coca-Cola. The new product’s name is, hilariously, a “dirty” word, spelled unconventionally and in stylish font on a black can. But before Scat’s cash cow can be milked, his roommate Sneaky Pete steals the idea, is hired by Coke, and soon holds the purse-strings for Coca-Cola’s biggest marketing undertaking ever, a $140 million movie. The infuriated Scat joins forces with 6 to create their own, better movie, with a measly $10,000 budget. With Scat’s creative ideas, 6’s business acumen and the help of 6’s film-major roommate Tina, and Scat’s actress ex-girlfriend Cindy, they set out to beat Sneaky Pete at his own game.
It is hard not to compare “Syrup” to “Jennifer Government”. Maybe that’s unfair, however it is the same author and the same style of writing and story. OK, so “Syrup” is first person, so it is a bit different. My comparisons remember that the characterization was stronger in “JG”, and that there was more humor and action, and more imagination in “JG” as well. “JG” went over the top inventing a future world, while “Syrup” went over the top with it’s main characters and what they do to each other, stretching the boundaries already established. Both do get their point across in satirizing big business, and both are entertaining. But “JG” was more entertaining because of how Barry wrote it. I found the collection of characters more endearing in “JG”, even if on the side of “evil.” The relationship between Scat and 6 at times was irritating, but in a soap opera way. 6 displayed the super-strong emotional woman that wasn’t giving in to her feelings, while Scat who was confident also played the sap at times. It seemed at times that he was two different people. And throughout there were times when you wanted to slap either one of them. Come to think of it, maybe that constitutes good characterization.
Author Max Barry
Now, with all this said, I don’t think “Syrup” was a bad book. It was actually very entertaining. The plot moved very quickly, and the layout of chapters and sections within added to the presentation of a very interesting story. And anything that takes such a huge jab at big business can’t be bad. It plays up most of the feelings that I have about marketing. There was a time when it seemed that every year a new style of beer was being introduced by one of the big brewers here in North America. Light, ice, dry, red, whatever, someone would introduce it and the others would follow. I often said that one of the brewers could come up with a watered down version of their beer and call it “Piss Water” and soon the other brewers would be doing the same, and people would be clambering to drink the stuff. This book takes that concept, to a point, but with cola, and gives you a look at the inside of the marketing industry in making it happen. Albeit a satirical look. : - )
After reading two of Barry’s three novels, he has been added to my list of authors that I will try to make a point of reading their books. Reading is a form of entertainment, and that’s what Barry seems to do best; entertain.
Also, I wanted to quickly talk about the book cover. It’s a rather interesting image, especially since it gives you no insite whatsoever of what the book is about. And after reading it I realized that it really has no connection to the story. Marketing ploy? Maybe. The thing is though that it is only the US trade paperback version. The US hardback, and the hardback and paperback versions circulating through other English speaking countries all have a glass of cola on it. I can’t find anything on Barry’s SITE that explains the cover.
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