Title: Just for Now
Author: Richard Wall
Publisher: AuthorHouseUK
ISBN: 978-1728375304
Pages: 430
Genre: Fiction
Reviewed by: Christina Avina
Pacific Book Review
In any business or profession, there is a collective group of people who all fill a unique role. The boss, the assistant, the comedian, the heartbreaker, and so many other roles all tend to fill our lives, and the longer we stay in these new jobs and take on these new positions, we find ourselves changing into a new role as well. In that process, we find the world outside of our job starts to reflect upon the world within our job life, and how those events begin to shape or reshape our roles.
In author Richard Wall’s Just for Now, the author shares a genre of fiction, a humorous yet reflective look at the postal service and the inner workings of that office. Beginning
through the eyes of a new employee, the story finds this man encounter all sorts of different characters, from an angry manager constantly barking insults on his employees, to a group known as the Ghost Squad who never appear, and Gambler George, who gets into a series of troubles which gets him into a conflict with the local police. Yet as an undercover reporter claims he was assaulted, men all across the country begin to flood police stations with similar claims, and a fight between the post office management, the union, and the British rail system all culminate in a bizarre series of events.
The author did an incredible job of capturing the chaos and tension that builds between employees and management or corporate in some instances. The author’s use of dialogue to really drive the narrative forward and highlight the various personalities and traits of characters made this a compelling narrative. The humor the author infuses into the conversations amongst the characters help illustrate the ridiculous nature of the way things are run in this world, and the evolution and haphazard journey of Walter, in particular, in this story really drives home the mental and physical effects that this work has on a person.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy literature and fiction, in particular those that enjoy humor, and an almost abstract approach to the study of society as a whole. The wit of these characters and the fast whip of their verbal attacks, as well as the infusion of UK culture and dialogue, really will speak to readers both from the UK and with a passion for all things UK related.
Memorable, thought-provoking, and engaging, author Richard Wall’s Just for Now is a must-read novel. The exploration of society and the issues that typically run through it, as well as the “cheeky” dialogue which showcases these characters’ personalities so perfectly, highlight the mirrored reflections of people we have all met in our own lives, albeit to an extreme exaggeration in some instances, and keeps the readers invested in the narrative.
