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The Forced Redundancy Film Club
Five colleagues. One dreadful day. And the biggest shock of her life for high-flying career girl Katherine Casey, who'd believed she was safe from the job losses coming to Qwertec Solutions. The mood is sombre as she and devastated ex-colleagues gather in the pub. But a few drinks later, with the discovery of a shared passion for the silver screen, things begin to look up. And the Forced Redundancy Film Club is born. Over a year, Katherine, along with office oddball Alice, stressed out mother-of-three Lisa, professional sorrow-drowner Martin and cheating-heart Jamie meet up each month to watch their favourite classic films. As they journey through Casablanca, Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Wizard of Oz, Brokeback Mountain and many others, each faces their own personal from negative-equity hell to heartache, loneliness, toddler-strife - and the wrath of a certain bunny boiler. And each finds comfort in the one place where they're guaranteed a happy ending. But will the dreams they dare to dream every really come true? Only time will tell...
400 pages, Paperback
First published April 5, 2012
5 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Brian Finnegan
6 books15 followersI am the author of two novels, 'The Forced Redundancy Film Club' and 'Knowing Me Knowing You', which have been bestsellers in Ireland. The latter has just been translated into Norwegian, with other translations pending.
My third novel will be published by Hachette in June 2017.
By day I'm a magazine editor and newspaper columnist.
My third novel will be published by Hachette in June 2017.
By day I'm a magazine editor and newspaper columnist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 20, 2012
Pigeonholed into the ‘chic lit’ genre, Brian Finnegan's The Forced Redundancy Club should really be given more credit for capturing the zeitgeist of recession-era Ireland (and just about any country struggling under similar conditions) while managing to keep the reader entertained in what could have been a fairly grim plod through a group of people’s misfortunes.
Instead Finnegan has shone a light on what will become a very dark, cold period in Ireland’s history and has given it some much-needed warmth, and above all, humanity.
An escape? Possibly, but the device used is what gives the book its originality.
Finnegan uses the colour of the films chosen by his characters for the film club to highlight the monochrome world they inhabit as a result of their job loss.
It's a useful and innovative ploy which breaks up the story so well, and of course pays homage to the similar use of black and white versus colour in films such as the author's favourite, The Wizard of Oz. (Though amusingly, one character having watched the film wonders why Dorothy would trade the colour of Oz for the black and white of Kansas).
The films are essentially mirrors for the characters to view where they are in their own lives -- each one at a crossroads of sorts and the films they choose reflect this, finding if not solace and hope, at least empathy with the characters.
The five characters eventually find they are connected in more ways than their ‘joblessness’ and it is testament to Finnegan’s narrative that he avoids a slide into a world where the job (or lack of one) is the sole driving force.
At heart, this book is about human relationships -- their curse, their wonder, frailty, complexities and necessities -- and how the bravest among us can crumble without the comfort of another.
It is also about solid friendship, which triumphs over the hardships which are so often beyond our control. And it is also about mortality, loss and regret and what it means to be simply human.
Finnegan is clearly a writer with soul, passion and sensitivity -- great qualities to have.
Instead Finnegan has shone a light on what will become a very dark, cold period in Ireland’s history and has given it some much-needed warmth, and above all, humanity.
An escape? Possibly, but the device used is what gives the book its originality.
Finnegan uses the colour of the films chosen by his characters for the film club to highlight the monochrome world they inhabit as a result of their job loss.
It's a useful and innovative ploy which breaks up the story so well, and of course pays homage to the similar use of black and white versus colour in films such as the author's favourite, The Wizard of Oz. (Though amusingly, one character having watched the film wonders why Dorothy would trade the colour of Oz for the black and white of Kansas).
The films are essentially mirrors for the characters to view where they are in their own lives -- each one at a crossroads of sorts and the films they choose reflect this, finding if not solace and hope, at least empathy with the characters.
The five characters eventually find they are connected in more ways than their ‘joblessness’ and it is testament to Finnegan’s narrative that he avoids a slide into a world where the job (or lack of one) is the sole driving force.
At heart, this book is about human relationships -- their curse, their wonder, frailty, complexities and necessities -- and how the bravest among us can crumble without the comfort of another.
It is also about solid friendship, which triumphs over the hardships which are so often beyond our control. And it is also about mortality, loss and regret and what it means to be simply human.
Finnegan is clearly a writer with soul, passion and sensitivity -- great qualities to have.
October 5, 2014
"Finnegan’s novel, much like his decision to get on the popular-fiction dance floor, is smart or, as his publicist says, a “high-concept” debut. Efficiently tapping into the zeitgeist, Finnegan’s novel focuses on a bunch of thirtysomething Dublin-based colleagues thrown to the lions of penury, boredom and sexual misadventure when they are made redundant from their high-spec office jobs and end up getting plastered in a local hostelry before forming an ad-hoc film club.
Finnegan, sure-footed and confident, creates a sturdy read..."
--Hilary Fannin - The Irish Times
The Forced Redundancy Film Club is a smart novel that contains just the right amount of comedy and tragedy to make it enjoyable for anyone to read. The film theme throughout, beginning quite aptly with Casablanca - "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" - and ending even more aptly with It's A Wonderful Life, is both original and effective. His novel gives the reader a cutting insight into the lives of five very typical Irish individuals, from exhausted mother of three to the spinster orphan with no social skills, and pulls it off perfectly.
The beauty of The Forced Redundancy Film Club is that it can - like all classic movies - be enjoyed, not specifically by just women or just men, but by anyone who loves a good story. -- Deirdre O'Brien, Entertainment.ie
'With his zeitgeist debut novel, Brian Finnegan brings us a warm, funny, touching, sexy, romantic, thoroughly enjoyable, brilliantly-plotted page-turner, whose faith in the redemptive power of our love offers a ray of sunshine for our gloomy times.' -- Adrienne Murphy, Hot Press
"A satirical observation on life in the midst of Recession 2012, The Forced Redundancy Film Club is set to become a cult classic." The Sligo Weekender.
Finnegan, sure-footed and confident, creates a sturdy read..."
--Hilary Fannin - The Irish Times
The Forced Redundancy Film Club is a smart novel that contains just the right amount of comedy and tragedy to make it enjoyable for anyone to read. The film theme throughout, beginning quite aptly with Casablanca - "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship" - and ending even more aptly with It's A Wonderful Life, is both original and effective. His novel gives the reader a cutting insight into the lives of five very typical Irish individuals, from exhausted mother of three to the spinster orphan with no social skills, and pulls it off perfectly.
The beauty of The Forced Redundancy Film Club is that it can - like all classic movies - be enjoyed, not specifically by just women or just men, but by anyone who loves a good story. -- Deirdre O'Brien, Entertainment.ie
'With his zeitgeist debut novel, Brian Finnegan brings us a warm, funny, touching, sexy, romantic, thoroughly enjoyable, brilliantly-plotted page-turner, whose faith in the redemptive power of our love offers a ray of sunshine for our gloomy times.' -- Adrienne Murphy, Hot Press
"A satirical observation on life in the midst of Recession 2012, The Forced Redundancy Film Club is set to become a cult classic." The Sligo Weekender.
July 12, 2012
What would you do if the world around you was crumbling and you had just lost your job ? Would you start looking for a new one , accept the reality and move on , sit and dwell on the negative or would you start a club ?
One company Qwertec Solutions are letting their staff go one by one due to recession cut-backs , amongst those staff made redundant are five colleagues. Never really spending time together in the past, the five find themselves one night sharing a few rounds of beer and as the night winds down they start talking about E.T and movies.
Meet Katherine, Marcus, Lisa, Jake and Alice - they used to all be employees of Qwertec Solutions, now together the five of them make up The Forced Redundancy Film Club where each of them take turns monthly showing a film of their choice and then of course pulling it to bits. Enjoy movies from Casablanca to Breakfast at Tiffany's , Wizard of Oz to Edward Scissorhands. Over the next year, these five will discover and learn what it means to have real friendships and that no matter what tragedy or problem they have going on in their lives they will always have each other and that the foundation of good friendships is strong even if it takes you a little bit longer to realise.
As a big movie fan, I really enjoyed this book as the majority of films featured I have seen plenty of times and it actually made me look at the films in a different light as well and go , oh I never thought of it like that.
One company Qwertec Solutions are letting their staff go one by one due to recession cut-backs , amongst those staff made redundant are five colleagues. Never really spending time together in the past, the five find themselves one night sharing a few rounds of beer and as the night winds down they start talking about E.T and movies.
Meet Katherine, Marcus, Lisa, Jake and Alice - they used to all be employees of Qwertec Solutions, now together the five of them make up The Forced Redundancy Film Club where each of them take turns monthly showing a film of their choice and then of course pulling it to bits. Enjoy movies from Casablanca to Breakfast at Tiffany's , Wizard of Oz to Edward Scissorhands. Over the next year, these five will discover and learn what it means to have real friendships and that no matter what tragedy or problem they have going on in their lives they will always have each other and that the foundation of good friendships is strong even if it takes you a little bit longer to realise.
As a big movie fan, I really enjoyed this book as the majority of films featured I have seen plenty of times and it actually made me look at the films in a different light as well and go , oh I never thought of it like that.
April 25, 2012
Awesome read. Tears were shed, more than a few smiles and a few laughs too. The drama unfolds as the work colleagues loose their jobs in Irelands' recession. While drowning their sorrows in the pub they decide to form a film club of which the movie titles give the novel its chapter structure. This is clever, witty, informative and integral to the plot. Taking only two sittings to read it can be safely said that The Forced Redundancy Film Club is a real page turner, one of those memorable and heartwarming reads that will leave a lasting impression.
June 3, 2012
This is a desceptive book - on the surface an easy and indeed enjoyable read, under the surface it deals with a lot of human dilemmas as exemplified by the choice of films.
June 11, 2020
I enjoyed the book but would have enjoyed it better if Jamie and Andrew and Saaed did not exist. Just Katherine and Martin and Lisa and especially Alice would have been sufficient to make the book interesting
September 17, 2016
So... 101 chapters, and a changing PoV each time. Not exactly my favourite type of book - had I known that, I probably would have given it a wide berth. I can't actually pinpoint what I liked about this novel, because there were so many aspects I didn't like. For instance, the characters are all a little underdeveloped and never jump off the page, and despite being put through the wringer by all the things that happen to them, they always seem very distanced to it all. Even when one of them, a mother, snaps due to the immense pressure she is under, the reader is never really given access to her thoughts and feelings. Also, the 11 films that the film club watches over the course of the year aren't really discussed in depth, and serves more as a gimmick to structure the novel and to ensure that these unlikely characters, who weren't friends to start with, will keep meeting each other. Oh, and why is virtually every single person in the book blonde?
Despite these flaws, and a somewhat abrupt ending (not to mention a bunch of missing words - does no one proofread books these days?), there is something about the novel that works, and it was difficult to put down. I just can't really tell you what that something is.
Despite these flaws, and a somewhat abrupt ending (not to mention a bunch of missing words - does no one proofread books these days?), there is something about the novel that works, and it was difficult to put down. I just can't really tell you what that something is.
August 1, 2014
3.5 stars
I enjoyed this book. It's in the 'chick lit' genre. While the story line is predictable, Brian has captured the difficulties faced by people during this recession, be it by oneself or one's partner and the emotions & difficulties involved. Big topics such as alcoholism and adoption are also dealt with very well.
I enjoyed this book and always looked forward to picking it up to find out what happened next. Not being a film buff, I enjoyed the analysis of the movies.
I enjoyed this book. It's in the 'chick lit' genre. While the story line is predictable, Brian has captured the difficulties faced by people during this recession, be it by oneself or one's partner and the emotions & difficulties involved. Big topics such as alcoholism and adoption are also dealt with very well.
I enjoyed this book and always looked forward to picking it up to find out what happened next. Not being a film buff, I enjoyed the analysis of the movies.
April 27, 2012
The Forced Redundancy Film Club is a warm, witty book with astute observations about life in recessionary post-Celtic Tiger Ireland. It's a page turner, making it a good holiday read, a good rainy day read and a GREAT "tired of hearing about recession/austerity measures/gloom and doom in the news" book. Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.
April 26, 2012
Excellent book..hard to put down...
July 28, 2012
An easy, funny and great read. Loved the story line and when I can remember the story and can't put a book down then it ticks all my boxes and this book certainly did this.
January 3, 2014
This one got me through a long night of insomnia & managed to make it bearable. Enjoyed the interweaving stories & has encouraged me to re watch some excellent films.
August 13, 2018
We spend a year looking over the shoulders of five colleagues, caught up in Ireland's bail out recession, each of whom face a moment of truth in their lives, beyond the basic challenge of making a living. The film choices that bring them together mirror their challenges, even if they don't realise it themselves. Its told via snappy chapters that keep the stories moving and ensure we keep up with everybody. I am sure some of what makes Ireland Ireland comes through as well.
December 11, 2017
I was a bit wary of reading 'The Forced Redundancy Film Club' by Brian Finnegan because of its cutesy title and story about five people's anguished lives. But it was surprisingly ok. The characters were all flawed but seemed fairly realistic and I was interested enough to follow their lives. And I loved their comments about the classic films they watched. A good escapist read.
December 10, 2018
The book starts off with 5 Sad-sack fairly unlikable characters- but in the end I found that cared for them, and was glad that each, in their own way got a happy but realistic ending.
July 15, 2015
This book proves that you can't judge a book by its cover. The publishers have chosen to package it like just another "chick-lit" romance, and a lot of people will pass it by for that reason. But there's a lot more to it than that.
It's the story of five real, 3-dimensional people dealing with real-life issues that go way beyond the fact that four of them have been made redundant from their jobs at a global corporation. The characters are believable and engaging, and the situations they find themselves in are realistic as well as interesting. I found the writing flowed well, the conversations between the characters worked, and the relationships between the characters were believable, which is no mean feat judging by some of the stuff that gets published these days.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Whenever I had to put the book aside I looked forward to being able to continue reading about the lives of Martin, Katherine, Alice, Lisa and Jamie, and I found myself thinking about the book well after I'd finished reading it.
It's the story of five real, 3-dimensional people dealing with real-life issues that go way beyond the fact that four of them have been made redundant from their jobs at a global corporation. The characters are believable and engaging, and the situations they find themselves in are realistic as well as interesting. I found the writing flowed well, the conversations between the characters worked, and the relationships between the characters were believable, which is no mean feat judging by some of the stuff that gets published these days.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Whenever I had to put the book aside I looked forward to being able to continue reading about the lives of Martin, Katherine, Alice, Lisa and Jamie, and I found myself thinking about the book well after I'd finished reading it.
November 3, 2012
I won this book through Goodreads giveaways.
I really enjoyed this book. It was very hard to put down because you want to know what the characters are going to do next. Brian did an excellent job at balancing five different characters, their lives and there dramas.
The characters are real. You love and dislike them at different points of the story just like you would friends in real life. You don't agree with some of the decisions they are making and you cheer them on when bad things happen. They are unlikely friends but Brian makes that work by pointing out their differences and disagreements and having them work through them throughout the novel.
Brian pulls the stories of their lives along by the choice of movies. When each character picks their movie it mirrors what is going on in their lives. It was a very clever and new way of bringing the reader along on the characters journey's. Plus it gives you new incite to classic movies.
I would suggest this book to everyone.
I really enjoyed this book. It was very hard to put down because you want to know what the characters are going to do next. Brian did an excellent job at balancing five different characters, their lives and there dramas.
The characters are real. You love and dislike them at different points of the story just like you would friends in real life. You don't agree with some of the decisions they are making and you cheer them on when bad things happen. They are unlikely friends but Brian makes that work by pointing out their differences and disagreements and having them work through them throughout the novel.
Brian pulls the stories of their lives along by the choice of movies. When each character picks their movie it mirrors what is going on in their lives. It was a very clever and new way of bringing the reader along on the characters journey's. Plus it gives you new incite to classic movies.
I would suggest this book to everyone.
August 23, 2014
It started off like chick lit and it took a whole lot of determination to continue with it and, guess what, it does get better!
A Group of former employees, from Dublin, start up a monthly film club after they were all made redundant. Key characters for every chick lit book included: Katherine, the snob, Jamie, the gay, Alice, the messed up upbringing, Lisa, evil children and Martin, regular guy with Daddy issues and in love with the unobtainable.
So yeah, not one of them had 'minor' problems.
They watch films and stuff happens and it ends.
Easy read but not meaty enough to be gripped by.
A Group of former employees, from Dublin, start up a monthly film club after they were all made redundant. Key characters for every chick lit book included: Katherine, the snob, Jamie, the gay, Alice, the messed up upbringing, Lisa, evil children and Martin, regular guy with Daddy issues and in love with the unobtainable.
So yeah, not one of them had 'minor' problems.
They watch films and stuff happens and it ends.
Easy read but not meaty enough to be gripped by.
January 8, 2013
3 1/2 stars. I always enjoy books that have a group of friends reading books or watching films together over a series of months. I always learn so much about myself as the characters learn about themselves by reflecting on the film or book of the month. Set in Ireland, this group has just been fired from their jobs and decide to meet once a month to watch a movie and discuss it. Each has their own set of issues to deal with. Some descriptions of a gay couples relationship may deter some readers.
March 12, 2013
An interesting, if somewhat hard to buy concept: a group of very different employees get fired from the same company and start a monthly film club to stay connected and figure out the next stages of their lives. Each chapter features a different character's film choice. The problem is that the films seem less connected to the characters and situations than I think the author intended. There are not enough satisfying discussions of the films to tie them closer to what each is experiencing. Still, this is a pretty rich character study.
December 10, 2012
A really good read spoilt by very poor editing / publishing in my opinion. So many grammatical and or spelling errors alongside type set errors means i have to knock this down by 1 star because it bothered me so much.
Other than that a well balanced book, good descriptions of people and places, and an insight into the gay genre for me. The stories all quite normal along the way finish the book in a bit of a cliche of happily ever after, but it takes some getting there.
Possibly won't rush to read another of the author though.
Other than that a well balanced book, good descriptions of people and places, and an insight into the gay genre for me. The stories all quite normal along the way finish the book in a bit of a cliche of happily ever after, but it takes some getting there.
Possibly won't rush to read another of the author though.
January 29, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. Its a great snapshot of realistic, modern Irish life. You can identify with the characters as you know each of them in your own life. The overarching storyline of the film club makes you want to go out and re-watch all the classics mentioned. Even if not immediately obvious, each film has a meaning for the characters and the plot - I was looking forward to reading it each night. Hoping next offering from Finnegan will be just as good! It would be nice to see a longer novel from him running over the course of years - I think he would lend himself quite well to that.
April 25, 2013
This book is about five people who are made redundant from the same firm (hence the title of the book). They agree to keep in touch, despite the fact that they are entirely different characters at varying levels within the firm, who don't all like each other. The book unfolds over a year they meet each month to watch a film together at one of their houses, and we learn more about each person and what is happening in their lives. It was a bit of a slow start, but a really good story.
October 28, 2017
I really didn't like this one. I thought that every character was grossly unlikable. I understand having flawed characters, but they should still be likable. I really only enjoyed the film discussion throughout the book. That's about it. Really disappointed.
As a side note, I don't know if it was just my version of the book, but some editing would have gone a long way. Lots of spelling errors, missing words, etc.
As a side note, I don't know if it was just my version of the book, but some editing would have gone a long way. Lots of spelling errors, missing words, etc.
January 18, 2021
I thought a lot of the jokes the characters made were tasteless. I had to skip certain parts of this book because I got uncomfortable. I only really liked Alice’s story because I’m not a fan of romance. This genre isn’t my cup of tea, so I’m biased. I only read this book because I was bored.
2.5 stars for the non-romance subplots and because I prefer this book over the other books I’ve read from this genre + I like happy endings.
2.5 stars for the non-romance subplots and because I prefer this book over the other books I’ve read from this genre + I like happy endings.
April 13, 2015
I enhanced my experience of reading this book by watching each of the films before each chapter! Although I'd seen them all before it was wonderful to see them again and made this book such a lovely read. A little deeper than I was expecting but just a nice look at five quite different people who get thrown together due to forced redundancy and their love of film!
March 5, 2013
I really enjoyed reading this book. Not too hard to understand, with an red string through the story. Solid writing, I liked it. Nothing to be super impressed by but a good book before going to sleep or early in the morning on the way to work.
June 11, 2012
A strange book with strange little stories.
August 14, 2012
This book came on holiday with me and I couldn't put it down. Hugely enjoyable and the characters linger like old friends. I would highly recommend it, to book lovers and movie lovers alike.
December 19, 2013
I loved this book, the characters are well written and I really wanted to know how things turned out for them. The book also gave me a new appreciation of movie reviews.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews