The Warehouse Industry

by William Macbeth

Once there was a man.

When the man was a boy he killed a duck. He called the duck Peter, but it was too late. The duck was dead.

He got a job at a pie factory. Not a great job, but they didn’t ask too many questions, which was the main thing. He didn’t last long there, and left quietly without telling anyone.

The man is trying not to draw attention to himself.

He settled for a career in the warehouse industry. One day there was a delivery of cheap pillows, but the worst was yet to come.

The worst is always yet to come.

260 pages, Paperback

Published May 8, 2018

About the author

William Macbeth is a writer. He has written a book called The Warehouse Industry. And other things too, if you’re interested. He has brown hair and, while not exactly tall, is certainly above average height. He lives in London, in a house.

William Macbeth has never won any prizes, raffles, or competitions of any kind.

Reviews

[Jena Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may be the most difficult book review I’ve ever written. How can I explain this book? I don’t understand why the author wrote it or what he was trying to create. Even if I could see the meaning in it, I’m not sure this book would appeal to mainstream readers. But, since I did read it- the entire book- and in all honesty didn’t want to put it down- I will try.

The book is written in a detached first person narrative, very mechanical. The narrator never tells us his name. He relates a curious series of events, some of which are disturbing. He seems to not have feelings for people, only inanimate objects. “The only thing I was good at was not drawing attention to myself.” The book becomes gripping as the reader tries to figure out what is wrong with the narrator.

I think the author should provide more information about why he wrote this book. Was it an MFA project? And what is the problem with the narrator- is he depressed, does have a dissociative disorder? And what about the title, The Warehouse Industry? Yes, the narrator works in a warehouse, but is there more meaning to it? Does he feel “warehoused”? When I saw title and the book cover, I thought it was going to be a humorous account of working in a warehouse.

If you are looking for a beach read, or a cozy mystery, this is not the book for you. But, if you are looking for something different, edgy, something that will wake up your book club, give it a try.

Thanks to Netgalley, Thistle Publishing and David Havilland for the ARC.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such an unusual and clever book, original and compulsively readable and I found myself more and more drawn into it as the narrative progressed. It’s a bit of a puzzle at the beginning. It’s narrated by a definitely weird protagonist, who talks in a strange repetitive way, and who confesses that all he wants to do is to pass unnoticed in the world. He finds it hard to relate to other people and is very much a loner. There are some darkly humorous episodes but the mood becomes more and more sombre as more of the background to his present state is revealed and when the explanation comes it is both tragic and unexpected. I particularly enjoyed the unpredictability of the book. It’s impossible to guess where the author is going with it, and the flat unemotional style only adds to the mystery of what turns out to be a very emotional book indeed. An excellent debut novel, which shows an expert feel for timing and construction and an impressive ability to get into the head of a damaged man. Thoroughly enjoyable.

[Jannelies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thistle publishing sent me this book in exchange for an honest review.

And to be honest, it is not 'for everyone', this book. I hated the scene with the duck (but loved the story of the wedding) and overall I'm not impressed by people who drink and puke all the time. However, when you read between the lines there is actually a very sad story and I think there are lots of people who can relate to the main character.

[Christopher Bardsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I would like to preface this review by saying I am a horrible, horrible snob and I read about one debut novel every three years. This book is exceptional. It kicks you right in the small intestine. It's like Kurt Vonnegut, but not. It is extremely funny, very readable, and somehow heartbreaking at the same time. The man- the protagonist- has problems that go far beyond the murder of a duck. His story is a meditation on alienation, and the tragic absurdity of modern life. Macbeth's writing is vivid and original- that weird backwards-tripping repetition thing he does is very, very clever, and not something I have seen before. READ THIS BOOK!

[Emi Yoshida · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read anything quite like this. The clunky writing style is rather exasperating at first, but unbearable only until your mind adjusts to it, all repetition and non sequitur - not unlike years of listening to twin toddlers babbling at you, alone all day, as I recall. "I was living with a girl I used to live with at the time: the girl I used to live with when I worked at the pie factory." "I don't remember leaving work that day, but I definitely did. You don't need to remember everything."

The pitiful narrator here is more of a ghost than a man, merely "haunting himself" while consumed by the need to not call attention to himself. So lonely he conducts conversations with inanimate objects: like an invitation, and furniture. The story is told in a fractured manner, with alternating chapters set at different anchor points in the narrator's life, various factory jobs, the stag party preceding his older brother's first wedding, and finally his older brother's second wedding. On first reading I assumed it was a drawn out, violent revenge tale but then as I browse through it a second time I become unsure of whom to blame for the narrator's having come unhinged, or at what point in this story it actually happened.

[Stefani Akins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps it is an odd life goal to not draw attention to oneself, but that is exactly the place in which the narrator of “The Warehouse Industry” finds himself. Socially awkward and insecure, he does his best to blend in, yet still manages to stand out far more than he’s comfortable with. In order to fit in, he often finds himself going along with things he actually finds disagreeable. Slowly, over the course of twenty years, he reveals his story, told through flashbacks from his elder brother’s stag night, his own sketchy employment history, up to his brother’s second wedding. It is this wedding which turns out to be a pivotal, indeed cataclysmic, point in his life.

The narrator seems oddly disengaged, but the book draws the reader in, nonetheless. For those disinclined to read lenghty tomes, fear not: I found this book well-paced to the point where I was somewhat surprised to suddenly find myself deposited at its conclusion.

Mr. Macbeth employs repetition as one of the narrator’s distinguishing features; after all, he has problems holding on to facts. What could make events and people more real than searing their details into one’s brain? The reader may find this way of storytelling somewhat irritating to begin with, but I ask you to persevere. “The Warehouse Industry” has a few unexpected twists in store that will definitely do anything but not draw your attention.

“The Warehouse Industry” is published by Thistle Publishing. I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.

[Patricia Bello · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well I can definitely say this book isn't for everyone. It's not for me but someone else surely.

Big sigh. Ok, where to start with this book? The main character (I don't know his name) is a sad man who excels in being invisible even in the midst of a crowd. And he wants it that way, never drawing attention to himself. And sadly he meets no one who makes him want to break out of that.

The story goes back and forth between the present time and the night of his brother's first stag party. I am not impressed by his brother and his friends as you should never treat your brother that way and you should never let others treat your sibling that way either. And neither am I impressed by the lead's lack of ambition, drive and strength of character.

And when we get to the part that shows (kinda) why the lead behaves that way, well, it's just sad. Sad, sad. But I still don't like him.

This book was a struggle to read and I briefly thought of not finishing. But I did, in between better books.

Thanks Thistle Publishing for this book.

[Cherry London · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say I was really stumped when I read this book, I tried to understand what the author was getting at, but it eluded me and then it finally hit me. I don’t see someone having a laugh at his ill turns in life no I see something else. To me, these are the thoughts of a seriously depressed person that had no compulsion for the things they did or even say. This person was crying out for help and none understood them or made any attempt to, they continue to ignore their cries and dealt with them as if everything was on the level. It seems to me that they were even depressed as a kid, now an adult handling day to day issues of life was too much, they just wanted to be left alone. This was conveyed to me by their inert ramblings and sayings, they were sick in the mind and no one knew. This book is not quite on the excitometer for me but I have to say it is pretty interesting even though it’s not my cup of tea.

[Mohammed Arif · Rating 1 out of 5]

Heya big pimpin’ wass gud playa! I remember we wuz kickin it in Miami in ‘98 my brotha! So happy I finally found u after that hazy night. U told me to look u up on yellow pages and I found this... I had your numba written down on the wall of my cell in long beach penetentiary. I cant believe u snitched after we went after those eses, man! I hope u gud, I give u 1 star becuz of when you stole my suitcase in Las Vegas and ran back to London! Holla back

[Luke Van Beers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very bad at English so pls forgave me for bad talk. Book is very interested and the duck is very emotional. Wedding was beautiful and I hop William makes more of these books.

[Calum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perception changing

[C · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you Net Galley, Thistle Books, David Haviland, and William MacBeth.

I'd give this book no stars if I could, this book could of been 50 pages if you took out all the overlapping words.

Here's a few examples:

He sounded ALMOST APOLOGETIC or maybe I imagined that he sounded ALMOST APOLOGETIC. Maybe he didn't sound APOLOGETIC at all.

Boats KEPT passing by and the people on the boats KEPT NOTICING me despite the fact I was lying down and didn't want them to NOTICE me.

Men who combed their hair and wore unnecessary JUMPERS, which they draped over their shoulders so that it looked like their JUMPERS were hugging them.....

It was the MIDDLE of the AFTERNOON. It was the MIDDLE of a fine summer AFTERNOON and the sun.....

Ratty met my unwavering STARE with a STARE of his own. It was a quizzical STARE. It was the kind of absent STARE of a man who knows he recognizes someone....

He OUGHT to RECOGNIZE me. At the very least he OUGHT to RECOGNIZE me.

yes IT IS like this through the entire book.

There wasn't much of a story line and majorly confusing at that. There was a rush at the end and the duck part, oh please. The epilogue wasn't any better. I DO NOT recommend. Don't waste your day like I did on all this rambling.

Thanks anyways

Cherie'

[PETER MICHAEL · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest, it took me a considerable time to get fully engaged with the author's strange writing style and the weirdly dysfunctional main character. However, I was glad that I persevered and was able to complete the novel.
Perhaps the author has personally experienced the disturbing levels of loneliness and rejection that is detailed in the story. There are countless thousands of people in similar circumstances who are outside of mainstream society..
I liked the way that the events at his brothers wedding party explained some reasons behind the reclusiveness of the protagonist.