“Though he does not know this about himself, having feelings is pretty much the only thing Abernathy does.”
Have you ever had a job you can’t stand? Is late-stage capitalism getting you down? Ever feel like society is extracting all it can from you in record time? If you found yourself nodding along to any of these questions, good news! We here at What We Reading have the perfect book for you! Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind, is a surreal and scathing critique of contemporary work culture and the psychological tolls of economic precarity, delivered with dank deadpan humour. We found ourselves picking up Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind as a spur-of-the-moment sort of purchase, pulled in by the dreamy cover and dystopian premise, but how did Molly McGhee’s bleak debut novel stack up? Join us for our Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind book review to find out whether this surrealist tale of dream auditors hoovering up our deepest, darkest anxieties in the pursuit of productivity lived up to its premise!
Date Published: 2023
Author: Molly McGhee
Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopia
Pages: 304
Goodreads Rating: 3.47/5
Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind Summary
Jonathan Abernathy is a down-on-his-luck twenty-five-year-old failure in society. He has never held a ‘real’ job and is being crushed by mountains of debt accrued across his and his family’s lives. One day, Abernathy is presented with an opportunity in the form of a government loan forgiveness program. He is given a new role as a “dream auditor” and is tasked with entering the dreams of white-collar workers while they sleep to remove their anxieties, therefore making them more productive during the day.
However, as Abernathy delves deeper into this surreal new occupation, the boundaries between dreams and reality, right and wrong, begin to blur, leading him to question the true cost of his work. Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind is characterised by its surrealist flair and dark humour. A magical-realist office drama complete with incisive social critique, the book explores themes such as debt, labour exploitation, the commodification of human emotions, and the ethics that surround a system that prioritises productivity over well-being.
What Worked
Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind is a trippy, surreal, often absurd tale that utilises its bleak black humour and originality to convey its core themes so, so well. The first place we should start in our review of the book is with its premise. The concept of corporations hiring dream auditors to step into our dreams while we are sleeping, hoovering up our anxieties and worries so that we’re more productive when the sun comes up is so conceivably eerie. It works so well as a premise for a dystopian fever dream, and we can 100% imagine something like this being on the horizon in the real world in the future.
The premise does a wonderful job of capturing the themes of labour exploitation and the nature of society’s structure being built around output rather than well-being.
Jonathan Abernathy, as a main character to follow, works perfectly for a story like this. He is a wonderful depiction of what being stuck at the bottom looks like, and McGhee does a wonderful job in highlighting the grinds of getting by, the internal turmoil that comes from not being perceived as ‘good enough’, and leans into that with some of the decisions Abernathy winds up making. He frequently makes poor decisions, some of which are sure to frustrate readers, but it is that moral nuance that makes him such a compelling protagonist, and the book so cleverly layered.
We also have to shout out the quirky comedy in the book. For such a despondent and bleak critique of workplace hustle, there are plenty of moments that had us genuinely laughing out loud. From some of Abernathy’s inner monologues, the deadpan deliveries to McGhee’s own unique writing voice, the ability to blend humour with commentary makes for a hugely entertaining read.
What Didn’t
Whenever you have a book where every other character knows more than the main narrator, you run the risk of having segments where things can get a little tiresome, and Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind is no exception. There are periods where lots of things appear to be being revealed, but Abernathy’s lack of awareness means we’re never given the whole picture.
There are also times when you’re not quite sure what to make of Abernathy as a person. Throughout the book, he’s described by others and even by himself as being an idiot, unaware of how to handle most social interactions. At the same time, he claims to have read classic literature as a child, graduated from university, and demonstrated some fairly profound insights. The overall portrayal of Abernathy does have a few moments where he doesn’t feel fully consistent.
Finally, this book does feel like it’s been written with one eye on a visual adaptation being in the works. The dreamlike sequences (especially in the second half when Abernathy’s psyche starts to show signs of snapping) are so extravagant and so out there that we find ourselves thinking: ‘I’m sure this would work better if I could see it’.
Verdict
There are plenty of moments where you’ll be confused about where you are, what you’re supposed to be picturing, and what is real and what isn’t, but overall, the dreamy, weird moments do largely succeed in going along with the plot and capturing the stakes in play at the time.
Jonathan Abernathy is one of those narrators who feels more like an alien attempting to blend in and make sense of humanity, which doesn’t always land, but generally helps deliver the majority of the book’s dank humour. He also works as a flawed but ultimately relatable hero who comes to understand, even if you don’t agree with all of his actions.
Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind is a timely and hugely entertaining critique of late-stage capitalism and the dehumanising aspects of modern work culture. Abernathy’s adventures in erasing people’s anxieties are a compelling premise, and one that does a stellar job as a metaphor for how personal well-being is often sacrificed for corporate efficiency.
What also works especially well is the contrast between the bleakness of Abernathy’s professional life and the uplifting moments of genuine connection he shares with the likes of Rhoda and Timmy. These relationships highlight the importance of empathy and community for resisting dehumanisation.
There’s so much Molly McGhee stuffs in Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind, but all of it is delivered with solid pacing, likeable characters, surreal visuals and a uniquely comedic delivery. If you’re looking to escape your workplace woes, we thoroughly recommend giving Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind a go!
Our Rating: 5/5
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
