NEW YORK POST, 7/23/06 (4 STARS OUT OF 4)
"Stocked with up-to-the-minute references, and exposing, as it does, our culture's mania to win at all costs, 'Anonymous Lawyer' has pierced the heart of a moment in our social history."
USA TODAY, 7/20/06
"[W]ickedly amusing." Read the whole article.
ESQUIRE (UK), FEBRUARY 2007
"a deliciously strong narrative....wickedly funny."
CALGARY SUN 2/4/07
"Funny and disturbing."
GLOBE AND MAIL (TORONTO), 8/30/06
"Anonymous is a Satan for our times, and maybe that's what makes him so likeable despite his abrasive, over-the-top confessions -- he's up-front about the impending horrors, the warped values and distorted personalities that come with choosing success. Non-jurists, reading Blachman's highly elaborate lawyers' joke, will feel relieved they chose that vow of poverty back when they met the evil at the LSAT crossroads. Lawyers, being lawyers, will be strangely pleased by the awfulness of it all."
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, 7/28/06 (A-)
"It's to Blachman's credit that he's able to thread a credible plot through his damaged narrator's high-spirited but treacherous confessions. It's a deeply skewed worldview that blends the pressures of The Paper Chase and the absurdities of The Office, mixed with an unhealthy dose of obsessive ambition and a smart sense of satire. Laugh 'til it hurts."
Read the whole review.
WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/29/06
"Jeremy Blachman is a very funny writer."
TAMPA TRIBUNE, 8/20/06
"[A] wonderfully hysterical look at the inner workings of a major law firm. Here are the details you would never discover anywhere else. The premise of this inspired debut novel is both original and ingenious in the way it is carried out. E-mails provide the means of rounding out the story. The narrator is an antihero who really should be completely unsympathetic to the reader, but there is a certain charm to his sleaziness. In the end, one has to wonder why anyone would ever want to become an attorney in a large law firm. There has to be a better way to make a lot of money. Isn't there? 'Anonymous Lawyer' is a fast, furious and funny read."
CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/23/06
"Pick this one up for a fast and funny read about life in a human shark tank, aka a corporate law firm. Told in Web log and e-mail format, it follows the fortunes of a lawyer who starts an outrageous blog about his job. It takes skill to weave plot and character into a breezy and blog-like style, and Jeremy Blachman pulls it off." Read the whole article.
NATIONAL LAW JOURNAL, 7/31/06
"[T]his summer's must-read for lawyers - and anybody who can't stand one.... [I]nsightful, yet subtle commentary [makes] Anonymous Lawyer more than a well-written novel with moments of true hilarity." Read the whole review.
NEW YORK OBSERVER, 8/18/06
"After you buckle the seatbelt of suspended disbelief, you can sit back and enjoy the ride. Anonymous Lawyer is a quick, fun read...." Read the whole review.
THE RECORDER (SAN FRANCISCO), 9/22/06
"Once you swallow the premise — that a driven partner at a top law firm would spend hours on a blog that's sure to doom his career — blogger Jeremy Blachman's debut novel will likely have you hooked.... Blachman's portrait of law firm life is both too real and not real enough. Though AL spends almost all of his time at the office, he doesn't seem to do any actual work. Somehow, though, Blachman manages to make Mr. Anonymous just funny enough — and just self-aware enough — that you can't completely hate him. But you come close. Musing about his daughter's belly-button ring, he adds that she could lose 20 pounds. "They say she's at the age when girls develop eating disorders. Maybe that's what she needs — get rid of some of the excess weight." It comes as sweet relief when a later post relates how he left the office early one day, and ended up spending the afternoon with his kindergarten-age son, sitting on a log in the backyard. "We talked about his teacher, and why the creamy peanut butter is better than the chunky kind, and how the water gets from the ocean to the house. … But mostly we just sat there, watching the tree branches sway back and forth." That scene, and much of the book, stirs in the reader a desire for redemption: As AL is propelled toward his goal, you want to scream at him to give it up and choose instead to reconnect with his kids, and even his one-dimensional wife."
THE PRESS (CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND), 3/24/07
"Blachman, ex-Harvard Law School, gives us a deliciously funny jog through the darker side of legal life complete with joyous politically incorrect asides and nastiness to relish. Entirely fictional, of course, but very, very funny."
BOOKLIST ONLINE
"It's a feat to make readers want to spend 300 pages with a jerk, but Blachman pulls it off. Anonymous finds himself in his writing — always fighting his instincts to be a better person — and his insecurity makes his arrogance bearable. This is that great cliche, a great summer read." Read the whole review.
BOOK-OF-THE-MONTH CLUB
"I absolutely flew through the pages of this wickedly amusing debut novel. Jeremy Blachman, a Harvard Law School graduate and author of a real anonymous lawyer blog, has caused a sensation on the internet. Now he turns his mischievous, over-the-top rants into a fresh, irresistibly readable novel that will do nothing to help the lawyer stereotype, but will have readers entertained from beginning to end." Read the whole review.
ERNIE THE ATTORNEY
"Jeremy Blachman's new book, The Anonymous Lawyer, is friggin' hysterical. If you don't laugh out loud when reading this book then you (1) haven't been in the legal profession long enough to get jaded, or (2) you are only pretending to read the book while thinking about something else.... Seriously, if you have a sense of humor and an interest in the law, then get this book and read it."
Read the whole review.
OXBLOG
"If you are a lawyer, buy this book. If you know a lawyer, buy him or her this book. If you're a partner at a law firm, buy all existing copies of this book and burn them before your subordinates have a chance to read it." Read the whole review.
INTERNET LAW & STRATEGY
"Hilarity ensues in this summer's must-read for any lawyer (and paralegal too)." Read the whole interview.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Blachman's side-achingly funny debut, derived from his popular blog of the title, is written in the candid, sanctimonious voice of Anonymous Lawyer, an ill-humored, ill-tempered hiring partner... about as subtle as a punch to the kidneys, the dead-on exaggerations of Blachman, a recent Harvard Law grad, are nonetheless more than enough to propel this debut."
MINNESOTA LAW WEEKLY
"Blachman does an admirable job of taking a sexist ("Women partners. That's still kind of funny to type"), workaholic (Anonymous Lawyer hates daylight savings because the firm loses hundreds of billable hours), employee-abusing character ("My shoulder hurts from throwing a pair of scissors at my secretary last week") - and actually making him sympathetic and engaging. And the book itself is laugh-out-loud funny - a great summer read for anyone who might appreciate an insightful satire about the life of a big-firm lawyer."
MASSACHUSETTS LAWYERS WEEKLY
"Blachman's writing is full and insightful and often subtle commentary. The book is extremely funny, with a dark sardonic humor. One does not have to be a part of the large-firm culture (called BigLaw in blog posts) to appreciate the humor and the observations. Blachman's musings on the legal profession could just as easily be about the people and the culture of corporate America or big government."
HARVARD LAW RECORD
"Recent HLS grad Jeremy Blachman's Anonymous Lawyer provides a hilarious glimpse into the mind of a hiring partner at one of these firms. The novel, based on Blachman's popular blog of the same title, is a must-read for any current or future lawyer." Read the whole review.
BLOGCRITICS
"Anonymous Lawyer won't do much for our reputation, but it is the funniest novel I've read in a long, long time." Read the whole review.
FUNKY READING
"I don't think I've smiled my way through a book this consistently in a long time. I hooted a few times, but this is one of those where you just can't help but smile. Smile at the writing, smile at the truth, smile at the tongue-in-cheek that's exaggerated but oh-so-painfully close. I don't know if I loved it because I narrowly avoided practicing law*, or what, but this book knocked me down and bowled me over with laughter on the inside.... (9.5/10)" Read the whole review.
THE MODERATE VOICE
"It doesn't matter if you're a lawyer. Anonymous Lawyer is great satire, fun to read, a commentary on working in any office and required reading for anyone who's interested in good writing. Blachman is a major writing talent and could apply his satirical powers to other subjects as well. His blog is one of the most original and best-written on the Internet. But the book Anonymous Lawyer is something you can take with you as you travel so you can read it...again and... again." Read the whole review.
PLANET PESCHEL
"'Anonymous Lawyer' works on two levels. It’s a satire of the legal profession, but as the story unspools to its inevitable end, it also becomes a fuller-bodied character study of A.L. To say more would give the game away, so let’s say that along with his legal classes, Blachman has probably taken a couple of courses in post-modern fiction, and that once you reach the end, you wonder why you didn’t see it coming all along. Blachman is not just a blogger, he’s a writer as well, and a promising one." Read the whole review.
GEEKLAWYER
"in part the plot is a subtler message about how corporate structures at US law firms are designed, deliberately, to seek out and corrupt those who might otherwise go on to better and more productive lives. It’s about how his firm interjects itself into the life of the employee in substitution for family and parents.... Mr Blachman has written what is a truly hilarious and compellingly funny book. I don’t want to get all gushy for fear of sounding like an obsequious Summer Associate, but really, it is a very funny book indeed." Read the whole review.
LIVING IT (UK)
"The Devil wears Brooks Brothers in this sharp, biting satire on an American law firm." Read the whole review.
THREE YEARS OF HELL
"[T]he trials and tribulations of the Anonymous Lawyer are fantastic fun.... Anonymous Lawyer is a fun book, a clever book and a book worth reading even if you've already followed the blog." Read the whole review.
BROTHERSJUDD.COM
"[T]his is just about the funniest novel I can ever remember reading. We're talking laugh out loud, wife-wants-to know-what's-so-funny, funny. [A+]" Read the whole review.
FICTIONBITCH
"Turns out Jeremy Blachman, the author, is a man after the Bitch's own heart - in fact, he's a bitch and a half. The blog, initially anonymous, is a hoot and deservedly popular. Purportedly written by a hiring partner in a large Los Angeles law firm - monstrously vain, scheming and sadistic, but ultimately vulnerable - it exposes with broad satire the nasty underbelly of corporate law." Read the whole review.
THE IMBROGLIO
"This book is simply great. If you have any interest at all in the law as a profession, this book will be one of the best 'light' reads of your summer. As all the reviews point out, it’s so funny you’ll laugh out loud.... But if you pick up this book only expecting some great laughs, be warned: Serious commentary on the state of the legal profession lurks just behind every outrageous thought, statement, and action of the Anonymous Lawyer. That’s what makes this book truly great: like all great satire, even as it’s making you fall out of your chair with laughter, it’s also commenting seriously on the characters and themes it constantly mocks. Ostensibly the book is about the Anonymous Lawyer’s (the AL) struggle to become chairman of his firm. But buried in the jokes is the story of why no one should want to be any part of that firm in the first place, let alone its chairman. It’s funny, but it will probably make you think, too."
Read the whole review.
INKSMITHY
"I didn't know what to expect when I picked this book up. On the face of it, a story about a lawyer blogging about his life at the office would seem to me to be the among the least appealing subject for a book I could think of. I am very, very pleased to say that I was totally wrong. Blachman has managed to put together a hugely entertaining series of bloglike articles and emails to various characters and come up with a book which is as sharp and punchy as boxing glove loaded with pins. From the very first page, Blachman engages you and draws you into his life. A life where paralegals exist on a slightly higher plane than the average cockroach and associates are treated like a particularly nasty virus....Blachman has turned what could be a very dull subject into a truly riveting one. Anonymous Lawyer is a book I can and will read again. Its a very original take on the life behind blogging and large-firm lawyers. Read it, its worth it." Read the whole review.
CURLEDUP.COM
"[H]ilariously funny. Whether that is because you are part of the legal world and know people like this or because you think Blachman must have a very vivid imagination does not really matter much. This is caustic wit, some of the best satire I have ever read, and I recommend it to lawyers, non-lawyers, blog readers and non-blog readers alike." Read the whole review.
MORSIE READS
"After reading Anonymous Lawyer, I can't help but wonder if we'll see more from Blachman. I know he's keeping up with the blog, but I can't imagine that there'll be a second AL novel (but, hey, what do I know!). I'm interested to see whether Blachman can parlay this blog-writing into something bigger and better in the future." Read the whole review.
JANUARY MAGAZINE -- BEST OF FICTION 2006
"Blachman is deliciously funny, in a dark and pleasingly twisted sort of way. I can hardly wait to see what he cooks up next!" Read the whole review.
KITTEN'S SCRATCHING POST
"Anonymous Lawyer (by Jeremy Blachman) is sheer perfection. If you haven't read the Anonymous Lawyer blog before, it is pure legal porn. Addictive sweet boozy nectar, especially for law students. I was eager to read the book, but wondered if the format would translate well into a novel. Fear not, the blog posts and email are perfect. I want to cuddle with this book tonight and bask in the glory of this blissful evening we've spent together." Read the whole review.
BEN CASNOCHA
"Anonymous Lawyer by Jeremy Blachman is simply hilarious. It's a satirical novel written in the form of blog entries and internal emails by a hiring partner at a big LA law firm. A must-read for anyone in a law firm or considering that career path." Read the whole review.
JOHO THE BLOG (DAVID WEINBERGER)
"It's hilarious. In fact, it's far better than it has any right to be: It's told in the form of blog posts, with occasional email asides, which would seem to be a tough limitation, and it's about a one-sided character who is the most career-focused, shallowest, nastiest person you've ever imagined. But Jeremy pulls it off because he is a deeply talented writer. He is also fearless. A lesser author would have tried to curry the reader's sympathy. Nope. Not Jeremy. That takes guts. But it pays off in laughs...appalled laughs."
Read the whole review.
OBSESSIVE LAW STUDENT
"I loved this book. As many others have noted, it's laugh out loud funny.... I thought given my recent experiences with my own AL, I would be immune to Jeremy's ability to portray AL sympathetically. I was not. It's an intricate balance that Jeremy has - showing the real AL vs. the blogger-AL. And the last two-five pages, in and of themselves, make the purchase of the book worthwhile."
Read the whole review.
APPELLATE LAW AND PRACTICE
"The book should force some people to think. At least it should If you are in a large firm, and you read this book, and you find yourself being made uncomfortable, ask yourself "why?" Why does it make you uncomfortable? Why does it make you loudly protest that this this book is not based on reality. Or, why do you choose to live the life you do."
Read the whole review.
AMICUS CURIAE
"I found myself rooting for [Anonymous Lawyer] and at the same time hoping he got what was coming. He's a seriously flawed protagonist, but perhaps that's part of his charm. I found myself liking who he liked and hating who he hated.... It's like the book One L, only funnier, less pretentious, and fictional. Okay, so it's not like One L at all except that both books were written by Harvard Law graduates. This one's better. I laughed. A lot."
Read the whole review.
THE RANDOM MUSE
"[A] painfully hilarious book that kept me obsessively flipping the pages for the entire weekend.... It's written in the voice of a fictitious hiring partner at a large L.A. law firm and is funny, but in a frighteningly real sort of way. Anyone could and should enjoy this book and Jeremy's wit; anyone who has ever worked in a giant corporate firm is guaranteed to adore this book and Jeremy's insight. Either way, I highly recommend it." Read the whole review (scroll down for it).
PAUL RUSCHMANN
"It's a fast and funny read, one that extracts maximum laughter from law firm life without degenerating into a bad Saturday Night Live skit." Read the whole review.
MICKEY'S MIND
"After a week of waiting I finally have my hands on the book, Anonymous Lawyer by Jeremy Blachman. The man is funny, first of all. I will admit I was skeptical of a book written in blog and e-mail form. The Wall Street Journal did a little blurb about him this summer. I checked out the link to his Anonymous Lawyer website. I couldn't believe how well written and funny it was. I bought the book today and am on page 101. I will be done with this book before the week is up." Read the whole review.
THE BOOKBAG
"What is refreshing about this offering (and perhaps surprising given its roots in the US) is the scant regard that is paid to political correctness. Anonymous Lawyer displays a whole array of prejudices that he is more than happy to voice. It is this candid pastiche that makes the book what it is – an irreverent look at a profession that could do well to laugh more at itself rather than being laughed at from outside. The observational skill of Blachman is certainly on a par with Ben Elton and he presents a similar, candid view." Read the whole review.
BARELY LEGAL
"Ultimately, the book comes to a point where the reader is left rooting for Anonymous Lawyer to succeed, despite how unlikable he is. The story is fast paced and easy to read, well-written and cleverly executed, and no matter what your take on the big firm life is, a must-read." Read the whole review.
MY SHINGLE
"Blachman's novel, Anonymous Lawyer, was a far better book than I ever expected, one that in my view will endure as a classic in the law profession genre of novels, along with books like The Paper Chase (with its iconic Professor Kingsfield) and to a lesser extent, Scott Turow's One-L. As my many blogging colleagues have pointed out, Blachman offers a scathing and hilarious inside view of partnership and taps into today's blogging zeitgeist by using the blog and emails as narrative devices, all of which make for an enjoyable read in a format now familiar to many of us. But what gives the novel its staying power is its commentary on the modern day law firm. Just as existentialists like Albert Camus used their writings to probe the absurdity of the human condition during the 1930s and 1940s, Blachman's Anonymous Lawyer conveys the utter absurdity of biglaw practice."
Read the whole review.
BOOKGASM
"A testament to Blachman’s ability as a writer is the fact that even though I hated Anonymous and everything he stands for, in a weird kind of way I wanted him to succeed and have the happy ending. ANONYMOUS LAWYER has a crafty conclusion that made me smile." Read the whole review.
BOOKREPORTER.COM
"ANONYMOUS LAWYER has many laugh-out-loud moments, though there are times when readers will shake their heads in sorrow or anger. If Anonymous was a real person, I don't know if my first reaction upon meeting him would be to punch him or to invite him out for a drink. But Anonymous would be an unforgettable character to meet. ANONYMOUS LAWYER promises to be a summer sensation for readers, regardless of whether or not they practice law. One thing for certain is that people will be talking about it on various legal web pages across the land. I don't think we have heard the last of Anonymous Lawyer or Jeremy Blachman, and I can hardly wait for either to return in print." Read the whole review.
ECLECTIC CLOSET
"Composed of blog entries, email correspondence and an unsympathetic protagonist, Anonymous Lawyer shouldn’t work and yet, it is impossible to put down. Blachman has produced a novel that feels like an evil treat, readers will be secretly rooting for AL to triumph while feeling they are hiding a dirty little secret. Rooting for AL feels as depraved as hoping the Wicked Witch of the West beats Dorothy, and yet this reviewer expects that most readers will be doing just that." Read the whole review.
BEGGING TO DIFFER
"I finished up the advance copy of Anonymous Lawyer that Jeremy and his publisher were kind enough to send along, and I quite enjoyed it.... For some reason the emails were just plain hilarious, and you could tell Anonymous Lawyer was pretty excited about reading and responding to them. This was an interesting aspect of this book. While it's a comment on big firm lawyering, it could equally be a comment on blogging, and the fishbowl (?) nature of the blogosphere.... In the end it's a fun summer read." Read the whole review.
RAMCHANDRA
"Jeremy Blachman gives us an anonymous lawyer with frustrated rants intwined with high dosages of laugh out loud humour. I would recommend this book to anyone that has a job, or a boss, or a life (or not)." Read the whole review.
MR. B'S EMPORIUM OF READING DELIGHTS
"Bad day at the office? Had a run in with your boss? Buy this book. It’ll cheer you up no end because at least you don’t work for this guy! ... Admittedly a predictable recommendation for a bookshop run by ex-lawyers, but highly entertaining reading for all office dwellers nevertheless." Read the whole review.
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BOOKISH
"For someone who is not part of the corporate rat race, Anonymous Lawyer is a fascinating and disturbing insight into the lives of a large proportion of white-collar employees." Read the whole review.
BETSY'S PAGE
"But I found the book entertaining and laugh-out-loud funny. If you want to read a satire—a way, way over the top satire—of life at a corporate law firm, I recommend it." Read the whole review.
TJ'S DOUBLE PLAY
"Blachman is a Harvard Law grad who does such a good job of lampooning lawyers you wonder why he went to law school instead of writing for Conan or SNL." Read the whole review.
MAD KANE'S POLITICAL MADNESS
"[S]peaking of amusing reads, Anonymous Lawyer, by Jeremy Blachman, made me laugh out loud. You may already be familiar with Blachman’s blog of the same name. Well the book is even better, a satirical look at law firm life from the viewpoint of a fictional hiring partner at a large law firm in a major city. It reminded me why I don’t practice law anymore, and I thoroughly enjoyed it." Read the whole review.
THE IGNOBLE EXPERIMENT
"This one is a GREAT read. I've had it recommended to me by a whole bunch of people, and many of them have absolutely nothing to do with law. Essentially this blogger works in a large law firm and tells it like it really is. You'd think that blogging about working in a law firm would be incredibly boring, but on the contrary, it's not only very entertaining, often hilarious, but in many ways eye-opening as well." Read the whole review.
FELD THOUGHTS
"This was – by far - the funniest / funnest book of the week. If you blog, or like to read blogs, are a lawyer, or hate lawyers, this is for you." Read the whole review.
LAW CAREER BLOG
"I just finished reading Jeremy Blachman's book, Anonymous Lawyer, and I have to say, it lives up to the hype. My blog links to the Anonymous Lawyer blog, and that site is funny, to be sure. Biting, outrageous, and a great laugh. But sometimes not the latter. Having worked at big firms for nearly a decade (and having lived to tell about it), all too often it hits too close to home. But as good as the blog is, the book is better.... Perhaps the scariest part of all for me is that Blachman has never worked at a law firm, other than as a summer associate. He is either one smart and insightful man, or lawyers at big firms are transparent. Or both." Read the whole review.
READER VIEWS
"I loved this book! But based on the title, “Anonymous Lawyer”, it normally would be the last book I’d pick up. And the concept of a book written as a blog didn’t thrill me either, especially since I haven’t even seen a blog on the Web (I know, I’m a Neanderthal). But it is devilishly funny. So wicked you know you shouldn’t laugh, but you can’t help yourself. The scene where a fifty seven page memo is not long enough is hysterical!" Read the whole review.
RAGE IN THE PAGE
"For those not familiar with the pressure-cooker environment of corporate law firms, Anonymous Lawyer is a tantalizing glimpse into this mostly-unexplored world.... [F]or people who have no interest in the law whatsoever, Anonymous Lawyer can entertain as nothing more than the quintessential Evil Overlord, cackling over his corporate domain." Read the whole review.
BOOKWYRM
"[Anonymous Lawyer] is sarcastic, jaded, and exactly as self-important as we all expect big lawyers to be. The writing is wonderful!" Read the whole review.
RANTS, RAVES, AND RANDOM THOUGHTS
"Once I found the time to sit down with the book, I couldn’t put it down. It has a nice flow despite the unusual format and I gobbled it up as quickly as I could." Read the whole review.
BLONDE JUSTICE
"I loved it.... [P]ick up Anonymous Lawyer, stick it in your brief case, and have something to laugh about in the courtroom. Or, if you get a summer vacation, bring it to the beach and be glad you don't work at a Big Firm." Read the whole review.
SPEED-READING BOOK NERD
"It's mean as hell, over-the-top and funny. And yet, there's a core of real character that you see in Anonymous Lawyer's writing, a bit of himself that maybe even he doesn't know still exists. Why does he want to be in charge so bad? Why did he pick a career that requires you to have a one-dimensional life? The author does a brilliant job of blending in the deeper, more real moments alongside the wicked ones." Read the whole review.
ALABLAWG
"The other day I picked up “Anonymous Lawyer.” I’m about half way through it, and it is hilarious." Read the whole review.
MOVER MIKE
"If you are a lawyer, you have to read this book." Read the whole review.
WANTZ UPON A TIME
"Anyone who has worked in or with law firms or who knows a lawyer should enjoy this book." (4.5 OUT OF 5) Read the whole review.
THE UNREASONABLE MAN
"I was unsure if an entire novel-length story could be told in blog form. However, Jeremy pulled this off beautifully and made a great (and not surprisingly funny) story." Read the whole review.
GM'S CORNER
"I haven't chuckled/smiled/laughed this much reading a book for a long, long time.... [T]his book is such a delight." Read the whole review.
STUART BUCK
"Both the blog and the book are hilarious, if not always realistic, satires of law firm life." Read the whole review.
NAKEDAUTHORS.COM
"I’ve just finished Anonymous Lawyer by Jeremy Blachman, a savvy, hilarious satire of deep-carpet law firms.... I was once a partner in a national law firm and Blachman, a young lawyer, is dead on." Read the whole review.
AZ EYES
"Jeremy Blachman has spun a wickedly funny and outrageous story about life in a prominent Los Angeles corporate law firm." Read the whole review.
THE YIN BLOG
"I finished Jeremy Blachman's 'Anonymous Lawyer' the other night -- in one sitting, essentially -- and now I've gotten around to organizing my thoughts about it. First of all, it's VERY readable.... In fact, though the entire book consists of nothing but blog posts and e-mails, the supporting characters such as the Anonymous Niece, the Musician (a summer associate at the Anonymous Law Firm), and the Bombshell (a senior associate at the firm) manage to show distinct personalities.... It's clear that Jeremy is a terrific writer, and 'Anonymous Lawyer' is a great debut." Read the whole review.
CHARLOTTE'S WEB
"Funny. Funny book.... This book made me laugh out loud many times over." Read the whole review.
SHELF AWARENESS
"The laughs are abundant--snarky laughs, snorts, passages you'll read or e-mail to your friends and workmates. While Anonymous Lawyer satirizes big law firms, workplace tribulations are common to many of us, if only from reading Dilbert. Muffin wars, bad coffee, scheming, and self-importance are universal[.]" Read the whole review.
BOOKWORM REVIEWS
"Overall, it's a good book which will probably make you distrust lawyers more than you already do. Good for a laugh, though. [8/10]" Read the whole review.
OAK PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY
"An offhand recommendation from a friend brought this book to my attention . . . and once I started it, I couldn't put it down. This savagely funny, satirical debut novel addresses life in the fast legal lane from the perspective of a prestigious firm's hiring partner, one who's desperately looking up the ladder of his typically dysfunctional organization." Read the whole review.
NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS
"Anonymous Lawyer is a novel in the form of blog entries and email messages. The fictional blogger is shockingly brutal and, at times, pretty offensive—and that makes reading the book fun. I can promise that it won’t be long before you start giving the people around you anonymous nicknames and mentally writing your own blog about them. Especially in the beginning, this book is laugh-out-loud funny—so funny, in fact, that I found myself sharing lines from the book with anyone who would listen." Read the whole review.
THE WRITERS BUZZ
"While I’ve never worked inside a lawfirm, I found myself relating the the vicious politics that ran rampant through the story. You don’t need to be a lawyer in order to appreciate this book." Read the whole review.
BREENIBOOKS
"The sarcastic observations and biting insults of the aspiring chair keep us in stitches." Read the whole review.
PSIQUEUE
"This is a GREAT novel...." Read the whole review.
AUTOADMIT.COM
"This is going to be the 'One L' for 2Ls, summer associates, and biglaw attorneys. Except it’s funny. Very funny actually." Read the whole review.
SINGLE IN SAINT LOUIS
"I sat on my couch, when I probably should have been studying, and read it cover to cover in one sitting. I couldn't put the book down.... The Anonymous Lawyer has a fresh humor and a perspective that plays on essential truths about the legal profession that nobody dares to talk about. This is a must read for lawyers and nonlawyers alike. It should probably be tested on the bar exam itself. Move over MBE, here comes Anonymous Lawyer!" Read the whole review.
TOXICUNIVERSE.COM
"a fast-paced, biting, and very funny read that doesn't require any specialized knowledge of the law or law firm politics to be appreciated." Read the whole review.
PUPILBLOG (UK)
"I found the book very funny indeed. I read it over the course of last weekend and it was a light read but tremondously enjoyable. I was rooting for the Anonymous Lawyer all the way." Read the whole review.
SARAH WEINMAN'S PICKS OF THE WEEK
"The blog-as-novel concept is one that's tricky to pull off because, well, they are two different forms. But Blachman - who caused a stir when the anonymous blog he created was outed - succeeds because he uses blog entries to move the story along and build to all sorts of little, then bigger conflicts, and totally won me over." Read the whole review.
FAITH AND LEGAL PRACTICE
"Overall, it was a fun read and should be on the reading list of every lawyer or prospective lawyer in the country. Just make sure you aren't reading it on your firm's time." Read the whole review.
GAV'S BLOG
"Overall, an enjoyable and non-taxing read that had me laughing out loud more than once. Highly recommended." Read the whole review.
HOW APPEALING
"[M]y wife tremendously enjoyed the book and especially loved its sarcastic humor. She borrowed my copy on Friday night and had finished it by yesterday afternoon. Plus, she usually doesn't like to read stuff about lawyers, nor had she ever read the 'Anonymous Lawyer' blog."
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NEW STATESMAN
"Blachman, a law graduate himself, has a remarkable aptitude for capturing office politics at their most intense, where bickering over a bagel counts for as much as a million-pound bonus." Read the whole review.
PATTERICO'S PONTIFICATIONS
"I finished my advance copy of the Anonymous Lawyer novel last night. I stayed up until 1 a.m. to finish it, which should give you an idea of whether I enjoyed it.... I thought the book was a riot. I read several passages out loud to my wife."
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BOOK FETISH
"I love Anonymous Lawyer's sarcasm. It's Grade A, top notch stuff, and I love nothing better than to find a sense of humor matching my own (I laughed out loud at more than a few excerpts)." Read the whole review.
AL NYE THE LAWYER GUY
"an entertaining romp through the fictional world of Anonymous Lawyer" Read the whole review.
NEARLYLEGAL.CO.UK
"As a satire on the meat grinder of corporate firms and their mentality, the blog is often very funny." Read the whole review.
LAW AND ALCOHOLISM
"On the whole, it's a pretty funny book. I laughed, I cried, I gave broken glass to a small child. Well, I laughed at any rate."
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SHIFTLESS
"It's been a while since I've read anything quite so funny."
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INNISFREE
"I started reading this book over the weekend. Its one of the funniest things I've read in a while. This may be true primarily because I work at an Anonymous Law Firm - but, I think the humor transcends the legal community."
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BREENIBOOKS
"The sarcastic observations and biting insults of the aspiring chair keep us in stitches."
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LIZZE
"I wanted more!"
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THREE BEAUTIFUL THINGS
"I've really enjoyed it as a metafiction -- the story is told by blog entries and by emails about the blog entries. The blog entries often tell an intriguingly different story to the emails. And I've really enjoyed the way I ended up feeling sympathy for an unlikeable character with values very different from my own."
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I HEART BUCKEYES
"The blog and the book are both hilarious."
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THE HINDU BUSINESS LINE
"Wish there were `Anonymous Auditor' too, as riotous as this."
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HOOSIERS ATE MY BRAIN
"I'm in DC at a publishing show and among the literally 1000s of books, what was the single coolest title I saw today? The bound galleys (advanced reading copy) for Anonymous Lawyer by Jeremy Blachman... it's pretty damn funny."
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CRESCAT SENTENTIA
"The book... really is funny, and worth a quick summer read." Read the whole post.
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