Temporary (2020)

by Hilary Leichter

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
248	13	108,978	(3.5)	8
Fiction. Literature. HTML: In Temporary, a young woman's workplace is the size of the world. She fills increasingly bizarre placements in search of steadiness, connection, and something, at last, to call her own. Whether it's shining an endless closet of shoes, swabbing the deck of a pirate ship, assisting an assassin, or filling in for the Chairman of the Board, for the mythical Temporary, "there is nothing more personal than doing your job." This riveting quest, at once hilarious and profound, will resonate with anyone who has ever done their best at work, even when the work is only temporary. .… (more)

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2021 Hugo Eligible Novels (17)

2021 Notable Books for Adults (17)

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Not for me. I thought it was going to be a clever satirical commentary on gig work/temps, but for me it was too fantastical, and kind of silly.

BookyMaven | Dec 6, 2023 |

This book was so creative, quirky and profound. I basked in the beauty of the writing, giggled and got teary too! (

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Andy5185 | Jul 9, 2023 |

Another dose of weird reading for me! It's short. It's sweet. It's bizarre. It has the spirit of Alice in Wonderland almost, if Alice kept trying at a bunch of ridiculous jobs. The main character here is a temp, born into being a temp, from a long line of temps, and has the eternal goal of Steadiness. Permanence. I suppose it says things about the gig economy. Some fantastic word twists here. The writing reminded me of the spirit of 'Oreo' by Fran Ross (but dialed way way down. No one could out-Ross Ross herself.) A gem from a small publisher. I can't believe this book is only from 2020. I feel I have seen it around for a decade (but it's THIS decade, sooo...) (

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booklove2 | May 5, 2023 |

Easy read, but I’m not sure I got the point. It was supposed to be funny and I didn’t have any laugh out loud moments. (

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kayanelson | Mar 20, 2023 |

Though it does capture the challenges of what it's like to be a temp, it's a bit pointless for me. (

)

JRobinW | Jan 20, 2023 |

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Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Leichter, Hilary	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Evenson, Sarah	Cover art and design	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Holscher, Rachel	Book design	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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▾Awards and Honors

Awards

Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction (Shortlist – 2021)

Center for Fiction First Novel Prize (Shortlist – 2020)

CLMP Firecracker Award (Finalist – Fiction – 2021)

The Kitschies (Winner – Golden Tentacle (Debut Novel) – 2021)

Young Lions Fiction Award (Finalist – 2021)

Distinctions

NPR: Books We Love (2020)

Notable Lists

New York Public Library Best Books: For Adults (Top Ten – 2020)

Notable Books List (Fiction – 2021)

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Canonical title

Temporary

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Important places

New York, New York, USA (unstated)

Major Corp.

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Epigraph

It seemed to me that if she could remain transient here, she would not have to leave.

--Marilynne Robinson, Housekeeping

Dedication

for Mom

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▾Book descriptions

Fiction. Literature. HTML:

In Temporary, a young woman's workplace is the size of the world. She fills increasingly bizarre placements in search of steadiness, connection, and something, at last, to call her own. Whether it's shining an endless closet of shoes, swabbing the deck of a pirate ship, assisting an assassin, or filling in for the Chairman of the Board, for the mythical Temporary, "there is nothing more personal than doing your job."

This riveting quest, at once hilarious and profound, will resonate with anyone who has ever done their best at work, even when the work is only temporary.

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