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Temping Fate

por Esther M. Friesner

MiembrosReseñasPopularidadValoración promediaMenciones
2238120,005 (3.76)9
Ilana Newhouse was having a hard time finding a summer job until she discovered the Divine Relief Temp Agency, but when she reported for her first day as a temp she finds herself substituting for the Greek mythological goddesses, the Fates, who spin, measure, and cut the life-threads of every human being.… (más)
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    El ladrón del rayo por Rick Riordan (bell7)
    bell7: Another humorous, updated take on Greek mythology.
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Mostrando 1-5 de 8 (siguiente | mostrar todos)
Temping Fate is the funniest novel I've read in ages. This is the book I was searching for when I read book after book of mythological/theological fiction in the wake of finishing Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I don't mean to give the impression that the two books are particularly similar in tone or theme. They're not. The two novels share only surface similarities -- both deal with ancient gods in modern times, both feature a protagonist suddenly thrust into dealings with beings previously believed to be only myth. But while American Gods is dark and complex, Temping Fate runs towards the sweet and humorous. However, I believe that I could have satisfied my post-American Gods reading binge much sooner had this book been out. Having found the far end of the spectrum, my sudden taste for gods in novels might have been fulfilled.

Although I've recommended this book to many on its not-inconsiderable humor factor, humor alone won't get me through a book, even a short one. Fortunately, the characters in this story really are brilliant. Any assumptions made by readers about Ilana's personality and behavior based on her clothes and appearance are certain to be wrong. She is not maladjusted nor does she affect to be so to be cool. She is both stubborn and kind, and she has a good work ethic and a desire to be just. And as the story progresses and more of Ilana's history is revealed, she only grows more interesting. Her older sister, Dyllin, similarly begins the story as bride-zilla, only to reveal more facets and become more sympathetic over the course of the book. Ilana's friends from school and the agency all bring something to the story. Often this something is in the form of humorous dialogue, but not one of them is only glib.

And wait until you meet the Furies. I love the Furies.

Readers who like a little mythology mixed into the everyday will love this book. Readers who like coming of age and family-centered stories may want to give this book a shot as well. Readers who like humor -- well, they've probably already picked up a copy based on the title wordplay alone.

And speaking as a former temp -- yes, temping is exactly this weird. ( )
  akaGingerK | Sep 30, 2018 |
Ilana Newhouse needs a summer job, and she’s not having much luck. For some reason, potential employers are put off by the little skull she drew on her face in ink, or the t-shirt reading ORC: The Other Green Meat, or her unfortunately sardonic sense of humor, or maybe just her hazy acquaintance with punctuality. Things aren’t looking good until she finds a business card in her sister’s room, and calls the Divine Relief Temp Agency.

It’s very disorienting when she finds herself temping for the Three Fates—Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos. Oh, and Arachne hangs around the office, too. Weekly meetings with her fellow temps, at a coffee house run by Circe, also add variety to her life, and the only damper on what’s turning out to be a good summer is all the disruption caused by her sister Dyllin’s upcoming wedding. When Ilana learns that she and the other temps can borrow the powers of the gods they temp for, she can’t help trying to fix just one or two little things, and Ilana starts to get acquainted with the meaning of the word “chaos.” (This is apparently a sequel to an earlier book, but not having read it didn’t seem to be a problem.)

Great fun. ( )
  LisCarey | Sep 19, 2018 |
A fun YA novel about getting a summer job with the three fates. ( )
  JanetNoRules | Sep 17, 2018 |
Friesner, E. (2006). Temping Fate. New York: Speak.

279 pages.

Appetizer: Ilana Newhouse is desperate for a summer job. But when she first arrive at the D.R. Temp agency, it sets off a few alarms, like, why isn't anyone else working in the building? But it turns out the Divine Relief Temp Agency isn't a typical work place and it may be the perfect place for a teenage with such "attitude."

On her first day of work, Ilana discovers that she and the other temps actually work for the gods of myth (mostly those from Greek mythology) and Ilana has been assigned to work for The Fates, seeing the strings of human lives. Can she handle the pressure of such an unusual job and come to terms with her perfect sister, Dyllin who was a temp before her.

At first I really enjoyed Temping Fate. It's a very fun twist on dealing with the tensions and power issues of being the new employee at a job. There's a lot of fun off the cuff humor and sarcasm and a touch of feminism. All of these things should be a recipe for me to fall irreversibly in love with a book. There's also lots of fun, realistic dialogue (as realistic as can be when characters are dialoguing about their bosses, The Fates or gods of myth).

While I initially liked Ilana's characterization as a bit of a fantasy and sci-fi nerd and how tough and sarcastic she could be, I started to get annoyed with her about one-third of the way into the book. She made a lot of decisions I didn't like. The kind where you want to yell, "Don't go in there, you idiot!!!!!!" But she would do it. Then I would have to spend the next two chapters reading the fall-out of her less than stellar choices. Then I started to get annoyed with the book. What had at first had fun light joking dialogue became a time-waste. I just wanted something to happen! Then, about fifty pages from the end of the novel, BAM! there was a threat to the world as the characters know it. And I was left wishing that the plot and threats had made themselves obvious just a liiiiiiiiittle sooner.

Overall, despite some moments of frustration, I did enjoy Temping Fate. It was a fun approach to presenting myth in the modern world. I'm not ashamed to admit that I would love to work at that temp agency. I think I'd work harder than Ilana did. Jut tell me where to send my resume!

Also, when I first picked up this book, I drove myself crazy trying to figure out where I knew Esther Friesner's name from. Well, not too crazy. But crazy enough that I did have to figure out what else she had written. Friesner has published numerous feminist retellings of ancient myth and history in her Nobody's Princess and Sphinx series. They've been on my to-read lists for a while. It's good not to be crazy.

(No matter the time, one thing is clear, these rebellious ladies will give you the cold shoulder.)

And apparently she's also authored a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel. Ahahaha! Amused!

Dinner Conversation:

"Ilana Newhouse checked the business card in her hand one more time, then looked at the gleaming office door in front of her. The letters on the frosted-glass panel--big, black, outlined with gold--left no room for doubt. This was the place.
D.R. TEMPS, INCORPORATED
R. ATATOSK, MGR.
Ilana glanced at her wristwatch: 10:45 A.M. Her appointment was at eleven o'clock. She nibbled her lower lip and sighed. Dad said it was good to arrive early for a job interview. It showed your prospective employer that you were a willing worker, eager to be hired, eager to please.
Willing? Eager? More like last-ditch, all-other-bridges-burned desperate. So pathetically desperate to get this summer job that she wondered if maybe she should have shown up for this eleven o'clock even earlier. Like, oh, say, nine o'clock. Yesterday." (pp. 3-4).

"We're not so different from you mortals, you know," Tabby [one of the fates] told Ilana. "When you get tired on the job, you get careless and make all sorts of little mistakes."
"What's a 'little' mistake for you three? The Black Death?" Ilana asked. "I'm not going to pretend I understand everything that's going on here. I don't know why three of the most powerful beings in the universe chose a flyspeck town like Porlock's Landing to set up shop, and I don't care. All I wanted was a summer job. I got this one, and Mrs. Atatosk gave me my pay in advance, so I promise I'm going to earn it." (p. 42)

"Well, well, I see someone's got an attitude problem." The spider tried to stay angry, but its scowl twisted into a smirk. "Get you mad enough and you forget about everything else. Attitude like that, maybe it'll help you do this job. On the other leg, it could blow up in your face." (p.47) ( )
  SJKessel | May 31, 2012 |
A fun YA novel with echos of Pratchett, as the main character with spirit but typical teen image problems, ends up with a summer job temping for the Fates.

"Is something going to happen to Heather?" "Well, I should hope so," Tabby [one of the Fates] said. "Life is all about what happens to you." ( )
  ChrisRiesbeck | Mar 27, 2010 |
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Ilana Newhouse was having a hard time finding a summer job until she discovered the Divine Relief Temp Agency, but when she reported for her first day as a temp she finds herself substituting for the Greek mythological goddesses, the Fates, who spin, measure, and cut the life-threads of every human being.

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