Nov 12, 2025

Books about 9 to 5 workspace you might relate to

Aanya Mehta

Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville

One of literature’s earliest workplace stories, this classic explores passive resistance and quiet rebellion through the unforgettable phrase: “I would prefer not to.”

Source: amazon.in

Company by Max Barry

When an employee realizes his office might not actually sell anything, chaos unfolds in this satirical take on corporate absurdity and meaningless meetings.

Source: amazon.in

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor’s isolated office life and awkward interactions hit home for anyone who’s ever felt invisible in the workplace, until kindness changes everything.

Source: amazon.in

Severance by Ling Ma

Blending dystopia and office satire, this novel follows a millennial stuck in her corporate routine, even as a mysterious pandemic unravels the world around her.

Source: amazon.in

The Assistant by Bernard Malamud

A timeless story about ambition, ethics, and quiet desperation, this novel explores the relationship between a struggling shopkeeper and his assistant, mirroring modern workplace power dynamics.

Source: amazon.in

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

A sharp and witty glimpse into the glamorous yet brutal fashion world, this novel captures every intern’s nightmare boss, and the price of ambition.

Source: amazon.in

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

This feel good read follows a socially awkward genetics professor who treats love like a research project offering a clever take on structure, routine, and workplace quirks.

Source: amazon.in

Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris

Set in a Chicago ad agency, this hilarious and painfully honest novel captures the chaos of layoffs, gossip, and camaraderie, the true anatomy of office life.

Source: amazon.in

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