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Not Safe For Work by Isabel Kaplan
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Not Safe For Work

Author of the viral essay 'My boyfriend, a writer, broke up with me because I am a writer'
Due to publisher restrictions, this audiobook is unavailable for purchase in your selected country.
Narrator Stephanie Nemeth Parker

This audiobook uses AI narration.

Weโ€™re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.

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Length 7 hours 58 minutes
Language English
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Brought to you by Penguin.

The compulsively readable debut novel about a young woman trying to succeed in Hollywood without selling her soul - perfect f
or fans of Sweetbitter, My Dark Vanessa and Exciting Times

You are young, ambitious, college-educated and a feminist. Your new job is in television.

To climb the ranks, you do whatever it takes:
- Pull all-nighters
- Lean on your powerful mother's contacts
- Stay in shape at cult-like fitness classes
- Secretly wear your boss's fitbit to improve his stepcount - and his temper

You know the rules of this world. When someone senior tells you how pretty you look, you smile and thank him - and make a mental note never to wear that dress alone with him again.

When whispers start to circle that your office might have 'a bit of a rape problem,' and your close friend confesses her own unsettling encounter, you know there is plenty to gain from staying silent, and all too much to lose through speaking out.

And of course, you know your own boss is one of the good guys . . . don't you?

With blisteringly sharp prose and a darkly humorous voice, Not Safe For Work is an unflinching exploration of the grey area between empowerment and complicity, and a searing, unforgettable portrait of what success costs in a patriarchal world.


'A frank study of the psychological, and at times literal, gymnastics that are required of striving women.' RAVEN LEILANI, bestselling author of Luster

'Frank, funny and unputdownable' CLAIRE MESSUD

ยฉ Isabel Kaplan 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Isabel Kaplan graduated from Harvard and holds an MFA in creative writing from NYU. She was born and raised in Los Angeles.

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Limited-time offer

Get two free audiobooks!

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Reviews

A frank account of leaning in and its inherent filthiness. Kaplan captures the psychological, and at times literal, gymnastics required of striving women Wholly engrossing and shrewdly observational . . . that rare kind of read that made me giggle just as much as it left me gutted Frank, funny and unputdownable . . . behind the glitter and the justice, everyone is tarnished and compromised - including even our narrator. Kaplan, with her sharp and nuanced eye, sees it all, and tells it brilliantly Deliciously sharp, ridiculously funny, and surprisingly heartfelt . . . I cannot wait to discuss it with everyone I know Brilliantly deadpan and spiky in all the right ways. An accurate, darkly funny but also brutal portrayal of everyday workplace and world power dynamics. I couldn't put it down With her sun-bleached Hollywood setting, Kaplan transports us to another world - one which is achingly familiar. A novel which makes us examine our own complicity, while also weaving in threads of tenderness, drive and office-based humour which at times feels delightfully absurd . . . I inhaled this book - and came up for air still reeling Frank, funny and unputdownable, Isabel Kaplan's NSFW takes you on an ambitious young woman's wild ride through Hollywood. Her mother's a famous feminist lawyer, and she's a rising executive star, mistress of her destiny. But behind the glitter and the justice, everyone is tarnished and compromised - including even our narrator. Kaplan, with her sharp and nuanced eye, sees it all, and tells it brilliantly. A frank account of the inherent filthiness of leaning in. A study of the psychological, and at times literal, gymnastics that are required of striving women. I read this steely investigation of workplace ambition and patriarchal complicity in one sitting, my alliances shifting with every page. Funny, insightful, and enraging in all the best ways, NSFW is a fiercely smart debut that turns its gaze back on the reader, forcing you to ask just how far you'd go - and who you'd throw under the bus - for a seat at the table. Glittering. A funny, spiky compulsive story about toxic workplaces, lean-in culture and #MeToo Ambition bites back in Isabel Kaplan's Not Safe For Work, a novel that hits close to a few recent news events . . . So visceral is the narrator's voice that every time I opened the book felt like sliding into uncomfortable heels. Brave An intoxicating exploration of male-dominated workplaces . . . NSFW is gripping, with a lot to unpack, making it excellent book-club fodder Readers who were obsessed with My Dark Vanessa, this one is for you. A blistering look at the hidden side of Hollywood Sharp, funny . . . The writing is fresh and stylish and the conversational tone helps the thought-provoking narrative zip along. I loved it An energetic page-turner with plenty of delicious insights into Hollywood . . . and countless witty, wry passages Expand reviews
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