Despite reservations about this novel (the cover, the blurb), I bought it based on the strength of DeWitt's The Last Samurai, as well as the fact Lightning Rods had been shortlisted for a literary prize. I was, however, disappointed. Although the novel is intentionally a satire, I found it not at all funny and rarely perceptive. DeWitt's thought experiment centres on introducing kinky sexual services into the workplace as a way of diffusing office tension. Her work is aimed at skewering modern corporate culture and exploring the limits of capitalism. It failed in both respects, to the charity shop. 4/10.
By Helen DeWitt