I suppose it helps the appreciation of this superb book to have worked without tenure in a modern British university, and also having experience of the commercial pressures of industry, but such subjective qualifications are by no means necessary. Lodge always writes in such a charmingly light-hearted way, and not only about these two contrasting work environments. He observes the frailties and essential struggles of humans so delicately and amusingly that I, for one, find his books irresistible, and not only in this example. Without being awkwardly serious to the extent of making reading heavy going in any way, he nevertheless manages to expose many aspects of the trials of modern living, and I can wholeheartedly recommend it to any any thinking reader. ( )

So funny. Lodge is one of Britain's greatest writers. ( )

Very funny battle and love story between an academic and a gruff, down-to-earth manager. ( )

Link to a review on my personal website (might be in Swedish). ( )

Very loosely based on E.M. Forster's Howards End, Nice Work follows Vic Wilcox, a head honcho in a British factory, and Robyn Penrose, a feminist PhD trying to secure a job at a university. Lodge does a really nice job of developing the characters and allowing them to change as a result of their interactions. He also manages to bring the novel to a satisfying and believable conclusion after leaving me wondering for most of the book where the story would end up. Overall, a book worth reading. ( )