Refusal Shoes

Tony Saint

This is a quick read, not because it's undemanding but because you urgently need to see whether things really can go any lower. A bleak story with a horrible ring of truth and at the same time a blackly funny revenge thriller about a workplace – any workplace - in England. Will make you angry one minute and laugh out loud the next, but feel your heart sink while you do so. If you read it on the plane, just don't carry it through customs.

Extract

The Japanese hate the Koreans, who think they're no better than the Chinese, who hate them back just as much. That said, they all detest the population of the Indian subcontinent who, when they're not at each others' throats, find the time to hate anyone with a black skin, especially Tamils.
Albanians hate Serbs, who hate Turks, who hate Russians, who hate Croats, who hate Greeks, who hate Macedonians, who hate Albanians.
Norwegians hate Swedes. Really.
Belgians hate each other.

Parallels