Following the great success of the first volume, "Director Beerta," the seven-volume monumental novel "The Office" by the Dutch author J. J. Voskuil continues. However, those who believed that the activities of the civil servant Maarten Koning would finally find some order are bitterly disappointed: In the second volume of the office saga, "Dirty Hands," the problems truly begin. Just one drama among many: The two new hires, which were associated with so much hope, turn out to be complete failures. While one is repeatedly sidelined by illness, the other subjects every minor task to a rigorous moral examination, usually resulting in the work ultimately falling to Maarten. Even in his private life, everything remains the same during these years from 1965 to 1972, with small glimmers of hope that cannot disguise the reality.