| StoreTags: software, programming, fiction, coupland
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So I just read JPod by Douglas Coupland. The story itself wasn't really the interesting part though it was hilarious and full of plenty of great characters and weird backstory, much of which never got resolved.
The best part for me was the truisms throughout the book, some of which appear in the form of dialog, but mostly within non-story pages (think of those <1 minute BoC tracks) in a sometimes microscopic, often huge, sans-serif typeface that feels like something to be crumpled up and thrown away. Some of these are just lists or tidbits of information, like the first 500,000 digits of pi, some of them cliches all too familiar to those of us who spend too much time on Google, eBay, and our junk mail folders. My favorites are the claustrophobically spaced, pseudo- stream-of-consciousness language collages that make no distinction between spam, ad copy, technical manuals, and dialog. They emphasize the gluttonous attitude towards information that's so easy to adopt when you're on the internet for 5 hours a day.
The ending felt really hasty but I laughed. I read it really quickly which is unusual for me and I think I want to read it again in a couple weeks, which I never, ever do.
No mention, that I can recall, whatsoever of electronic music in any way, but I thought that other internet junkies here might get something out of it. | |
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06/14/06
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implexgrace
sounds pretty interesting.. especially teh bit about there being no distinction to stream of consciousess tech manuals and dialog, et al.
sounds like many internet users
06/14/06
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frnortnr
my friend read it and told me i have to because apparently the main character is EXACTLY like one of my friends. I will give it a shot, even though i HATED his last book I read- "all families are psychotic". but microserfs was good.
06/14/06
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license
I haven't read anything of his before. I actually read about it on boingboing (go figure) and immediately went to the local bookstore and bought the hardcopy. I think I'd like to read some more of his stuff but I actually want to read this again first. The stream of consciousness stuff was quite intimate in a kind of unsettling way. Throughout the book, and with those in particular, I got the feeling that Coupland knows my thought processes better than I do, and that the aesthetics of the information I take in isn't nearly as significant as its contents, its meaning and context.
The characters are mostly very believable, if stiff and geeky (and that seems to be the point), and when they aren't they are entertaining. Never a dull moment, though the profundity started to thin out towards the end in favor of having fun with the characters.
06/14/06
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kidko
Glad to hear you went out and got it after the boingboing post. I thought about doing the same. I think I will now.
Did you see the mention of the slipstream sci-fi book too? Sounds like something that might be worth checking out as well.
06/14/06
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kidko said: "Did you see the mention of the slipstream sci-fi book too? Sounds like something that might be worth checking out as well."
Ooh! Missed that one! Great, I need a new book to read. Thanks 
06/14/06
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CleanR00M
read microserfs! imho it is much better, ie has much better-portrayed characters who are far more likeable
im must say that i am massively underwhelmed with jpod- just seems to be microserf's underdeveloped retard sibling. have been disappointed with coupland's recent output (the aformentioned all families are psychotic and eleanor rigby). of course this doesnt stop him being the best author ever... girlfriend in a coma and life after god are two of the best books i have ever read- check them out!
but yeah basically if you liked jpod you'll love microserfs
06/17/06
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lilt
well i havent disliked anything he has written
'polaroids from the dead' is still my favourite, even though the stories arent overly 'great'
have yet to read jpod...great to see people have cared enough to like and not like it...always a good thing
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