Wonderful balance of deep and funny (more like dark comedy, which I love). Overall, it was very witty and clever.

This is the first book by Douglas Coupland that I picked up, and I don't know why I chose it. It's not even among his top 7 most popular books and his fans don't seem to love it; nonetheless, it was addictive. Cynical at times, but there were deep thoughts that usually linger in my brain, so I liked it. I'm giving this a five-star rating now, but I might change it after I read his other books and find them to be better - like his fans said. I am definitely getting his other books, because when you find a writer so good that you feel like you're reading a diary of a close smart friend, you buy all his books.

Oh, the story, right. It's about two employees who work at Staples. Roger, a middle-aged loser, and Bethany, the 20-something year old goth. The whole novel consists of diary entries, and letters, AND another novel inside this novel which contains another novel in which the characters are like the original novel characters. Whoa, right? Not so confusing when you read it, actually.

I wanted to quote a few things I loved from the book, but I'm too lazy. Just read it if it sounded good to you. ( )

Wow, lots of reviews on this book and they are all over the place. I did not expect to like it, but it snuck up on me. Books about writing a book tend to be mind bogglingly dull, but Coupland pulled it off. I loved the way the imaginary book being written, which starts off as an amazingly bad Cheever rip off, develops into a story with meaning and pain as it reflects the characters inner lives. ( )

Not my favourite Coupland book...but then I started out with Generation X and Girlfriend in a Coma so it was going to take something special to top those. This, whilst being totally readable and peppered with the spot-on observations of modern life that Coupland makes so well, is not that special. ( )

I like Douglas Coupland and his brand of witty cynicism, but this story was just slightly too clever for my taste - and such a short novel should not take so long to get through. I'm still not entirely sure what I was reading, in fact - a story in a story (in a story?), an exercise in creative writing, or just two miserable people working at Staples, but I didn't connect with any of the characters, whoever was writing them. ( )

I’ve been hoping for a book like this. This is the kind of book I read for, as if I am fishing. Fishing for what, you ask? I’m not sure, but I know it when I see it and this is it. Here is a novel told simply, starkly, imaginatively and empathetically, with a good deal of humor and philosophy thrown in for good measure. You’d never guess how hard it is to find books like this. I am obviously late to the Douglas Coupland party, but at least I made it despite the horrible traffic.

Another thing: I know this book was vitamins to my soul because I never, not once, intentionally noted what page I was on as I was reading. You know those books—the ones that are just good enough to keep on with, but which are a solid chore to read.

That is not this book, at least not to me. This book is funny, smart and sad and it’s a breeze.

Thank you, Douglas Coupland.
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