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books2010-08-23 05:29 pm
edithjones) wrote in books2010-08-23 05:29 pm
Review: Douglas Coupland's "Girlfriend in a Coma"
I'm always excited when I begin reading a book by Douglas Coupland. Over the past year, the works I have read by him have elevated him rapidly from "that guy who wrote Generation X" to one of my favourite authors. It should be noted that I've never read Generation X. I balk at popular trends. When my 12-year old daughter gave me a Coupland novel for my birthday last week I was delighted and waded in with both feet.
Coupland's written a lot books, of which I've only read four so far, but I must say that this one is so far my least favourite. I was disappointed by this novel, which really bums me out as it's Coupland, and I was hoping, nay, expecting better.
The tale begins with Karen, who, one night in December of 1979, loses her virginity, drinks two vodka and tonics, takes two valiums, and falls into a coma from which she will not wake for 17 years. Over that long time period, the reader is hosted by her family and friends, and we witness their lives until that day in the future when Karen wakes up and changes everything they thought they knew. The premise is a fascinating one, and the plot twists interesting and well-written.
However....the ending. Without telling you even a molecule of what happens at the end, let me just say that Coupland is generally a master of writing the perfect ending. It is one of the things that makes him such a great writer, as so few people manage to end a book truly well. And this time, his ending is a moralistic sermon, a warning, preaching from the pulpit of holier-than-thou, and it comes off badly. Combined with the bad taste of over-used metaphors that pepper the book far too liberally, I can say honestly that I enjoyed the story but not the way that it was written.
My recommendation to all readers is that Coupland is an author who deserves to be tried out, and if you haven't, give him a fair trial. Please, however, don't start with Girlfriend in a Coma. Microserfs and Hey, Nostradamus! are wonderful ways in which you can build a long-term relationship with this noted and worthy Canadian author.
Coupland's written a lot books, of which I've only read four so far, but I must say that this one is so far my least favourite. I was disappointed by this novel, which really bums me out as it's Coupland, and I was hoping, nay, expecting better.
The tale begins with Karen, who, one night in December of 1979, loses her virginity, drinks two vodka and tonics, takes two valiums, and falls into a coma from which she will not wake for 17 years. Over that long time period, the reader is hosted by her family and friends, and we witness their lives until that day in the future when Karen wakes up and changes everything they thought they knew. The premise is a fascinating one, and the plot twists interesting and well-written.
However....the ending. Without telling you even a molecule of what happens at the end, let me just say that Coupland is generally a master of writing the perfect ending. It is one of the things that makes him such a great writer, as so few people manage to end a book truly well. And this time, his ending is a moralistic sermon, a warning, preaching from the pulpit of holier-than-thou, and it comes off badly. Combined with the bad taste of over-used metaphors that pepper the book far too liberally, I can say honestly that I enjoyed the story but not the way that it was written.
My recommendation to all readers is that Coupland is an author who deserves to be tried out, and if you haven't, give him a fair trial. Please, however, don't start with Girlfriend in a Coma. Microserfs and Hey, Nostradamus! are wonderful ways in which you can build a long-term relationship with this noted and worthy Canadian author.