Rating: Summary: Much better than Vernon God Little Review: I thought this book was a return to form for Coupland as many of the other reviewer's here have mentioned. I had been a bit disappointed by the last few Coupland books but was blown out of the water by this one. It's closer in spirit to "Girlfriend in a Coma" and is one of the more spiritual books he has written. Unlike Vernon God Little, another "Columbine-ish" book, "Hey Nostradamus!" made me care about the characters and I really felt for them. The book's palatable sense of loss and pain will leave you thinking for a long time. "God is nowhere/God is now here" - whether or not you believe in God, this book will make you think again about your place in the world, what you believe in and what you hold dear. An excellent book !
Rating: Summary: Wow Review: I truley am impressed. I read a great deal and I felt like I was out of truley amazing books, and authors, as I have finished Voneguts collection. But Coupland was GREAT!
You can read the novel in two ways, as an easy read, for the pure entertainment he provides so vividly, or for the deeper meaning between the words.
A must read!
Rating: Summary: Classic Coupland Review: I was a bit unsure about this one at first. I've loved Coupland since the Gen X/Shampoo Planet days, but was most underwhelmed by Ms. Wyoming and All Families. But Hey Nostradamus! is fabulous. Coupland gives us a handfull of characters, each one more imperfect than the next and all of them you can care about, especially Jason. This is one of his best.
Rating: Summary: Less satisfied than I hoped to be Review: I'm a Coupland fan, off and on, and found this book easy and fun to read; it had less of an impact on me than others of his have had, and the semi-obligatory spiritual ruminations were no more interesting than others in the same genre, but it was fine overall. It was a library pick for me, and I don't need to own a copy.I agree with previous reviewers that the first two narrators were far more powerful than the last two; I'd add that the book was more interesting before Heather comes along. There are two plots in the Heather section - one engaging (if obvious), the other clumsy, better suited to writers of crime & suspense fiction.
Rating: Summary: I'd Give It 3.5 Stars, But That Wasn't An Option! Review: I'm not a Coupland fan, but I found this book to be a very moving and thought-provoking read. Recommended.
Rating: Summary: Closer to what he once was Review: In Hey Nostrodomus, Coupland gets back to what he did so well in his earlier books, peeling back the layers of familiar people. revealing fears and emotions that we all carry, the little hidden Things that drive us that go unknown to most. More importantly he spends time creating real charactors rather than fantastic plot twists or impossible set ups. This one gets pretty close to telling about real people. People we never get the full story on, people that we pass by shaking our heads. While he hasn't returned to the greatness of Microserfs or Life After God, he's much more on track than than All Families are Psychotic and Miss Wyoming.
Rating: Summary: wrestling with spirituality Review: Just finished the book. I've read everything he's ever written. The last few have seemed to struggle..He's such an effective story teller. I love the situations he creates, but he always falls apart somewhere around the end. I was riveted to this book. Hooked from page one. By the end of the third section I was angry, cause I knew he'd drop off again...On the inside cover of the book it describes this as people 'Wrestling with their spirituality'. He should figure out his spirituality before it ruins his career as a writer. Too much on the God thing. If your a Coupland fan, you may want to reconsider rushing out and buying this, simply because it has his name on it. Hey Doug! Relax!...Get confession out of the way, and come on back to the group!
Rating: Summary: Restored my faith in Coupland Review: Like everyone else reviewing this, I've read all of Douglas Coupland's books. However, I was convinced that he had officially "fallen off", judging by Miss Wyoming (definately his worst) and All Families (only a little better). So, when I saw this in the local bookstore, I didn't feel any sort of irresistable urge to immediately buy it just so I could reinforce my belief that this "once great" author was efficiently pumping out sub-par books, just for the sake of doing so. Thankfully, I finally made the decision to give it a try & I must say that I am quite glad I did. This book was excellent in everyway & brought back the old feeling of reading books like "Girlfriend in a Coma" and "Life After God". One thing I should add is that this is by far Coupland's most depressing novel to date. It starts out depressing & ends even more depressing. But that did not take away the experience at all, as it still had his absurd humor & excellent characters which you could identify with. I would recommend this to anyone who has been putting this book off for the same reasons I did...you'll be surprised, I guarantee it.
Rating: Summary: Worth reading if a fan, but not Coupland's best Review: Like many of the other reviewers, I, too, have read all of Coupland's books. The book opens with a tragic massacre of a young girl, but it's those around her who survive the incident that suffer the most. After it, no one can figure out how to carry on their lives. Then again, the characters in this book didn't seem to be carrying on much of a life prior to the incident. Coupland's common theme of tragedy bringing realization to his characters falls short in this book. As a fan of Coupland, I was of course moved by the book, but I don't think non-Coupland fans would be altered in such a way. It's a book I *really* wanted to love, but ending up only liking it. If you're a fan, read it. If you're looking for a Coupland classic, start with Microserfs, Girlfriend in a Coma, or Generation X.
Rating: Summary: Return to top form for Doug Review: My fav Copeland book is still 'Microserfs' despite its inevitable dating, but that's cos I work in IT and it's all so true! Nonetheless I really enjoyed this book, in what I regard as a return to form for Copeland. It's packed with insights, investigations and thumbnail homilies. The little gems that hold time still and examine life or self for a moment or two, before releasing hold and letting the story fly free once more. The book is structured in 4 unequal parts told in the voices of Cheryl, Jason, Heather and Reg. Cheryl & Jason's parts have over 10 years between them, but Jason, Heather & Reg altogther have only 3-4. With such a Copeland-type story, it is about many things. Themes such as religion, loneliness, love, nature vs nuture, rage, the randomness of life, and the human condition are built into the story of how many, many lives are affected by a cataclysmic event - in this case the gunning down of students in their high school cafeteria by 3 fellow students, and the impact that has on students, their families and those that are in their lives long after the event. The strongest voice is Jason's, both because he has the longest section, and because the event had such an impact on him for so many years. It's a strong story, without being preachy. It raises many questions and doesn't provide many answers. Like Cheryl's stroll to her car that morning, it provides a brief moment of perfect clarity of vision, even as in the next moment it can be incredibly sad. Such is life, death, religion, family, loss, and the awful things that human beings can do to each other. Those little trueisms can be comforting, or a hard reflective mirror. Very accessible, very readable - a book that will touch you, move you, but perhaps most tellingly, make you think.
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