On every page of this witty, wise and unforgettable novel, coupland reminds us that love, death and eternal friendship can all transpire where we least. The book is not conventionally narrated, but told obliquely, through an assemblage of writings and letters, from which the reader reconstructs the story like the pieces of an ikea wardrobe. The gum thief by douglas coupland books the guardian. Through a complex layering of narratives, the gum thief, highlights numberone bestselling author douglas couplands eye for the comedy, loneliness and strange comforts of contemporary life. The gum thief, by douglas coupland the independent. Why must you be familiar with couplands work to truly appreciate this novel. Douglas coupland to adapt his own novel the gum thief as. The gum thief by douglas coupland reading guidebook club. He is the author of the international bestsellers generation a and jpod, and nine other novels, among them the gum thief, hey nostradamus. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 211 pages and is available in paperback format. The gum thief is up there with the very best of doug couplands work which means at least as good as generation x and jpod. The main characters of this fiction, cultural story are bethany, roger. Douglas couplands inventive novelthink clerks meets whos afraid of virginia woolf.
Meet roger, a divorced, middleaged aisles associate at a staples outlet, condemned to restocking reams of paper for the rest of his life, and his coworker, bethany, whos at the end of her goth phase and realising shes facing fifty more. His characters are young and disaffected they have opted out of modern life because, well, if modern life is cloning, carbon footprints and snokone. A few years ago it dawned on me that everybody past a certain age regardless of how they look on the outside pretty much constantly. The novel written by roger within the gum thief is a great story as well. Tales for an accelerated culture, the novel that defined coupland as a writer. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the gum thief.
Douglas coupland, quote from the gum thief youre right, a spleen is a strange thingwe technically dont need one, but maybe spleens are kept in our bodies in case we mutate or evolve, and if we grow wings or tentacles we need to have the spleen in place in order for them to work. The website of canadian author and artist douglas coupland. The gum thief by douglas coupland right from the getgo were deep in coupland country with the gum thief. The gum thief book by douglas coupland thriftbooks.
A special boxed edition was also released including a special hardback edition signed. The first edition of the novel was published in 1991, and was written by douglas coupland. Douglas coupland oc obc born 1961 is a canadian novelist and artist. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read the gum thief. Couplands work the gum thief is an absolute must read for those familiar to couplands work. The gum thief 2007 read online free book by douglas. October 2007 andrea chmielewski fiction the gum thief by douglas coupland. It was published on september 25, 2007 20070925, by random house canada in. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 275 pages and is available in hardcover format. Staples provides an interesting and humorous setting for anyone who has worked in retail.
It is an excellent novel and is about fictional characters but could not be more true to life in theme and heart, but only best understood if one is familiar with couplands style of writing. Dan coxon in recent years douglas coupland has achieved a remarkably consistent output. The gum thief douglas coupland books the new york times. The gum thief is canadian author douglas couplands twelfth novel. Douglas coupland has an ability to take ordinary things from everyday life and show them through the eyes of others using smart and funny language. Among these are regular installments of the characters in rogers novella, titled glove pond. The gum thief by douglas couplandworking at staples, among the tons of postit notes and ballpoint pens, is not, if coupland is to be.
First edition, hardcover, signed and inscribed, fine in fine dust jacket, 244 pp. Douglas coupland s inventive novel think clerks meets who s afraid of virginia wo. See all books authored by douglas coupland, including generation x. I was impressed with how captivating and exciting the author made staples turn out to be. Watch as their lives unfold alongside rogers workinprogress, the oddly titled glove pond. The gum thiefs relatively mundane surface hides an intriguing study of the epistolary form and a commentary on the nature of the novel itself. The gum thief is easily one of the best books i have ever read. The first edition of the novel was published in 2007, and was written by douglas coupland. And the story within a story rogers magnum horriblis glove pond is as ingenious as it is enthralling. A bigbox chain store is the setting for depressing existential reflection in the latest from coupland jpod, 2006, etc. Pdf the gum thief book by douglas coupland free download.
Free download or read online the gum thief pdf epub book. Each time i pick up a work by douglas coupland and i have read most of his body of work since i was first introduced to him in high school i earnestly hope that this will be the work that once again recaptures the magic of generation x. Douglas coupland books list of books by author douglas. Download the gum thief by douglas coupland in pdf epub ebook. Its hard to imagine having unequivocal feelings one way or another about the canadian writer douglas coupland. The main characters of this fiction, contemporary story are. Douglas coupland, the gum thief chris ayres, you have a lot to answer for.
Douglas coupland inscribed and signed by the author on the title page. When i bought the most recent douglas coupland novel, the gum thief, in the frankfurt airport, i did in part because of your blurb. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early. Coupland uses interesting characters that you can relate with. The gum thief ebook by douglas coupland rakuten kobo. An epistolary novel, the gum thief is written as a collection of journal entries, notes, and letters written by various characters. Douglas coupland to adapt his own novel the gum thief as a feature press generation x author douglas coupland is to adapt his own novel the gum thief as a feature film after striking a deal with j. About the gum thief douglas couplands inventive novelthink clerks meets whos afraid of virginia woolf. James lasdun on douglas couplands latest report from the frontline of contemporary life, the gum thief. Its wonderfully sustaining, despite the very humdrum setting of a staples superstore in small town america. The main characters of roger and brittany could be anyone you meet, any day you are out in the world, any stranger totally unknown to you.
Publication date 2007 topics office equipment and supplies industry employees. But dont think that this is a novel about how modern life is rubbish, and were all going to cop. Douglas couplands new novel, the gum thief, puts the act of writing center stage. The gum thief by douglas coupland was a novel that i knew i needed to read as soon as i found out that it was set in a staples office supply store. The gum thief by douglas coupland overdrive rakuten. Rogermiddleaged, divorced, a selfdescribed failureis a clerk at staples. Tales for an accelerated culture, and the gum thief, and more on. The gum thief ebook by douglas coupland 9781596917538. The gum thief was a truly interesting book to read. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. It was published on september 25, 2007, by random house canada in canada and bloomsbury publishing in the united states.
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