The book is not conventionally narrated, but told obliquely, through an assemblage of writings and. Dec 07, 2007 coupland never ceases to amaze with yet another quickwitted, universal and identifiable tale of the human condition and the experiences that bind us all. The gum thief by douglas coupland reading guidebook club. Generation x author douglas coupland is to adapt his own novel the gum thief as a feature film after striking a deal with j. Buy the gum thief by douglas coupland online at alibris. 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. Douglas coupland to adapt his own novel the gum thief deadline. His novels may, on the whole, be loaded with typographical trickery, brand names of the nanosecond, slacking youngsters, and simpsons references, but hes also deep into a suite of timelessly, radically unhip novelistic themes. Oct 14, 2007 douglas couplands new novel, the gum thief, puts the act of writing center stage. Coupland often recycles names and themes across different books. Enjoy reading 288 pages by starting download or read online the gum thief. Douglas coupland s new novel, the gum thief, puts the act of writing center stage. His fiction is complemented by recognized works in design and visual art arising from his early formal training.
The gum thief is canadian author douglas couplands twelfth novel. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 291 pages and is available in paperback format. Get your kindle here, or download a free kindle reading app. The gum thief is a book by douglas coupland on 20090318. He is the author of the international bestsellers generation x and jpod, and nine other novels, including the gum thief, hey nostradamus. Its wonderfully sustaining, despite the very humdrum setting of a staples superstore in small town america. 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 dreams of being able to escape from their lives. 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 an epistolary novel, the gum thief is written as a collection of journal entries, notes, and letters written by various characters. And the story within a story rogers magnum horriblis glove pond is as ingenious as it is enthralling.
Among these are regular installments of the characters in rogers. Douglas douglas couplands previous effort had the gum thief has the elements i like best about microserfs and generation x. The first edition of the novel was published in 1994, and was written by douglas coupland. Free download or read online life after god pdf epub book.
The gum thief is canadian author douglas coupland s twelfth novel. The first edition of the novel was published in 1991, and was written by douglas coupland. Read the gum thief by douglas coupland available from rakuten kobo. Find a library or download libby an app by overdrive. Oct 05, 2010 how ironic that douglas coupland, the man who popularized the term generation x, turns out to be one of the least ironic novelists of his generation. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 211 pages and is available in paperback format. This literary analysis ma thesis, texas state univsan marcos examines points of contact between the free culture movement and two novels by douglas coupland, microserfs and the gum thief. Tales for an accelerated culture, popularized terms such as mcjob and generation x.
The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 211 pages and is. The gum thief by douglas coupland 2007, hardcover for. Coupland adds even more recursive tiers to the gum thief. Life after god is a highly unusual, complex set of stories, all told in first person, as if they were directly based on the authors memories. Gum thief by douglas coupland abebooks passion for books. Watch as their lives unfold alongside rogers workinprogress, the.
The main characters of this fiction, cultural story are bethany, roger. The gum thief douglas coupland books the new york times. See all books authored by douglas coupland, including generation x. Douglas coupland was born on a canadian armed forces base in badensollingen, germany, in 1961. The gum thief by douglas coupland overdrive rakuten. 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. Backpacking across europe for example is a central theme to shampoo planet and the gum thief, and is made fun of by characters in other books. The gum thief quotes by douglas coupland goodreads. And hes always capable of that brilliant bon mot that succinctly blows a subject up and leaves you wondering how he stole a thought directly from your brain. The gum thief ebook by douglas coupland 9781596917538.
The website of canadian author and artist douglas coupland. This is one of the few books that i actually never wanted to end. Oct 14, 2007 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 dreams of being able to escape from their lives. Douglas coupland was born on a nato base in germany in 1961. The gum thief is up there with the very best of doug coupland s work which means at least as good as generation x and jpod. Set in a staples superstore, the gum thief, is the diary of main character roger thorpe, a middleaged, lonely, alcoholic staples employee. The gum thief was coupland s first foray into the standard epistolary novel format following the laptop diariesblog formats of microserfs and jpod. The gum thief by coupland, douglas and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The gum thief by douglas couplandworking at staples, among the tons of postit notes and ballpoint pens, is not, if coupland is to be believed, that much fun.
Coupland s characters have a way of easily coming to life through their inner thoughts and feelings. Douglas coupland s inventive novelthink clerks meets whos afraid of virginia woolf. An epistolary novel, the gum thief is written as a. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the gum thief. The unusual setting called out to me, and i was well rewarded for listening. James lasdun on douglas couplands latest report from the frontline of. Douglas coupland books list of books by author douglas. A story of love and looming apocalypse set in the aisles of an office supply superstore. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 275 pages and is available in hardcover format. This is my first douglas coupland novel but it definately will not be my last.
Pdf the gum thief book by douglas coupland free download. Douglas coupland to adapt his own novel the gum thief. It was published on september 25, 2007, by random house canada in canada and bloomsbury publishing in the united states. The analysis argues that couplands use of anarchistic community and literary giftgiving are analogous to concepts described by free culture advocates. It was published on september 25, 2007 20070925, by random house canada in. 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. He is the author of the international bestsellers generation a and jpod, and nine other novels, among them the gum thief, hey nostradamus. Tales for an accelerated culture, the novel that defined coupland as a writer. The analysis argues that coupland s use of anarchistic community and literary giftgiving are analogous to concepts described by free culture advocates.
Douglas coupland to adapt his own novel the gum thief as a. Through a complex layering of narratives, the gum thief reveals the comedy, loneliness, and strange comforts of contemporary life. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Through a complex layering of narratives, the gum thief, highlights numberone bestselling author douglas coupland s eye for the comedy, loneliness and strange comforts of contemporary life. It is the seinfeldian syndrome transposed into words. His first novel, the 1991 international bestseller generation x. The first edition of the novel was published in 2007, and was written by douglas coupland. His characters are young and disaffected they have opted out of modern life because, well. Tales for an accelerated culture, and the gum thief, and more on. 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 couplands inventive novelthink clerks meets whos afraid of. Oct 12, 2007 a story of love and looming apocalypse set in the aisles of an office supply superstore. I was impressed with how captivating and exciting the author made staples turn out to be. Dive deep into douglas couplands the gum thief with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion. Its hard to imagine having unequivocal feelings one way or another about the canadian writer douglas coupland. An epistolary novel, the gum thief is written as a collection of journal entries, notes, and letters written by various characters.
The gum thief by dougles coupland essay the gum thief. The gum thief is a book by douglas coupland on 20110115. The first and only story of love and looming apocalypse set in the aisles of an office supply superstore. Coupland s next novel, the gum thief, followed jpod in 2007. Douglas coupland to adapt his own novel the gum thief as. 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. The gum thief contains a novel within a novel, glove pond, which, among. The gum thief was a truly interesting book to read. Coupland has a great sense of humor that he intermixes throughout the book. Douglas coupland oc obc born 1961 is a canadian novelist and artist. Rogermiddleaged, divorced, a selfdescribed failureis a clerk at staples. The novel written by roger within the gum thief is a great story as well. The main characters of this fiction, short stories story are. He has published thirteen novels, two collections of short.
October 2007 andrea chmielewski fiction the gum thief by douglas coupland. Generation x author douglas coupland is to adapt his own novel the gum thief as a feature film after. Free download or read online the gum thief pdf epub book. The gum thief by douglas coupland books the guardian.
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. In their world, security footage of the staff stealing gum is a popular download, but real communication rarely happens. A bigbox chain store is the setting for depressing existential reflection in the latest from coupland jpod, 2006, etc. Coupland never ceases to amaze with yet another quickwitted, universal and identifiable tale of the human condition and the experiences that bind us all. The gum thief, by douglas coupland the independent. The gum thief ebook by douglas coupland rakuten kobo. Online library for easy reading any ebook for free anywhere right on the internet. The canadian firm has optioned the rights to the 2007 book and sugar will direct the movie. Coupland published his eleventh novel, generation a, in late 2009. In the book the gum thief by douglas coupland, coupland depicts three different scenarios in which his characters roger, bethany, and steve and gloria from a novel in the book called glove pond lack the ability to transition their lives from dreams to reality. Douglas couplands the gum thief shedoesthecity events. Read the gum thief a novel by douglas coupland available from rakuten kobo. He is the author of the novels miss wyoming, generation x, and girlfriend in a coma, among others, as well as the nonfiction works life after god and p. Douglas douglas coupland s previous effort had the gum thief has the elements i like best about microserfs and generation x.
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