A story about this — 2 years ago
Not as good as I’d hoped.
I could have done without the countless references to the author in the book. Maybe if I’d been reading Coupland for years I’d be part of the cult, but it was all too smug. I wanted more of the “management are nuts” stuff, less jet-setting to everywhere on Kam’s behest.
I might have dug the puzzles more if I wasn’t sick with the flu. As it was, they just ended up being a LOT of pages to turn through. Maybe I have to hand in my nerd points.
Is Microserfs better, Coupland fans, or more of the same?
Comments
cs192
Liverpool
I found the Coupland references quite amusing, only read hey nostradmus and all families… before this, so wouldn’t consider myself part of the cult. I felt the self deprecating nature of the references were meant in a tongue in cheek kinda way, and didn’t read any smugness into it.
Tried microserfs aged 13/14 and didn’t get into it, but think that now i’ve got more life experience i may relate to the characters more so want to give it another go, my sis bought me generation x for my birthday and i started that today
fengshuiguy
Thanks for taking the time to comment, cs192 – much appreciated! Did you find Hey Nostradamus and All Families similar?
I can’t say I agree with the points you’ve raised though – I couldn’t see Coupland’s appearances as self-deprecating, given that (and this could be me not remembering things correctly) every time Coupland appears, he’s a couple of steps ahead of the protagonist of the novel.
The references to Coupland as an author didn’t really seem self-deprecating, either – the fact that the characters would compare their lives to being in a Coupland novel is a positive one, not a negative one: like saying “this is just like being in a Jane Austen novel”.
cs192
Liverpool
Both books are quite different than this> Hey! Nostradamus is very emotional because of its subject matter, all families is a good look at a family getting over several adversities.
The Coupland character is always painted as a jerk, a bastard for using Ethan’s laptop to screw him over, and the first two times he’s mentioned by the jpodders they call him a jerk. I agree with your last comment that being namechecked by people is a mark of respect, even if they do mean it negatively, but feel that doesn’t count as much when the author they’re comparing themselves to is the author of the book.
Have just re-read your initial comment, and noticed the puzzles bit, i just skipped through those (despite having the official scrabble words book in my house which i could’ve cheated with) as i don’t have enough knowledge of three letter words, prime numbers etc to spot fakes.
I was worried that when i first opened the book i read the first “code” section and knew instantly where the “Play as Iron Man” etc came from.
This website (and the other robot coop sites) are all about people having different opinions, so I think we can both accept that we have differing views on aspects of this book, and neither of us is right (nor wrong).