About this title: Andy, Claire and Dag (who says he's a lesbian trapped inside a man's body) are overeducated, underemployed, and in search of permanence, love and home in the California desert. The book's layout (text plus photos, illustrations and sidebars) adds to its pop-culture aura.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
"I hate this book. I don't know if I'm just not the target audience but I find all the main characters completely self absorbed and pretentious, which is especially amusing as the author makes a point of putting down pretentious people. So I'm wondering, are we supposed to NOT like these people and their "I GET IT, I'm SO UNCONVENTIONAL and UNTIED TO WORLDLY MATTERS and am therefore better then everyone" attitude? Because I sure do...
I would say this book is similar to the book "Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius" and movie "Before Sunrise" both of which I hated equally. All three have mid-twenty somethings waxing on philosophical like they have it all figured out and are just waiting for everyone else to catch up. Yeah, the youth are really onto something... oh wait, no they are not.
The only redeeming parts were where the "stories" they told eachother. If the book had been formatted less on the actually characters, maybe just acting as connectors between stories, it would have been a much better book."
"Three individuals, disillusioned by their inability to fit in / accept the emptiness of the image-focused, hustle and bustle, social climbing world around them, escape to the Mojave desert where they tell each other stories, both fact and fiction. They also live their lives, taking on low paying jobs, living meagerly, and generally confusing their family and friends, who can't seem to fully grasp why anyone would need to get away in this fashion.
The book isn't really a coherent narrative so much as tidbits of insight into the struggles of those searching for meaning in the Generation X. With a bit of dry humour thrown into the mix, Coupland does an excellent job expounding upon the many, many flaws of modern society, most of which seem to be blindly accepted by the masses as a point of fact. If you have ever felt even remotely like there is something a bit (or very) wrong with our modern culture, you will probably want to check this one out."
"Loved it. Short little vignettes from the lives of three twentysomethings trying to define and describe their rapidly changing world and suss out some meaning from their alarmingly empty culture. Containing strong undercurrents of anti-commercialism, fun dialogue, and imaginative storytelling, this book was written in 1991 but feels just as timely today. I was surprised to find myself in these pages, not just in the characters and story, but in some of the tongue-in-cheek marginal definitions as well (Terminal Wanderlust - A condition common to people of transient middle-class upbringings. Unable to feel rooted in any one environment, they move continually in the hopes of finding an idealized sense of community in the next location. Poverty Jet Set - A group of people given to chronic traveling at the expense of long-term job stability or a permanent residence. Tend to discuss frequent-flyer programs at parties.)"
"It's such cliche, isn't it? I had just finished high school. I felt surrounded by adults who expected me to know what to do with my life, to have all the answers, yet I never felt they were listening to me. And along came this book!
I have never felt a book speak to me -- and speak from my heart -- as clearly as this one. With the wisdom of my years, I would describe the book as follows: Coupland chronicles the lives of three friends in their late twenties to early thirties who have stopped living other peoples lives to live their own. They pass their time earning a living in (self-chosen) dead end jobs, telling stories and passing the time, until they're strong enough to get out there again.
I guess I am not fresh out of high school anymore, but this book is still special."
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