The Gum Thief by Douglas Coupland

In The Gum Thief, Douglas Coupland takes us into the world of hourly wage employment at Staples.  This is coupled by the fact that the main character, a divorced alcoholic of about 40 years (Roger) has a very irregular "relationship" with a 20 something Goth chick (Bethany).  Add, diary like entries, letters from one character to another, (they never actually have face to face contact.)  AND, excerpts from a novel that Roger is writing, which is called Glove Pond.   It sounds like a confusing trip to Wonderland.....BUT...

Don't be fooled by my honest description of the premise of this book, I have to say, I LOVED IT!!  I found that it was written very well.  Coupland was not afraid to be totally honest and uncensored about the trials that the characters encounter.  Roger never tries to apologize for who he is, yet as a misanthrope he does at least acknowledge it.  Bethany goes through the usual, I am a girl, I hate myself, and societal pressures can destroy me if I let it.

A final note, one would have to at least raise an eyebrow at Roger's novel, "Glove Pond."  It is THE most entertaining insertion to Coupland's book.  In a way I almost wished it was actually a published novel.

I RECOMMEND this book to those who appreciate the oddly written novels, that definitely do not follow the typical pattern of today's literature. ****


For more info about this book visit:  http://coupland.com/portfolio/the-gum-thief/