Review: The Gum Thief

Normally, I try to write a review immediately after finishing a book, so that my thoughts are still fresh. With this exceptional title, however, I decided to marinate on it a few days instead, just because it was SO DIFFERENT from anything else I've ever read. In fact, it's uniqueness is one of the reasons I'm giving this the distinction of a Top Shelf book.

Genre: novel (pop culture)

Plot: This is quite possibly the only novel ever set in an office supply store. Depressed, middle-age creepy alcoholic Roger passes his days stacking paper reams, drinking Vodka like water, and writing a novel so cleverly entitled as Glove Pond. But co-worker and goth beauty Bethany discovers his secret journal and starts confiding in him. And then all kinds of crap happens.

Structure: By far the best part of this book is its structure, which is quite unique (I guess I shouldn't put a qualifier on an absolute like that, bad Ashley!). It's entirely epistolary, rotating between Bethany, Roger, DeeDee (Bethany's washed up mom), and Blair (co-worker at Staples) which makes for some interesting questions (especially in the middle, when Roger may or may not still be alive) and perspectives. Also, interspersed with the story are excerpts from Roger's novel, Glove Pond, which are hilarious in and of themselves but even more so when taken in conjunction with the novel's plot. All in all, a very clever, completely original way of storytelling that bumped this book from "great" to "awesome" in my book.

Execution: At first, Coupland's prose was incredible. Witty, engaging, funny (really laugh out loud funny), at turns sardonic and profound, it was some of the best prose I've come across this year. Additionally, he managed to bring complex, dynamic characters to life through notes, people. That takes skill. However, by the middle it became less funny and more somber, which was a little disappointing. But, the "what the !!!" ending totally makes up for it.

Theme: Staples, goths, alcoholics, divorce, writing, has-beens, wannabes, community college, England

Read this if you're a fan of The Office or, even more closely related, Office Space. Or if you work at a mega-chain store, because I bet you can relate to the characters extraordinarily well.

5 out of 5 stars

Other works:
JPod
Eleanor Rigby
Hey Nostradamus!
All Families Are Psychotic
God Hates Japan
Miss Wyoming
Girlfriend in a Coma
Microserfs
Life After God
Shampoo Planet
Generation X

(some of you may be surprised I'm willing to award an avowed atheist the highest review marks possible on this site, but I guess it just goes to show that pagans can use pen and paper, too).

By the way, website bonus! He totally lists some original aphorisms on his site.

If you liked this, you might also like:
Nietzche's Beyond Good and Evil