欧宝娱乐

...although a lot of the criticism is warranted. that being said, however, i think what i liked about 'jpod' is coupland's healthy dose of cynacism (a lot of it directed at himself and his celebrity) within the novel's 440 some-odd pages. it's also easy to pass this off as 'microserfs 2.0,' but to do so is a mistake because i think coupland's actually stretched himself like he never has before, not so much in form (because it's almost identical to 'mircoserfs') but rather in tone and theme. most of the characters in 'microserfs' were endearing folks, people you genuinely liked. a lot of the characters in 'jpod' are often unlikeable, especially the novel's protagonist, ethan jarlweski (not hard to see why when you see ethan's parents).

i do understand some people's abhorrance to inserting onself into one's novel, but the douglas coupland *in* the novel is five-star jerk off. had coupland the author made coupland the character some winning, all-around-good-guy dood, that would have been repulsive. some of the character's are, granted, a bit overdrawn and exaggerated (freedome, kam, steve, evil mark, bree, etc), but couplands endows them with enough fallability and imperfection that rise about the cliched 'quirky and offbeat' characters that pollute so many novels. and since i work in a programming department, i got a kick out of the jpod crew. by and large coupland nails techie and geek culture to the t. i laughed out loud several times.

the novel's denouement is something of a let down, but i think this is entirely the point. it would have been relatively easy to wind it up nicely and neatly as he often does. this is where coupland's cynicism comes shining through: in some ways it does come off as a contractual obligation book and i can't help but think it's a subtle jab at his publisher and his readers. some may find this off-putting. i, on the other, found it completely hilarious. too many authors take their 'art' way too seriously. coupland, however, seems to have a different view. why else would he insert twenty pages of prime numbers? lighten up, people. take a joke. coupland's 'plot' in 'jpod' is merely the vehicle for his cynicism and sense of humor. don't take it too seriously. just go with it. enjoy it.