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Generation X
Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture | Douglas Coupland
Generation X is Douglas Coupland's acclaimed salute to the generation born in the late 1950s and 1960s--a generation known vaguely up to then as "twentysomething."Andy, Claire, and Dag, each in their twenties, have quit "pointless jobs done grudgingly to little applause" in their respective hometowns and cut themselves adrift on the California desert. In search of the drastic changes that will lend meaning to their lives, they've mired themselves in the detritus of American cultural memory. Refugees from history, the three develop an ascetic regime of story-telling, boozing, and working McJobs--"low-pay, low-prestige, low-benefit, no-future jobs in the service industry." They create modern fables of love and death among the cosmetic surgery parlors and cocktail bars of Palm Springs, disturbingly funny tales of nuclear waste, historical overdosing, and mall culture.A dark snapshot of the trio's highly fortressed inner world quickly emerges--landscapes peopled with dead TV shows, "Elvis moments," and semi-disposable Swedish furniture. And from these landscapes, deeper portraits emerge, those of fanatically independent individuals, pathologically ambivalent about the future and brimming with unsatisfied longings for permanence, for love, and for their own home. Andy, Dag, and Claire are underemployed, overeducated, intensely private, and unpredictable. Like the group they mirror, they have nowhere to assuage their fears, and no culture to replace their anomie.
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andrew61
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Pickpick

Our other irl bk this wk was this iconic generational story that I missed in the 90s. A curious tale of 3 mid-20s Americans living a lifestyle different to family norms and telling tales to each other of life + society. It made for a good discussion. A curious story that I found compelling but curiously forgot many of the tales quickly, although I remember the enjoyable characters. A classic in mould of on the road for a generation, glad I rd it.

merelybookish Great review! I have never read it either, although you've piqued my interest. 13mo
Ruthiella I read this in the‘90s when it was published. I remember loving it at 20 something, but have no memory now except for the term “McJob”. 13mo
batsy I missed it too! Need to add to the list. Love the cover and photo. 13mo
50 likes3 comments
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yoavshai
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#BookCoverChallenge
Day 245.
Here I will note 365 books (or as many as I will have before I get tired) that have shaped my taste in literature. No explanations, no reviews. Just the cover of the book.
I do not challenge anyone. You are all welcome to take part.

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Gina
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Well hello vivid quote! I enjoyed you extremely.

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Gina
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That caught my attention...

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squirrelbrain
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I read both of these, and others by the author, over 10 years ago now... perhaps time for a re-read?

I liked them because they were mainly set in Vancouver, where we visited for honeymoon, and I love when you know all the street names and recognise the places featured in books.

#canadaday
#flyhighjuly

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Lindy
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Vancouver Art Gallery has a virtual tour of Douglas Coupland's art. One of the pieces is created by the artist chewing up pages of his books and using them to make a nest. Others are huge sculptures that look at contemporary issues in society. Check it out here: https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/douglas-coupland-everywhere-is-anywher...

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quietjenn
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I wasn't going to play, because I'm not rereading Fight Club, but I enjoyed your pictures so much that I had to dig through the handful of ones I have to give you mine! #90sspringfling

Centique Awww! How cute are you?! 6y
mcipher Oh the blazer and rolled acid washed jeans combo is just amazingly 90s!! Love it. 6y
batsy Yup the blazer and jeans combo 👌🏽 Love the pics! 6y
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LeahBergen Ack! I love it! Is that a scrunchie in your hair? 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 (edited) 6y
CarolynM Gorgeous😍 6y
TrishB Great pics 👍🏻💕 6y
JaclynW Great pictures! I love the blazer and rolled up jeans! A scrunchie too! You have gorgeous hair! 6y
Cinfhen Glad u joined us!!! Forgot about the scrunchies!!!!! #GoodMemories 6y
quietjenn I was all about that fashion combo! @mcipher @batsy 6y
quietjenn I think it was a fancy gold scrunchie, too! @LeahBergen @Cinfhen 6y
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peanutbutler
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'But Margaret cooled me right there. Putting down her mug, she said that before I got into one of my Exercised Young Man states, I should realize that the only reason we all go to work in the morning is because we're terrified of what would happen if we stopped. We're not built for free time as a species. We think we are, but we aren't.'

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Sarah83
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Panpan

So I finished my next #litsyclassics and what should I say... Meh.... The idea of three storytellers is a good one, but what stories they tell... I am often quite unsure, if you should take their stories for real or if this all should be a great comedy. I really don't get it.

I don't understand, how this book could be hyped in such a way...

BarbaraBB I bailed on this one... 6y
57 likes1 comment
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Sarah83
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Sitting at work and waiting for the weekend... Just started the tagged one for #litsyclassics . I am not quite sure what to think about it... The first chapter left me quite confused... Has anyone already read this? 🤔

Emilymdxn I read it ages ago and honestly wasn‘t the hugest fan. I just didn‘t get it really, but then I was probably too young for it 6y
Sarah83 @Emilymdxn so happy I am not the only one... 😉😁 6y
Buechersuechtling This is one of the few books in my life until today that I read and re-read and re-read and re-read. From the first time I read it, with about 17, I loved it. It‘s a roman à tiroirs so the "frame story" is interrupted by secondary narratives (involving secondary characters and/or being told by other narrators), which may in turn themselves be interrupted by further narratives/narrators. 6y
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Buechersuechtling This can be unexpected, I agree. But the general tune/theme got me hooked. 6y
Sarah83 @Buechersuechtling maybe it's because I read it in English that it doesn't get me...🤔 6y
Buechersuechtling @Sarah83 I have a copy in German. Shall I send it over❓ 6y
Sarah83 @Buechersuechtling I try the English one a bit longer, but thank you 😉 6y
61 likes7 comments
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Earlene
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Bailedbailed

This was my book for X in the #litsyclassics challenge. I am a third of the through and I can‘t continue. I should really relate to this as I came of age in the mid-eighties, but I just annoyed and confused. It is very disjointed and it is not speaking to me and what I experienced in my early twenties.

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bookcaterpillar_89
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Time to get this off my TBR shelf before 2018! It‘s been on the shelf for years!

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Sarah83
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Miss_Kim He‘s a great writer! Love this book 😊 7y
Buechersuechtling Oh I love that book❣️😍 One of the few that I read multiple times. 7y
LeeRHarry This is one of my faves 😊 7y
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Jas16
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#mygeneration #rocktober I randomly picked this book up in college and loved it. I read everything by Coupland that I could get my hands on in the next few years. I have picked up a couple of his more recent books but haven‘t read them yet because he seems so much a part of my early twenties.

BarbaraBB Great choice! 7y
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mrp27
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#uncannyoctober #xmarksthespot

Talking 'bout my generation.

LeeRHarry Loved this! 7y
writerlibrarian Yes 👊🏻 7y
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CortneyAlexandraLee
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Augustdana
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#riotgrams day two: orange cover. My intro to coupland was Hey Nostradamus! But I'll always have a soft spot for this book

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Tomonabike
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Mehso-so

Existential crisis via gen Xers. Great story telling from the characters. No conflict, no drama, think Kerouac for the 90s. Super quick read and a little fun just don't expect any real big thoughts or story telling.

RaimeyGallant Welcome to Litsy! #LitsyWelcomeWagon Here's a bunch of #LitsyTips I put together in a post a couple of weeks ago: http://litsy.com/p/RzZCTVZYU1ND 7y
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GatheringBooks
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#Septembowie Day 18: Naturally Gen Xers adore #TheJeanGenie (or not - I am so unsure about this prompt hahaha) - but jeans and Gen X seem to go together.

Cinfhen Ha! Good pairing 💕 7y
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BarbaraBB
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Bailedbailed

There is no click between me and Mr Coupland. I fail to understand what we wants to tell me. And frankly, I am not that interested.

Sarah83 Looks like we think the same 😉 6y
5 likes1 comment
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Sonja
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The pinkest book I own is this super serious literary work, apparently #riotgrams

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Redwritinghood
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#publishedinthe1990s This book, published in 1991, literally defined a generation. Although I believe the author has denied that there is a group that can be defined as Generation X, the name stuck and is generally now accepted to define those born in the 1960s to the early 1980s. #photoadaynov16

LitHousewife It's a great book and I'm proud to be a Gen Xer. 🤗 8y
Kleonard Me as well! 8y
Laura317 I can be described as either Baby Boomer or GenX. 1964 was right and end of one and beginning of the other. 🙃As a result, I stay confused. 8y
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Bibliogeekery
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Varshitha This is so great!! 8y
SaraFair What a thoughtful idea! 8y
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Tessyreads
Pickpick

This book started my love of reading! Now it's a celebration anytime Coupland releases a new book.

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