Going Out (Paperback)

Slacker lit is so 1992--the year of Coupland's Generation X--but Thomas, a dewy talent much touted in the UK, gives smirking satire a warmer heart in this contemporary quest novel. Its twentysomethings languish in the suburban wastelands of Essex, engaging the world primarily through e-mail, the Internet, and American sitcoms and movies. Luke, at least, has an excuse for his narrow existence: he's allergic to sunshine and can't leave his bedroom. When a distant spiritual healer claims to have a cure, Luke and his friends set off on a road trip that symbolizes breaking free, taking risks, living. The theme of self-discovery weighs a bit heavily, as does the Wizard of Oz framework (Luke wears a tinfoil suit; his best friend, Julie, is a clinical coward; and they're all off to see the guru). Gen Xers will probably skip this nostalgia trip, but members of Gen Y are likely to embrace the pop-culture references and the characters' rambling conversations on everything from crap jobs to New Age lifestyles to imaginary numbers. Jennifer Mattson
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“Going Out is wonderful. It hits all the right nails with just the right amount of force.”—Douglas Coupland

"Fierce and honest, Going Out is a hilarious testament to love, friendship, and the pleasures of hitting the road."--Lauren Grodstein, author of The Best of Animals and Reproduction is the Flaw of Love

“Points the way to a new future for English fiction. Fans of Coupland and Murakami: here is your new favourite author.” —Matt Thorne

“A real offbeat gem. . . . It makes for a novel of subtlety and poise from an author of considerable promise—one that talks quietly but says a great deal.” —Arena

“Surreal and inventive. A warm and comical study of life outside the London orbital, Going Out does for provincial Britain what Frank Capra did for small-town America.” —The Independent on Sunday

“Writing for and about people who cannot stand words such as Zeitgeist, Scarlett Thomas captures perfectly the Estuarine suburbs where a lack of blonde highlights makes you a weirdo and where eccentrics are nevertheless stashed behind every Homebase-bought door. Never mind what the neighbors might think–Going Out is worth staying in for.” —The Times (London)

“Thomas builds an absorbing, sympathetic story.” –Esquire (UK)

“Original, funny and full of insight. A brilliant and assured novel with themes that resonate long after the book has been put down.” —Chrissie Glazebrook, author of The Madolescents and Blue Spark Sisters

“A modern take on The Wizard of Oz that will be thoroughly enjoyed by all fans of Douglas Coupland.” —Daily Mail

“A wonderful story with a dark sense of humour.” —Punch

“Thomas has deftly tapped in to the rich vein of interest in different realities in this insightful and entertaining novel which is ultimately about friendship and trying to make sense of our confusing world.” —Big Issue

“This depressingly sharp portrait of contemporary Britain, full of floods, retail parks and lookalike chain hotels is wonderfully observed” —Wigan Evening Post

“Original and well written.” —Jockey Slut

“In telling a story with wit and true understanding of her characters, Thomas has established herself as Britain's answer to Douglas Coupland.” —Waterstone’s Quarterly

“An unusually sharp writer.” —Irish Tattler

“Full of love, honesty, humour and sadness.” —Rebbecca Ray, author of Pure