Customer Reviews

All Families are Psychotic

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"All Families Are Psychotic" feels like the book Douglas Coupland has been trying to write since "Girlfriend In A Coma", when he made the shift to creating essentially plot-driven novels instead of the cultural commentaries in the form of character sketches and essays -- though I doubt Douglas Coupland could ever abandon his fascination with pop culture (specifically post World War II pop culture). The end, or the point of (the moral to the story of) "Girlfriend In A Coma", lacked the depth that I felt was promised. And "Miss Wyoming", though fun -- all of Douglas Coupland's books are great fun -- was forgettable, leaving little, if any, residue. What makes "All Families Are Psychotic" better is likable characters, as good as the protagonist in his earlier "Shampoo Planet" -- one of my favorite Coupland books.

Coupland is a "good" writer, but not a "great" one . . . at least not yet. For greatness he would have to restrain his signature insights into pop culture and his apocalyptic fears that the world is changing too rapidly for anyone to have stability (on this point he's just as bad as any doom and gloom preacher). He would need to direct his attention on the idiosyncrasies that makes human beings individual and unique: concentrate on the little picture, the "see the world in a grain of sand" picture, instead of the big picture. Great literature lives in the little picture. But he does seem to be moving in that direction . . . somewhat.

Maybe the doom and gloom complaint is little less fair with "All Families Are Psychotic". He does attempt to give us a hope: that science, uninhibited by economic interests and limitations, is capable of . . . well I don't want to give away too much of the story. And I'm not very knowledgeable about science in general, so I don't know if the methods and propositions in this book are credible or far-fetched (I'm leaning towards the latter), but it makes for an interesting Wizard of Oz for adults at the dawn of the new millennium.

I have loved Coupland since I first started reading "Gen X". I eagerly await each new release, and in reading the hype on this book was suprised to discover that the film rights had been bought by Michael Stipe of REM's production company -- bad thing to know before reading the book. I found myself engrossed in each page, trying to figure out how it would translate to film. The thing that sets this book apart from the others is that there actually is a A + B = C kind of story. You get the build up, the climax, the surprise twists, and the unexpected ending. It's a little off the wall (everyone in this damn book, save 2-3 characters, are sick), but a unique and fun read. I'm still puzzled as to who will play Janet. Sissy Spacek? Glenn Close? Ellen Burnstyn? A puzzler indeed.

This is the book that got me hooked to Douglas Coupland. Odd but charming characters. Very entertaining!

This was a great book to read, after the first 3 pages I felt myself being drawn into it, and I could see it happening, but I was drawn in anyways. Twisted little story with characters with a LOT of depth and kind of bizarre, but not to the point of over done, this was a fun and humorous read. While the characters are extreme in situation, they have a certain common feel, that you (or, at least I) can relate family with. The story is fast paced, humorous, and has some good points made about the world, well worth reading. The only issue I had with it was that it was kind of short, everything moves at a good pace and extra in it would probably destroy that, but you still want more.

This book was great. I love Coupland as an author and this just proved that. Any reader can relate to at least one character one time or another in this story, and the plot just keeps you always wanting more. I can not put it down.

... and you thought you had a weird family!!! A very entertaining book, expecially for those who love to read while travelling to your next destination!

All Families Are Psychotic was my first Douglas Coupland novel and I thought it was amazing! Coupland taked dysfunctional, throws it in a blender and out comes the Drummond family. His writing style is witty, satirical, and dark. He provides enough information about the characters to draw you in and keep your attention; and the characters he doesn't dwell on, such as the younger brother Bryan, is so unnecessary because the character is already so transparent you're able to form your own opinion. Coupland's plot twists left me shaking my head in disbelief and anxious to read what was coming up next. All Families Are Psychotic was an extremely enjoyable book and I can't wait to read Coupland's other works.

If someone is looking for a psychotic thriller, this is not the one. If someone, wants to discover Douglas Coupland for the first time, I would recommend "Life After God." I think the reason that I liked this book so much is because I know Coupland's style. I love his style.. it has me coming back time and time again. I think what I liked most about this book is that it is just that.. Coupland... there is no other way to describe it. Coupland's books thrive on the fact that NO ONE ELSE would write it that way, give it that plot twist, or make things quite as insane (or for that matter, completely normal) as he does it. He has a gift. Sure, it's not PROBABLE... but who wants probable when they're reading for entertainment. I spent the entire day today reading this book... and I don't regret it for a moment. It was one of the best ways that I could have spent a lazy day.

I love reading Doug Coupland's books, with their references to pop culture, their spiritual themes, and their amazing characters. Two of those are present in this book, but the most important, the characters are very much lacking. It is hard to embrace any of the major characters in this book, making it even more difficult to make your way through the novel. Janet is the only character who is presented as being remotely likeable, but her sudden friendship with her ex-husband's new wife is unbelievable, despite the reason given as their connection. The character Wade is written as a loser, and he is just that. The dad is not likeable, as we sift through page after page of Janet, Wade, or the other Drummond children talking about his lack of fathering skills, and his self-centeredness. We throw in the brilliant kid, who was a child of Thalidomide and only has one hand, but her marriage is unhappy. Then there is Billy, who has attempted suicide many times, who is not particularly well-defined beyond that in the novel, and who is repeatedly put down by his siblings or his father. Does any of this make you want to read the book? Coupland is a supremely talented writer, and his novels are usually engaging reads. However, both this novel and "Miss Wyoming" contain far too many characters who are hard to sympathize with or empathize with. I really wanted to love this book. It's unfortunate that I couldn't.

This is a good book. I don't think it is possible for Douglas Coupland to write a bad book. Like in all of his novels, the characters are memorable and colorful, the dialogue witty, and clever pop-culture references are everywhere.

That being said, I had better hopes for this one. Books can be classified according to their driving force: what makes them work. Coupland has a habit of writing character-driven novels, such as Microserfs or Generation X. Better than that is the theme-driven novel, where all action says an underlying and coherent thing about life. His only work that comes close to this ideal is Miss Wyoming.

Dissapointing, then, that this book was primarily plot-driven, with the characters along for the ride. It is time for Coupland to write a indisputably great novel, and not just one that works and is fun to read.

The most irritating part of this book is the coincidences. Coupland knows that as the writer he can make anything happen, which is fine, but it happens too often. Imagine if separate characters run off in separate directions and they don't have any idea where the others are, or even what city, but then they enter a random restaurant on a whim, and hey! There's the rest of the family. Normally forgivable, if it's necessary to the plot. But this kind of coincidence happens over and over, making it feel as if the story was strung together, with no crafting or deliberation. At that point, suspension of disbelief becomes difficult.

The first few chapters are fantastic, and full of life. I was disappointed that by the end it didn't live up to the full, developed style that this author is so capable of.