Book Review: jPod

Scrolling through the tracks on my iPod, my DVDs, games, and bookmarks – it occured to me that arrogant, jerks seem to posses the most interesting stories. Douglas Coupland, at least the character in jPod, is a jerk.

I’m not sure if Coupland is a jerk in real life. I’ve only briefly met him once at a book signing. I wanted to purchase a signed copy of his book Terry for my sister’s birthday. I stood in line at the signing until it was my turn. As I was handing him a copy of the book to sign, I mentioned to him that I had a copy Microserfs sitting on my coffee table that I hadn’t finished reading for the longest time. It was my dusty kayak, only sitting there to prove to others that I had a life.

He wasn’t amused.

JPod is the spiritual successor to Microserfs. Subtract Microsoft, add Electronic Arts. If Microserfs was all about the characters’ quest to “get a life”, then I don’t quite get what JPod is all about. We all are the sum of our pop culture influences? We are all different shades of amorality? The marketing department sucks and we should all stick it to the man? A clever, disguised jab at Coupland’s critics? An objective look at the proliferation of technology and globalization? Maybe Coupland was contractually obliged to write another book and just ended up stealing some kids laptop.

As with Microserfs, Coupland returns with his Warhol-like experimentation interspersed within the novel. If you found Microserfs funny, you will find JPod funny as well. The one complaint I do have with this book is a complaint shared with Microserfs. The book ends abruptly.

I mean, what kind of a prick would end a book just when everything’s going so well?