Girlfriend in a Coma- Douglas Coupland

Girlfriend in a Coma is a novel by Canadian writer and conceptual artist Douglas Coupland. I've never been too sure about how to pronounce his name "Cope-land" or "Coop-land". Most times I just settle for Doug. I've had a long standing adoration for Coupland's work both written and constructed. I made a special visit to the Canadian High Commission in London to see some furniture Coupland had designed around notions of what it is to be Canadian. I also trekked to Stratford Upon Avon where I was shocked by Doug performing his play "September 10th, 2001." This sexy sounding Canadian had turned into Ernest Hemingway without anyone warning me.

How you'll respond to this review will probably depend on your previous encounters with Doug. People are generally divided into two categories: 1) those who think he's ultimate social commentator and 2) those who think he's just another pop culture junkie. I fall into a third category 1.5) those who are unsure whether Doug adores pop culture or if he's gently mocking it. I got to have the briefest of conversations with the Big Man Himself in Stratford after the show and I asked him directly. He smiled enigmatically and said "No one's asked me that before..." and drifted away humming. I was, like, totally bummed.

"Girlfriend in a coma" is a Smiths song title. The song contains the haunting lyric "let me whisper my last goodbye" which is a good way into the novel. The novel tells the story of a group of friends growing up in Vancouver, Canada in the late 1970's. On the night of a teenage house-wrecking party Karen, falls into a coma. More alarmingly, she seemed to expect it, having given her boyfriend, Richard, a letter detailing the vivid dreams of the future she had experienced and how she wanted to sleep for a thousand years to avoid that vision.

The opening of the novel is a vision of what happens after the end of the world relayed to us by Jared, a ghost. It's a shocking and despairing vision of a world without people, technology and concern. Jared tells us that most of us don't learn from second chances that we really learn from third chances- "after losing and wasting vast sums of time, money, youth and energy". The first part of the book covers the next 17 years in the lives of Jared's friends- the friends who "finally learned their lesson". The story, as Jared puts it, gets bigger than any individual and includes all of us and ultimately becomes Jared's story.

I don't want to flesh out the plot lines as the organic growth of the novel is something to savour. Meeting and getting to know about the characters, following their stories and ending up at one of the most chilling finales in fiction. Anyone who liked, loved or was moved by "it's a wonderful life" will enjoy GFIAC.

Which brings me to the "why" part of my post. Why should this be part of the Love Affair with Books? I can promise you this book won't make you a better manager, won't help you be a better lover, won't improve your social life, won't give you six/seven/eight handy hints on how to be more effective. This book will however draw you in, lull you into thinking you know how it will end and then chew you up, break you into small pieces and then spit you out. Then ending of the novel is a rallying cry for awareness, questioning and being totally present. It's the ultimate "plan b" for humanity. Plan A isn't doing us that well and Doug provides us with a way of creating a new paradigm. Buy this novel. It will change you.

~ Ben Whitehouse

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Ben Whitehouse works at the Guild of Students at the University of Birmingham in the UK. He has a blog here: http://beninbrum.blog.co.uk/ In his spare time he runs a book group, film club, and finds time to campaign on issues around LGBT rights, local residents rights and he also helps entertaining his three nephews who he loves very much.

This is the second book Ben has reviewed for ALAWB; his first review was on Speak Truth to Power by Kerry Kennedy.

Comments

[Joanna Young]

Hi Ben thanks for the great review

I will definitely go and read a book that promises to do this!

"This book will however draw you in, lull you into thinking you know how it will end and then chew you up, break you into small pieces and then spit you out."

Joanna

[Steve Sherlock]

Thanks, Ben, I'll echo Joanna's comments. It was time for a work of fiction here.

[Pam]

Ben, thank you for this great review. This is definitely something different to add to my book collection. I will most certainly have to check it out.

[Rosa Say]

Gosh Ben, after reading your review, I'm also totally bummed that Coupland didn't answer your question...(when does enigmatic get to be rude? You are gracious :)

However, I am also totally intrigued. It has been quite a while since I allowed a work of fiction to upstage my business reading, and you Ben, are pulling that trigger for me with this review! I so admire the story-crafting ability of great writers of fiction. One could say it is another way to study leadership, for both a great story and great leadership are absorbingly compelling.

[Ben Whitehouse]

I wasn't too bummed about Doug not answering my question. It just adds to the enigma. (And I like that about him, he's all knotty and confusing and the novels just help you shift the knots about)

I'm really glad that both books I shared for this month have been so effective. When picking the books these were the first two that floated to the top of my mind. It never entered my head to pick a "how to" book or something more advice centered.

I'm hoping that people will enjoy Girlfriend and find it an enriching experience. I think even if you end up viscerally hating it that can as rewarding an experience as if you end up loving it as much as I do.

[Chris]

Lull, chew, break and spit!
That sounds like my kind of novel!
And THANKYOU for reviewing a novel. As I said last month in a post, I reckon novels rock!