Eleanor Rigby

I love when I take a trip to find something to read that is set in the city I am headed to. Even better when it is my fav author of all time doing the writing. This book finally came out in paperback, but isn't being too widely distrubted, so could be tough to find.

I love Coupland (creator of the term Generation X) and his style. All very brief to the point prose, lots of culutral references and fun quirky characters. Plus some common themes: detachment, the end of the world, bizarre coincidences, religion or lack of...

This is the story of Liz, who has a very dull and lonely life in Vancouver. She lives alone, has no friends and has very little happen to her, other than having had a child in high school she gave away. The kid comes back in her life and she is forced to explore the trip to Italy that brought the child into existance, her lack of connection with anyone, and lots of other issues in her life. It sounds corny, but I promise, it is anything but.

Read anything by Coupland, and I promise you will be a better person. My personal favorite is Girlfriend in a Coma.

Grade: A