I bought this book because it looked interesting; it is supposed to be funny so here's hoping ...

The Blurb:

"A manic joyride into the world of today's new breed of tech worker, JPod updates Microserfs for the age of google.

Ethan Jarlewski and five co-workers are bureaucratically marooned in JPod, a no-escape architectural limbo on the fringes of a massive Vancouver game-design company.

The six workers daily confront the forces that define our era; global piracy, boneheaded marketing staff, people-smuggling,the rise of China, marijuana grow-ops and the ashes of the 1990s financial tech dream.

JPod's universe is amoral and shameless. The characters are products of their era even as they are creating it. Everybody in Ethan's life inhabits a moral grey zone. Nobody is exempt, not even his seemingly strait-laced parents.

Full of word games, visual jokes and sideways jabs, JPod throws a sharp, pointed dart into the hearts of contemporary life."

A very odd book.

I enjoyed it immensely but had to stop for reality checks every so often. I think that the blurb says it all.

It was funny; not laugh out loud funny but I had a smile on my face most of the time I was reading it. Amoral is right but it was all done with such panache that, except for an occasional stray thought to the contrary, it all seemed to be almost normal behavior.

I didn't plough my way through the first 100,000 numbers of pi looking for the errant number but some of the inserts are very geek-related and worth having a closer look at. I loved the idea of embedding a homicidal clown in a hearts and flowers computer game, which is what the six main characters spent most of their time doing.

I marked a lot of favourite lines but taken out of context they are not as funny as they are when left in situ so I'll simply record on of the dialogues which Ronald the homicidal, bloodlusting clown says:

"You shall beg for death but instead shall receive only laughter and choking hazards disguised as plastic toys."

I have sort of offered this book as a bookring - it features in "Unshelved's" cartoon for today.




Participants
Jubby - received 10-7-06 - passed on 16-7-06
Stvereca - received 16-7-06
goodthinkingmax - received 27-8-07
puppymummy - received 7-9-06
Arrietty - received 16-12-06 posted 19-2-07
charliewendy - received 21-2-07<--book is in transit
freelunch

back to pinkozcat

Posted to Jubby today. Enjoy!

Look what arrived in the post today, along with an Adelaide Convention bookmark.

Thank you.

Well, put simply, I really enjoyed this one.

The author himself put in a few appearances,along with a corpse and drug-dealer parents. Rollicking read, and very entertaining.

At this point I should put in a witty, amusing and thoughtful review of the text, but I just can't! I don't want to give too much away about the plot and characters, and secondly, I'm not up to it! I've just a fabulous weekend away and the old brain cells are struggling...

Great format too. I loved the size and novelity of the text.

Thank you very much for sharing this one with me.

RELEASE NOTES:

Passed onto Stvereca - her first bookring!

I love Coupland, but I just couldn't make it through jpod. I had a fairly difficult month and couldn't give this book (or any other for that matter!) the concentration it deserved. Waiting on confirmation from goodthinkingmax and will post it off this week.

Found this in the letterbox this evening. Not sure why it arrived on the weekend! Looking forward to it after the reviews here and I love the quote in pinkozcat's entry.

Thanks too for the wineglass charm which fell out as I opened the parcel. I later found the Convention bookmark so the wineglass charm then made sense :-)

This was wonderful - absurd and well written, each page containing witty and original observations, experiments, dialogue, twists. So much fun. I can't believe I haven't read any Coupland before now. I loved all the diversions in between chapters and the tech. stuff. Ok, who else stared at the prime numbers to see if there was a magic eye image?!

Sending on to puppymummy as soon as I have the details.

Magic eye????? Oooooo!! Is there?

Arrived here safely and incredibly well packaged. I am really looking forward to reading it, but there are higher priorities on the tbr list (bookrings with others waiting for me) so I will get to it but it may take a little while. If anyone else signs up for it please let me know to hurry it up a bit!

Very much enjoyed this one! The craziness presented as a completely normal story was terrific, and some of the references had me nodding or laughing. I've never read Coupland before, but I think I will be on the lookout for his books from now on.
Will be posted to Arrietty over the weekend.

Received this in mail along with some other books from puppymummy. I thought it was Christmas....and it nearly is! I've read Coupland's "Microserfs" and thought it witty and clever. I only read it this year and Microserfs is a bit dated now, however it still sparkles and makes sense as I work in IT and could relate to the historical aspects. Looking forward to this Jpods. Thanks Pinkozcats. I'll start when I've finished Pink's other bookring 'Kafka on Shore' which I am half way through and really enjoying.

Sorry Pinkozcat for for taking so long. I'm still only half way through the book. Even though I am enjoying it, it's not revetting enough to stay up reading all night and I have about 6 members of my family staying for a wedding at present. I see I am last on list so hope there is no hurry for the book. I hope it's ok to keep the book a little longer as I do want to finish it.

Finally finished the book! While I enjoyed it overall and got a laugh or two, I think I read it too close to 'Microserf' which is very similar. (5 or 6 young geeks work for Microsoft and then all move to work with another startup company - their ups and downs and musings on life after MS).

Jpod is more up todate in terms of references to Technology and topical subjects, however I found it too similar and also what annoyed me most where the times that Coupland brings himself in as a character. It's a tad self-indulgent. However there were so many witty sayings and funny incidents that I still enjoyed it and looked forward to reading it just to hear what the jpodders were up to today. Everytime someone came to visit and saw the book, they wanted to read it. My team mates at work should read it, there are a few jpodders there!

Here's a quote from the book. Ethan and his team are looking up info on Ronald McDonald for a bit of a lark.
"I've notice that, as we ramp up on our game-building skills and generalized knowledge about Ronald, we're googling every ten minutes. The problem is, after a week of intense googling, we've started to burn out on knowing the answer to everything. God must have felt like that all the time. I think people in the year 2020 are going to be nostalgic for the sensation of feeling clueless."

Thanks Pinkozcat if noone else wants it I'll send it back to you.

Arrietty.

Going to post of charliewendy today along with a Jane Auten Trilogy.

Thank you Arrietty, Jpod arrived safely this morning along with a bonus surprise book!

I was initially daunted by the size of this book but in fact it is quite a quick read. Despite the fact that all of the characters are devoid of any morals or conscience each of them is quite likeable, even lovable. I warmed to all the characters but possibly my favourite was Kam. He never failed to surprise me at the moral depths he could plumb in a sweet and charming way.
I really enjoyed this, it is quite different to anything else I have read.
Thanks for sharing Pinkozcat!

I have freelunch's addy and it will be off to him tomorrow (monday). I have noticed there is a tradition in this bookring of sending a little surprise on with the book so I am going to honour that tradition. Now lets see, what have I got here that freelunch might enjoy?

received today, thanks charliewendy and pinkozcat :o)

I've just finished reading Coupland's Eleanor Rigby so (as I'm last in the 'ring) I'm going to wait a couple of weeks before starting this one

this is a very silly book.

thanks again for sharing it pinkozcat. I'll send it back this week.

Returned safe and sound today. Thanks to all who took part in this ring.

RELEASE NOTES: