The Gum Thief: A Novel

Coupland's work 'The Gum Thief' is an absolute must read for those familiar to Coupland's work. Why must you be familiar with Coupland's work to truly appreciate this novel? It is an excellent novel and is about fictional characters but could not be more true to life in theme and heart, but only best understood if one is familiar with Coupland's style of writing. That being said, do not make this the first Coupland book you read.

This was a fantastic novel, nonetheless. A story about the perils of every day life, and how these fictional characters translate into the non fiction we have become used to in our own lives. On a deeper level, the truths that we both accept and ignore because of their discomfort. Coupland brings this to the surface with utter triumph. His writing and visual technique makes this a novel that one cannot put down until it ends. If you are looking for something deeper than just a 'story' as well as some deep insight into human nature, this is the book for you.

A love letter to the purgatory of working in a big box office supply store…

The Gum Thief by Douglas Coupland is about a pair of widely different employees at a Staples that find common ground in their work-based misery (one from typical twenties drama, the other from a middle aged personal crisis and depression).

The novel is three stories…the saga of Roger, would be writer and retail worker whose best years are in the rear view window though he hopes to rewrite the next chapter…the tragedy of Bethany, young self-obsessed woman who thinks she knows everything…and Glove Pond, a story within a story that seems to change its genre and focus every few chapters (like a bipolar author who tries to make it up as he goes but doesn’t want it to seem like he’s making it up as he goes).

There’s also some humorous bread-based fiction, but that’s more of a treat for the writer thag sticks through the entire novel, not the main course.

Mixed in with the encounters of other coworkers, relatives, and others, Roger and Bethany navigate their tedious existence with a few highs and lows in a story that reminds me of Taxi Driver (at least the internal emotional stuff) if it was told entirely through journal entries, personal correspondence, and short fiction…though thankfully without any child prostitution or shootouts.

Weird book, worth trying out.