Thursday, November 27, 2008

What price now for a shallow piece of dignity?

I'd hate to give the impression that the works of Douglas Coupland are essentially a string of vaguely connected smartarseries. On the other hand, this is from Life After God:

"One day I came home from the library, where I had spent the afternoon trying to make people feel middle class by scowling at them."

(And in response to all your kind messages, fine thanks, unless or until I need to go anywhere.)

10 comments:

West said...

I didn't realise he was a Librarian too Tim...

(If it was possible for him to go any lower than he already is, I'd say he's just gone down in my estimation...his Mum was a belter though, in Bless This House...)

xxx
Bob

Wrong versification: mulerma

Is Muffin them still illegal? Probably not in Thailand. Any idea when my flight's boarding, btw...?

Rog said...

I thought a "Smartarserie" was a chain of dubious parlours where people go to pay loadsamoney to be humiliated.

...or was that Starbucks?

Annie said...

I just looked on CNN to see why people might be worried about you and there's all kinds of stories on it. I was like, 'Eh? There's more news? I thought the news finished after Obama got elected.'

Evidently not.

Anonymous said...

Glad stuff is okay for you. A work colleague is currently stranded in Bangkok. (there's worse places to be stranded)

Libraries have got a lot less middle class since they put free interwebs in them.

Tim F said...

He was, Bob, but he was fired for not having his glasses on a chain.

No, Murph, Starbucks is an emblem of the eternal success of globalised capitalism... Ah.

Annie: As Martin Amis said, "come to America and watch your own country disappear."

Billy: I heard last night that, because the army's loyalties were divided, they're going to use the navy to clear the airport. Makes perfect sense to me, although I understand the main runway is now blocked by a stranded minesweeper.

Dick Headley said...

rswipe in Thailand?!? I'm looking forward to this.

Tim F said...

There's a pole in Soi Cowboy awaiting him, Dick. Incidentally this made me laugh.

Unknown said...

that's actually one i haven't read. is it worth reading? I like all his other works.

u read Neal Stephenson?

Tim F said...

Definitely, TS. It's short short stories - great for reading when your stranded in an airport for a week. Haven't read Stephenson. Should I?

Unknown said...

well, he used to be in the ranks of Coupland/Bruce Sterling/William Gibson style, particularly when he did Cryptonomicon (this one is a must read, but also 1000+ thick)

Then he did Quicksilver - which is a massive book (a trilogy of 3 books, 1000+ pages each).

I found it to be one of the best books i've ever read - it's historical fiction, starring Isaac Newton, Leibnitz, and whole hosts of then pillars of european science. The 3000+ total pages however, isn't for everyone :D

I just got his latest and haven't start on it yet.