# Hey, Nostradamus! by Douglas Coupland



## strangedaze (Jun 4, 2005)

Written by the Canadian author who coined such terms as 'McJob' and (if I'm not mistaken) 'generation X', _Hey, Nostradamus!_ likes to think that it's about a Columbine-like high school shooting in Vancouver, but really, it's so much more. 

In fact, aside from the first section, the shooting was hardly referenced. (This section is written from the perspective of Cheryl, the final victim of a dozen or so kids massacred who communicates from somewhere beyond the empirical world; this part kind of bugged me, because it's so, I don't know, sketchy having a post-humous narrative, but DC did a well enough job with it). So then what the hell is the book about, if not military like shootings?

I'll tell you...

The search for God. The dangers of religious fundamentalism. The overwhelming presence of evil in this world. Sadness. Family. Making amends.

Written from four different perspectives, the novel concludes with the confessions of Reg, would-be religious zealot and father to Jason, a son he rode hard who was at the high school during the shootings. Sometimes funny, definately thought provoking, but did it come together?

Yes, definately. Part one seemed a bit fluffy, but looking back, it makes sense. Once the ball got rolling in the middle of the second section, the one 'authored' by Jason, it didn't stop.

The verdict?

  :4stars: and half.



"God is nowhere. God is now here."


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## kintaris (Jun 5, 2005)

i nearly bought this book the other day, and now i've read this i think i'll go back and buy it

Cheers!

kintaris


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## waylander (Jun 5, 2005)

For some reason, I really preferred 'Girlfriend in a Coma'.
Perhaps because I used to like The Smiths so much ?
Anyway, I also think that Chuck Palahniuk writes more 
interesting things about the themes you have mentionned than 
Coupland does. Check 'Survivor' and 'Choke'...
Coupland has not got the sense of (dark) humour Palahniuk has.
Just my two cents


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## EmuJenkins (Jun 7, 2005)

Douglas Coupland is a genius. Hey Nostradamus was my favourite book for sometime, but has been replaced by Life After God, dubbed my bible. I think Chuck Palanhiuk doesn't come close to the genius of Coupland. Everything Coupland says is dead on and so real. Palanhiuk is too... exaggerated... too unlikely... too atheatic (is that a word). I am an atheist, but Coupland supplies some spirituality that almost makes me believe in G-d. I think I would if Coupland did too...


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## strangedaze (Jun 7, 2005)

Didn't Haunted top the best sellers list but bomb in the review department? DC's good, but I can't judge who's superior until I read some Chuck. Hubert Selby comes first, though.


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## Saponification (Jun 8, 2005)

Palahniuk's falling away. It's a shame. _Invisible Monsters_ and _Fight Club_ are amazing works, but his later stuff is just... dropping. I really hope that he can return to form.

But yeah, Coupland's _Nostradamus_. Amazing book. The start is very, very brutal.


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## gohn67 (Jun 8, 2005)

> Didn't Haunted top the best sellers list but bomb in the review department?


Yea, I must agree Haunted was not very good. Only a handful of the stories were any good.  And the main story while funny wasn't very interesting.


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## EmuJenkins (Jun 18, 2005)

Hubert Selby... what did he write stangedaze?


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## strangedaze (Jun 19, 2005)

Requiem for a Dream, The Room, Last Exit to Brooklyn, and others. Gritty stuff.


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