Hey Nostradamus!: A Novel
by Douglas Coupland
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Book Summary Information
Author: Douglas CouplandEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-07-02
ISBN: 1582344159
Number of pages: 244
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Book Reviews of Hey Nostradamus!: A Novel
Book Review: "GOD IS NOWHERE/GOD IS NOW HERE"
Summary: 5 Stars
"Hey Nostradamus! Did you predict that once we found the Promised Land we'd all start offing each other? And did you predict that once we found the Promised Land, it would be the final Promised Land, and there'd never be another one again?" (Coupland, 91)
Coupland's Hey Nostradamus! is a tale of loss and the infinite spirals of emotion that stem from inimitable and incomprehensible acts that serve as more than mere speed bumps on the road of life, and go on to tarnish vast quantities of people via a ripple effect. Furthermore, Coupland briefly and vaguely touches on religious themes and how religion plays a role in some people's lives. The novel is told in four parts.
The first part is told, in a Lovely-Bones-esque kind of way, by Cheryl Anway, the victim of a heinous school shooting. Cheryl glances in retrospect at the events leading up to her death, and informs of her covert marriage to Jason, her high school sweetheart, and her recently discovered pregnancy. Neither of which anyone but the two of them knew about.
Next we hear from Jason, the boyfriend who has yet to really put the past behind him and move on with his life. Jason, as would be expected, moves through life in an apathetic manner, and doesn't ever really allow himself to live, love, or forgive. Jason gives his account of the shootings, as well as what happened shortly thereafter, encompassing his own feelings and his family's disintegration.
Third we hear from Jason's eventual girlfriend, Heather, who comes along after the previous insert from Jason. She talks of her relationship with Jason, and of her own recent loss.
Finally, Reg, Jason's sanctimonious father whom everyone loves to hate yet can't help but feel sorry for, writes a heart-wrenching letter to Jason. In this letter he divulges his insecurity with his faith, and attempts to make amends for parental misgivings.
After reading this novel, you will find yourself chewing up various emotions and spitting them back out only to find a bitter-sweet reminiscence left in your mouth. Though that may sound at first like a bad thing, it only attests to Coupland's ability to really drive his points home and, in so doing, force his readers to experience a novel rather than simply read it. Hey Nostradamus! is a dissection of raw, brutal, human emotion, told in the intriguingly vivid and witty manner characteristic of Coupland's other works. I have loved everything I have read by him thus far, and will definitely continue to support his work. Very highly recommended.
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