![\"jpod\"](\"https:\/\/maggipicayune.net\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/06\/jpod.jpg\" "\\"jpod\\"")
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Welcome to Ethan Jarlewski\u2019s life, the narrator and protaganist of\u00a0JPod<\/em>. Firstly, it has absolutely nothing to do with Apple\u2019s iPod. The J moniker is a nickname tagged on to a pod of cubicles all accidentally occupied by people whose last names begin with the letter J. There\u2019s Ethan, Kaitlin Anna Boyd Joyce, Brandon Mark Jackson, John Doe (his original name was \u2018crow well mountain juniper\u2019 because his mother, a militant lesbian, doesn\u2019t believe in capitalization), Brianna Jyang and Casper Jesperson (always referred to as Cowboy or Cancer Cowboy because he smokes). Coincidentally, they are also on the same code-writing team for a rather bland, generic skateboarding video game at a nameless software publisher in Vancouver *cough* EA-Canada! If the job weren\u2019t tedious and soul-crushing enough, enter a clueless executive named Steve. The powers that be constantly remind Ethan and his fellow JPodders about how Steve turned Toblerone around two years ago, as if overpriced candy has anything to do with making a successful, solid video game. Thanks to this past achievement, all of Steve\u2019s lame-ass ideas (which will ruin the game) must be implemented since he\u2019s the executive. Now the game has to include a stupid turtle which will widen its appeal for small children and dumb adults as it alienates the Tony Hawk fans.<\/p>\n Ethan\u2019s life outside of work isn’t any easier. Enter his family into the story. They’re a train wreck already happening. His mother (Carol) grows pot in the basement of her house and has odd men falling in love with her at inopportune times. His father (Jim) struggles as an extra in numerous runaway\/low-budget productions and obsesses over landing a speaking role. Ethan’s brother (Greg) sells real estate around Vancouver but gets entangled with shady Chinese gangsters, namely Kam Fong (he becomes part of the plot). The family\u2019s various crises constantly intrude on Ethan as he\u2019s trying to keep his sanity together with Steve\u2019s ineptitude ruining his current project.<\/p>\n I haven\u2019t read anything more recent of Coupland\u2019s since\u00a0All Families are Psychotic<\/em> but\u00a0JPod<\/em> shares all the action and absurdities of\u00a0Psychotic<\/em> and\u00a0Girlfriend in a Coma<\/em> while keeping all the jargon\/slang, personality quirks and attitudes of high-tech workers from\u00a0Microserfs<\/em>. How?<\/p>\n I think Coupland did an even better job capturing the mindset of high-tech workers by elaborating on their tastes, obsessions and constant distractions. Some may say the pages filled with random jibberish or Pi\u2019s first 100,000 digits are a waste of space. I disagree, they capture what\u2019s running through the narrator\u2019s mind very well, especially the distraction elements. I also like Coupland\u2019s grasp of the technical jargon. He uses it correctly, effectively and not excessively. (Maybe he can teach fact-impaired Michael Crichton.) Parts of the story can feel implausible, then again, it\u2019s fiction and reality isn\u2019t always interesting. One factor he has kept consistent throughout his books is nailing characterization, there\u2019s always characters you recognize in your own life he captures so well with words; Steve the executive is a common bugbear in my own life and he articulates some of the intangible moods of our era.<\/p>\n The next part isn\u2019t a spoiler because it\u2019s mentioned in practically every other\u00a0review<\/span><\/strong><\/a> out there. Coupland has inserted himself as a character in the story. Even during his book signing at Book People this Summer he admitted that it was a risky move. Kinky Friedman does it all the time and the recent illustrated works of Michael Moorcock & Walt Simonson have done it successfully. I could see the problem though. Many will accuse the author of indulging his ego and his nastier critics, namely, the jealous and bitter Jason Cohen and Michael Krugman, could pounce on it if this weren\u2019t well executed. Thankfully, Coupland the author made Coupland the character more of a villain or a source of irritation for the narrator after their meeting on the flight to China.<\/p>\n Overall,\u00a0JPod<\/em> is a great read and excellent piece of contemporary fiction, even if you\u2019re not familiar with Coupland\u2019s past work, the videogame industry, what does an eBay ad read like, who are all the obscure characters on\u00a0The Simpsons <\/em>or the geography of British Columbia. Personally, the author has improved his storytelling for me, especially on his endings which felt rather rushed, sudden and\/or anti-climatic. Coupland was already pretty skilled but after 15 years, he has only honed his ability \u00a0to document the mindsets of people around my age and socio-economic bracket.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Welcome to Ethan Jarlewski\u2019s life, the narrator and protaganist of\u00a0JPod. Firstly, it has absolutely nothing to do with Apple\u2019s iPod. The J moniker is a nickname tagged on to a pod of cubicles all accidentally occupied by people whose last … Continue reading \n