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Gum Thief
Gum Thief | Douglas Coupland
10 posts | 22 read | 10 to read
The first and only story of love and looming apocalypse set in the aisles of an office supply superstore. In Douglas Coupland's ingenious new novel sort of a "Clerks" meets "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" we meet Roger, a divorced, middle-aged "aisles associate" at Staples, condemned to restocking reams of 20-lb. bond paper for the rest of his life. And Roger's co-worker Bethany, in her early twenties and at the end of her Goth phase, who is looking at fifty more years of sorting the red pens from the blue in aisle 6.One day, Bethany discovers Roger's notebook in the staff room. When she opens it up, she discovers that this old guy she's never considered as quite human is writing mock diary entries pretending to be her: and, spookily, he is getting her right.These two retail workers then strike up an extraordinary epistolary relationship. Watch as their lives unfold alongside Roger's work-in-progress, the oddly titled "Glove Pond," a Cheever-era novella gone horribly, horribly wrong. Through a complex layering of narratives, "The Gum Thief" reveals the comedy, loneliness, and strange comforts of contemporary life.Coupland electrifies us on every page of this witty, wise, and unforgettable novel. Love, death and eternal friendship can all transpire where we least expect them and even after tragedy seems to have wiped your human slate clean, stories can slowly rebuild you."
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Christyco125
The Gum Thief: A Novel | Douglas Coupland
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A few years ago it dawned on me that everybody past a certain age — regardless of how they look on the outside — pretty much constantly dreams of being able to escape their lives.

#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

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Christyco125
The Gum Thief: A Novel | Douglas Coupland
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🌸 Just started but here goes.
🇨🇦🖊🙍‍♂️🙎‍♀️📓💭💥🚗

🪷 Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - I enjoyed the character and would love to see how much more she grew after

🪺 Pick on Litsy and 4.5 🌟on GR/StoryGraph

#WondrousWednesday

Eggs Thanks for playing and sharing! 3y
31 likes1 comment
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CuriousG
The Gum Thief: A Novel | Douglas Coupland
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I'm posting one book per day from the ever growing unread stacks in my personal library. No description or explanation, just books I own and plan to read. #tbr

Day 37

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anored
The Gum Thief: A Novel | Douglas Coupland
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Reading for Book Club. Setting is an office supply store (Staples.) Roger is a middle-aged guy and Bethany is twenty-something. Roger leaves his diary in the break room, and Bethany reads it to find out that he is writing about her, so she writes him back. Interesting and quirky so far.

3 likes1 stack add
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Jinjer
The Gum Thief: A Novel | Douglas Coupland
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This book was really cleverly written with a story within a story within a story, but I don't think I was in the mood for it. I ended up skimming my way to the end.

BarbaraBB I do that with all Douglas Coupland... 7y
Jinjer @BarbaraBB Do you? Wonder what it is with him. 7y
24 likes2 comments
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Jinjer
The Gum Thief: A Novel | Douglas Coupland
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"Wouldn't it be great if stars turned black during the day--the sky covered with dots like pepper?" So Far this book is really good. Summery snack is peaches, honey & vanilla yogurt.

Mimi28 Great quote and- yummy 😋!! 7y
Zelma That looks is fresh and amazing. I am really regretting the overdose of cheese I just ate, especially after seeing your peaches! 😆 7y
Jinjer @Mimi28 So tasty! 7y
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Jinjer @Zelma Mmm cheese! 7y
Heidi2 Your snack is waaay healthier than mine at the movies earlier... 😉 7y
Jinjer @Heidi2 Mmm I need that movie snack! 7y
31 likes6 comments
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Jinjer
The Gum Thief: A Novel | Douglas Coupland
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Seriously LAPL? I suggested you purchase this book? Me???🤔The description doesn't sound like my kind of book. But, since you sent a second email saying it's ready to download, I did.

monkeygirlsmama 😆Happy Reading! 📖 7y
Laura317 And you have to wait for a book you recommended? #notfair 7y
Jinjer @Laura317 no they sent me an email the same day saying the book was available to download. 7y
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Laura317 Well that's good! Glad you got it straightaway! 7y
Heidi2 Guess they mixed something up then, if you don't remember even recommending it?!? Wonder who DID recommend it instead and is now forever waiting for their confirmation email 😃. But who knows, maybe the book is surprisingly good .. 😉 7y
Jinjer @Heidi2 I totally believe that I suggested they buy it I just don't remember what made me look for it to begin with.😂So far it is good.👍🏻 7y
Jinjer @Laura317 @Heidi2 @monkeygirlsmama I figured out where I learned about this book and why I requested the library get it. It's the one that @LectricSheep said was so dark and bitter she had to stare at her Pusheen pencil case to recalibrate!😂😂😂 (edited) 7y
Laura317 @Jinjer 😂😂 that IS dark! 7y
23 likes8 comments
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LectricSheep
The Gum Thief: A Novel | Douglas Coupland
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I track my reading on my own spreadsheets (yes, plural 😐), but today I got the email saying I was behind on my reading challenge numbers. So I spite-typed all my books in for the past 2 months. And then this started happening. Goodreads nooooooo. #whyilovelitsy

WhatDeeReads I don't get those. Maybe you can adjust your notification settings. 8y
Notafraidofwords It's really annoying. 8y
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LeahBergen And that email comes in IMMEDIATELY after you update on Goodreads. 🙄 8y
OrangeMooseReads Those emails are annoying. I know what I just finished reading. Ugh! 8y
melrailey I don't like that email either! 8y
tricours It's a new thing though? I've never opened them, but I guess it's a try to push similar books or something like that... 8y
LectricSheep @tricours I didn't open them either! ?I have absolutely no idea what they're going for. It might be a cool idea if they sent these emails out like...after a varied amount of time: "this time last month, you'd just finished [title]" and then a quotation from the book that you underlined or one that's popular? 8y
elkeOriginal Someone mentioned these are new in the settings so check there to turn off! I don't think anyone likes this. Super annoying & what is their point? 8y
MicheleinPhilly You can turn them off in your settings. There's also an "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the email. 8y
LectricSheep @MicheleinPhilly @elkeo oh yes please. Thanks guys. 👍🏻 8y
BookFreakOut Those are super annoying! And then they're like "write a review!" And I want to say "I would if you would just give me 5 minutes!" 8y
MicheleinPhilly Anytime. I got one and started investigating mighty quick. 😒 8y
LectricSheep @BookFreakOut ?You're better than me. I'm like "nope, I'm just here for the end-of-year stats. Leave me alone until December." 8y
elkeOriginal I do love that you 'spite typed'. Take THAT! 8y
LectricSheep @elkeo we've all done it! 😅 8y
Sarahreadstoomuch Really hating Goodreads latest ploy to send emails to those of us who opted out of all emails. 8y
moranadatter I swear I had my email settings on Goodreads set to never send me email and I started getting those. 8y
Zelma @LectricSheep 😂 that is how I feel too. I immediately unsubscribe don't when I got that email. No thanks! 8y
Jinjer Spite typing!!!! I can imagine the "so there!!!" key punching!? 8y
74 likes20 comments
review
LectricSheep
The Gum Thief: A Novel | Douglas Coupland
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Pickpick

I heard about this Canadian epistolary novel on Get Booked! Fair warning: it's DARK. Dark and bitter. (I had to spend a few minutes staring at my Pusheen pencil case to recalibrate.) I love a risky novel, which this one definitely is. I'm not sure all its risks succeed, but I found at least one of them-- the bitingly funny novel-within-a-novel-- an excellent lens into the main characters. Definitely recommend-- if you don't mind a sharp tongue.

rubyslippersreads Pusheen makes everything better. 😺 8y
LectricSheep @rubyslippersreads Pusheen always makes me smile. When they started selling Pusheen-themed stuff at Barnes and Noble I knew it was over for me. 😍 8y
vivastory I've been wanting to read some Copland. This sounds perfect. 8y
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vivastory Er, Coupland (blasted auto-correct)* 8y
HeatherBookNerd I really enjoyed this book. Don't run into many people who know it. 8y
LectricSheep @vivastory I'd been calling him Copeland in my mind (and my Books Read spreadsheet) right up until I posted this. 🙄Wish I could blame autocorrect...but that one was all me. 8y
LeeRHarry Generation X is one of my favourite books of all time - must get to this one 😊 8y
Jinjer Staring at your pusheen pencil case!!!😂😂😂 8y
67 likes5 stack adds8 comments