May 5, 2009

Book 19: Life After God

Life After God
Douglas Coupland

This book varies a bit from Coupland's other books, or at least the ones I have read so far, first in that it's a collection of short stories rather than a novel and second because its focus is less on capturing the fundamental qualities of a generation and more on exploring the philosophical trends of modern thought. The collection itself feels like a connected and coherent exploration of the state of moral thought in individuals who do not place their faith in religion or a higher order, and while each of the stories stands on its own they make much more sense when placed among the others. The opening story, "Little Creatures," sets the tone of the collection, seeming at first a simple story but subtly morphing into something much more profound. Coupland creates individual characters and situations but gives them universal implications, creating his desired effect of tracking issues of life and death and the replacement faith that comes in the wake of religion.

From start to finish, his stories begin with a common ambition and largely deliver, each focusing on a different niche of belief and the ephemeral things often defined by faith. Each story is narrated by a different first person narrator, giving them an easy familiarity and, often, a confessional quality. Though none of the stories are too heavy on plot, occasionally making them too philosophically heavy-handed, the characters and their situations are always interesting and just normal enough to allow the reader to empathize and get to the philosophical heart of the narrative. Life After God is a strange reading experience, with the quick-moving prose striking deep and packing a punch in pretty much every word, easily read in just a couple of sittings but philosophically overbearing at times. The book asks you to read it quickly but requires some meditation to achieve its desired effects. When afforded some room and thought, the stories become deeply moving and the collection feels inherently sad. Even when its final story ends on a ray of hope, there is a hint of sadness lingering from stories such as "Little Creatures" and especially "The Wrong Sun," which collects several nuclear memories and relives the final moments of several characters caught in a nuclear holocaust. It's terrifying and the book's most unique and standalone story; strange that the odd one out and perhaps the least overtly philosophical story is the one that remains after Life After God. Overall, the book is a moving exploration on various themes of faith and philosophy, one that deserves a lot of meditation and careful thought. Coupland has his fingers firmly on the pulse of modern thought and brings them to life through many different first-person lenses, creating a moving and thought-provoking collection of desolation and, strangely, hope.

Grade: A-

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