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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
like all of coupland books, i loved it! it was fun to compare his character;s relationship to computers and take on the tech world of the mid-90's to where we are today. Coupland's examination of human-computer relationships and existentialism in a technological age were beautiful, clever, and funny.
This was fun to read while organizing a Silicon Valley study tour for students at my work. Gave me a bit of a personal connection to what they were experiencing.
This was fun to read while organizing a Silicon Valley study tour for students at my work. Gave me a bit of a personal connection to what they were experiencing.
Well, 1995 me was a huuuge fan of this book and found it very moving and wise.
2014 me, on the other hand, finds it slightly embarrassing but still charming.
2014 me, on the other hand, finds it slightly embarrassing but still charming.
The basis of the book was rather interesting and being a geek working in the Silicon Valley area, I especially felt I might be able to relate at least some to the content. Unfortunately, the book ended up being extremely fluffy and had various inconsistencies throughout, including character details and language issues that are usually taken care of by a proofreader *before* a book is published.
The book also flowed along at a decent pace for the first three-fourths of it, but then included a sudden 8-month jump in the storyline that left me hanging. After this jump in the timeline, various details were introduced without any back-up or reason for their inclusion. It seemed as if the author got to this point and then decided he was writing too much, so as a quick solution to end the book within the next 20 pages, he threw in the time jump.
Overall, if you want a fluffy book about geek life and that you can finish quickly, this is the book for you. Just don't expect any quality writing if you pick it up.
The book also flowed along at a decent pace for the first three-fourths of it, but then included a sudden 8-month jump in the storyline that left me hanging. After this jump in the timeline, various details were introduced without any back-up or reason for their inclusion. It seemed as if the author got to this point and then decided he was writing too much, so as a quick solution to end the book within the next 20 pages, he threw in the time jump.
Overall, if you want a fluffy book about geek life and that you can finish quickly, this is the book for you. Just don't expect any quality writing if you pick it up.
Microserfs was my first introduction to Douglas Coupland and in the following years has become a staple of my personal library. It is one of the few books that I read on an annual basis and even though by this point I could likely recite the story in it's entirety I am always struck with the simplistic beauty of the characters and the world they inhabit. At its most base form Microserfs is nothing more than a love story about a man named Daniel who (initially) works at Microsoft. Yes it contains tech speak about computer software and programming, but that never gets in the way of story, in fact it adds to it making the characters seem that much more real. Often when reading Microserfs I catch myself forgetting it is a work of fiction and not a memoir, Coupland has created that realistic of a world.
As mentioned above, at its root Microserfs is a love story, it details the life of Daniel--the books narrator. Coupland structured the book so that it would resemble a series of electronic diary entries so at times it can come off as very stream of conscious. Also it's worth noting that this novel was written before the invention of the blog (which came some 10 years later). This stylistic choice really shines when Daniel tries to create a subconscious for his computer, and as a reader you are presented with pages of words with no context. Initially these entries start out as just buzzwords and tech speak, but by the end of the novel they truly evolve into beautiful prose that stand on their own (some of which were taken from Microserfs and used in later novels).
It is the evolution of the characters that exist within Daniel's world that make Microserfs an emotionally moving book. Of the roughly 14 characters you have 12 who are all around the same age and experiencing that first major identity crisis of adulthood together against a backdrop of the Silicon Valley and tech boom of the 90's. Ideas of individuality (which pervade much of Coupland's early novels) and what it means to be 1.0 and and create something truly new and unique, that they can call their own, set the tone. Ultimately Microserfs succeeds not because it is an interesting look at a unique point in recent American history, but rather because Coupland creating living, breathing characters that the reader can identify with, care for and root for.
As mentioned above, at its root Microserfs is a love story, it details the life of Daniel--the books narrator. Coupland structured the book so that it would resemble a series of electronic diary entries so at times it can come off as very stream of conscious. Also it's worth noting that this novel was written before the invention of the blog (which came some 10 years later). This stylistic choice really shines when Daniel tries to create a subconscious for his computer, and as a reader you are presented with pages of words with no context. Initially these entries start out as just buzzwords and tech speak, but by the end of the novel they truly evolve into beautiful prose that stand on their own (some of which were taken from Microserfs and used in later novels).
It is the evolution of the characters that exist within Daniel's world that make Microserfs an emotionally moving book. Of the roughly 14 characters you have 12 who are all around the same age and experiencing that first major identity crisis of adulthood together against a backdrop of the Silicon Valley and tech boom of the 90's. Ideas of individuality (which pervade much of Coupland's early novels) and what it means to be 1.0 and and create something truly new and unique, that they can call their own, set the tone. Ultimately Microserfs succeeds not because it is an interesting look at a unique point in recent American history, but rather because Coupland creating living, breathing characters that the reader can identify with, care for and root for.
I hated it. The characters were two dimensional flat representations of what people who work in the technology field are. There were so many references to "geek" culture everyone seemed to be a cartoon version of a supposed real person. The whole thing felt like a gimmick.
I picked this up again after 15+ years for the sake of a bit of comfort reading. It has its charms, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I was expecting. The pop philosophy comes across as contrived and naïve, and I didn't really fall in love with the characters this time round. That said, it captures the early-90s tech zeitgeist pretty well, and is a fun novel for programmers, with a few interesting ideas.
AMC’s “Halt and Catch Fire” is one of my all-time favorite shows. When it recently ended (and stuck the landing, might I add) I was craving something very niche – a humane look at the tech world in the 1990s, and the people in that world.
Thank goodness for the Net, because the Halt and Catch Fire’s subreddit developed a recommended reading list. That’s how I found writer/artist Douglas Coupland’s microserfs. It’s a novel about some low level Microsoft employees (microserfs) who decide to strike out on their own in California.
While it’s a novel, it feels more like non-fiction. While reading it I often wondered whether it was semiautobiographical. I know Coupland is a prolific writer and artist, but I’m not sure how much of this book is from his own life. If it’s not, I’m even more impressed because the world he creates is very lived in. His characters’ tech musings were prescient, to say the least. The book was published in 1995 and it brings up many social issues we face today.
Told as a long series of journal entries on a PowerBook, the book covers several years as Dan the protagonist and his motley band of nerdy friends grow from something tech worker units into real people. For various reasons, they want more out of life than serving as drones working long hours at a stable giant organization. When one of their friend group starts his own company in California, they go with him. Along the way they explore life outside of the screen, philosophy, relationships, bodies, Vegas, and more. In one sense, it’s kind of like a stilted coming of age story. However, Coupland’s writing elevates the book into more than that. There are times when simple little sweet scenes really provide a gut punch of what living feels like, and those reminded me so much of Halt and Catch Fire that I’ll hold on to my copy of this book for an occasional re-read.
Thank goodness for the Net, because the Halt and Catch Fire’s subreddit developed a recommended reading list. That’s how I found writer/artist Douglas Coupland’s microserfs. It’s a novel about some low level Microsoft employees (microserfs) who decide to strike out on their own in California.
While it’s a novel, it feels more like non-fiction. While reading it I often wondered whether it was semiautobiographical. I know Coupland is a prolific writer and artist, but I’m not sure how much of this book is from his own life. If it’s not, I’m even more impressed because the world he creates is very lived in. His characters’ tech musings were prescient, to say the least. The book was published in 1995 and it brings up many social issues we face today.
Told as a long series of journal entries on a PowerBook, the book covers several years as Dan the protagonist and his motley band of nerdy friends grow from something tech worker units into real people. For various reasons, they want more out of life than serving as drones working long hours at a stable giant organization. When one of their friend group starts his own company in California, they go with him. Along the way they explore life outside of the screen, philosophy, relationships, bodies, Vegas, and more. In one sense, it’s kind of like a stilted coming of age story. However, Coupland’s writing elevates the book into more than that. There are times when simple little sweet scenes really provide a gut punch of what living feels like, and those reminded me so much of Halt and Catch Fire that I’ll hold on to my copy of this book for an occasional re-read.
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes