Microserfs Review

Microserfs by Douglas Coupland
reviewed by hemos

Acknowledged as one of the best young writers, Douglas Coupland earns his accolades in his fantastic book, Microserfs. Originally published as an except in Wired the original was so well written, and so believable that many people thought the story was a true one. And, in a sense, it is. As Alan Moore once wrote: "All stories are true." That is true for Coupland's works in particular. Part real-life, part creation, the stories are blended together in such a way that you believe it to be true--that it almost has to be true.

The story moves from working at Microsoft in Redmond to the excruciating agonies of making a startup company are all feelings that all resonant true. The beauty of Coupland's writings are that he makes people that we understand, and that we identify with In Microserfs whether it be the oddly obsessive nature of Bug, the human credentials of Daniel (the main character) or the genius of Michael, you can find people that you feel are you. That is rare--but Coupland has shown an amazing ability to understand people. He is the man who popularized the phrase Generation X in one of his earlier novels, although its meaning has shifted. Like the term or not, Coupland displays an unparalleled ability in making things not only clear intellectually, but making it feel like you are part of it.

That is probably what I loved most about Microserfs; the feeling of belonging. When the story is finished you understand, and want more. Reading some of the comments about the book at Amazon, I think the comment "The book IS me" is the most telling of them all. You want to be there, be part of it, and Coupland can make you feel that you are. Check out Microserfs for sale at Amazon.com.