Coupland's funny, spot-on portrait of the death of the yuppie. Tyler Johnson is an apocalyptic entrepreneur in the making. His memories begin with Ronald Reagan. With his neat girlfriend, smart jokes and shampoo collection, he works at the nuclear power plant where his hippie parents used to demonstrate, plotting his fortune. But fortune has other plans - the return of a Paris summer fling, one of the 'low-ambition Euro-teens', who takes Tyler on the road to the shimmering dreams of L.A.
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About the Author
Douglas Coupland was born on a Canadian NATO base in Beden-Sollingen, (West) Germany on December 30, 1961. He is the author of bestselling fiction, including GENERATION X, LIFE AFTER GOD, POLAROIDS FROM THE DEAD, MICROSERFS, GIRLFRIEND IN A COMA and ALL FAMILIES ARE PSYCHOTIC.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read Coupland's other books before this one and approached this one almost expecting to be disappointed. I wasn't. It's obviously not his best but here Coupland has created a deliciously simple story centering around the tales protaganist, Tyler, and his not overly turbulent transition from unaffected youth to relatively unaffected early adulthood. In this one you will find typically cool Coupland dialogue, but it is more naive and, dare I say, even more zeitgeisy than gen x. The characters are younger and the novel serves to illustrate the differences in 60's peace and love and the 80's consumer mentality. His novels are never pessimistic, and the characters are far from the empty, disaffected, mixed up drones of say Easton Ellis. There is chaos, there is confusion but at the last page you are left with nothing but unbridled hope and the sweet taste of optimism.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By B. Remy
Format:Paperback
I'm a big Douglas Coupland fan, this being his 8th book that I've read.
For some reason this one left me a bit cold. It's still witty, very well observed and wry, but all the others have managed to hook me in emotionally some how. This one didn't. The character of Stephanie seemed very forced and I never really believed in her 100%. Maybe he was trying too hard after the phenomenon that was Generation X?
It's not awful though. If you're a Coupland fan and like me will read all his work whatever the reviews then you're probably going to be slightly disappointed. If you're thinking of 'getting into him' I'd start with Gen X, Girlfriend in a Coma, Microserfs or Hey Nostradamus - all of which blew me away for different reasons.
For some reason this one left me a bit cold. It's still witty, very well observed and wry, but all the others have managed to hook me in emotionally some how. This one didn't. The character of Stephanie seemed very forced and I never really believed in her 100%. Maybe he was trying too hard after the phenomenon that was Generation X?
It's not awful though. If you're a Coupland fan and like me will read all his work whatever the reviews then you're probably going to be slightly disappointed. If you're thinking of 'getting into him' I'd start with Gen X, Girlfriend in a Coma, Microserfs or Hey Nostradamus - all of which blew me away for different reasons.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Shampoo planet is probably Couplands least famous novel. A fact that still remains a mystery. Sure it lacks some of those dialogs that made his Generation X into a 90's version of the Catcher in the Rye, but its still way better than Girlfirend in a Coma. Shampoo Planet is more naive but at the same time more realistic than Couplands other novels. The fact that Tyler has not yet past his twenties makes the book more positive in that Adrian-Mole-Kind-of-Way. Beneath all the cyncsim lies a fairly undamaged soul. But Shampoo Planet manages to combine this naivity with modern day irony towards the consumption society and Hollywood envy. The Schampoo Planet is to Coupland what Strangeways Here We Come was to the Smiths. An underrated follow -up to his greatest masterpiece.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
'..holding a dollar bill up to my nose to see what it smells like'
Generation X was a slow read and a cinematic one. You wallowed in it. It packed a punch as history and metaphor. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Simon G. Barrett
3.0 out of 5 stars
This Is Planet Earth
Generation X has long passed and we seem to have gone through to about Generation CC by now, even MTV no longer plays music videos. Read more
Published 23 months ago by Sam
2.0 out of 5 stars
Nothing special
I read this as Genration Y expecting an anthesis of Generation X where one of the cool new generation people vs the forsaken people in Generation X. Read more
Published on 5 Jun 2010 by Paul M
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wash, rinse, repeat, dry.
I just finished reading this book, and what I can say is that it has a definite feel of a journey about it- one feels like they have travelled with the character, perhaps not... Read more
Published on 20 May 2009 by Mr. Ryan J. Fitch
1.0 out of 5 stars
Shampoo Planet
I'm afraid I didn't enjoy this book at all - I couldn't believe in any of the characters (and therefore didn't care what happened to them). Read more
Published on 25 Feb 2008 by gerty guinea
2.0 out of 5 stars
No great shakes
The sort of magazine-ish writing that passes the time enjoyably on the train to work, but is really too slight to be taken seriously.
Published on 23 Jan 2008 by Nt Deregowski
5.0 out of 5 stars
Forgetting something behind you is not quite the same as throwing it...
Have you ever felt an adrenlin rush at the inevitable prospect of your (unrequited) love walking through the door? Read more
Published on 17 May 2007 by Deanne Dixon
3.0 out of 5 stars
Take it or leave it
While this was very readable, with some astute observations on the trade-marked consumer culture of a branded generation, it was pretty lightweight. Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2006 by Green Pixie
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wash it clean
Douglas Coupland made his biggest mark on literature with "Generation X," a witty satire on the jaded "Gen-Xers. Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2005 by E. A Solinas
3.0 out of 5 stars
Looks like Generation X, but it's not
When I saw the cover of this book I thought that I was in for a similar treat as with Generation X and Microserfs. It seems to sell it that way. Read more
Published on 27 April 2003 by "mcleangordon"
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