Rating: 
Summary: The ending is a little strange, but it's still worth reading
Review: What is striking about this novel is that everyone seems to be sleeping. Karen, of course, is in a coma for a good part of the novel, but her friends seemed to be sleepwalking through adulthood, with only a few instances of clarity, while she suffered through her coma. And of course, it is a sleeping sickness that takes the lives of everyone but Karen and her friends in the end-of-the-world scenario that leaves our heroes -- you guessed it -- sleepwalking through what is left behind. I enjoyed the novel, but I felt there had to be more to learn from it than what Jared left us with. Not that there isn't much to think about, I just think the ending is a little weak. Still, it's an enjoyable book, and Coupland is in fine form for all but the last 30 pages.
Rating: 
Summary: A winner!
Review: I've read every book by this author (Douglas Coupland), and I've noticed several themes which apply specifically to readers of my generation (I'm 27 right now), but would apply more generally to anyone. This book follows the lives of a group of friends who are friends in high school and then stay in the same neighborhood, more or less, throughout their lives. This is something that Coupland has included in most of his books, and it's a theme that's endearing to me as I watch the departures and familial relationships among my own friends and family. Without saying too much about the plot, I'll say that if you've read other books by Coupland, you'll PROBABLY love this book. The style is very similar to his other works, very introspective, very self-aware without becoming as self-obsessed as say, Dave Eggers. The story takes place in Vancouver (which is a bonus in my book, since I've always wanted to live there), and covers a span of about 16 years. Other reviewers have said that Coupland goes "too far" in this book, in that he departs from his usual topics by going in a sci-fi/fantasy direction. When he does, this book goes from being one of a dozen "normal" books written in the 1990s to being a gem. Maybe I'm the screwed up one, but two thirds of the way through the book, when things start getting freaky, this book became a page-turner. Couldn't put it down. And it was in a way that seemed completely natural, completely realistic, and the course these characters would take. By the end of the novel, it had given me cause to reflect upon my own life, and the lives of my friends, and the things we take for granted, the goals we assume we have in life, and the goals we should have. Change Your Life. Any book that gives me an impetus to think about my own actions (not just observe the characters' actions) is a winner in my uh, book. You should check this book out at the library first, but I went ahead and bought it. Hardbound even. You should also check out "Generation X" and "MicroSerfs" by the same author....if you're between the ages of 25 and 35, it'll be like watching Your Life in print. Also recommended: THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez
Rating: 
Summary: So disappointing after Generation X
Review: I guess I went into this one wanting a continuation of Gen X or at least something as exciting, edgy and bitingly cynical. But alas, I couldn't even get through half of Girlfriend in a Coma. It was depressing and the plot seemed watered down to me. But PLEASE read Generation X!
Rating:
Summary: Inspirational
Review: Girlfriend in a coma is a fantastic novel. It is inspirational, and empowering. This is Coupland's best work, in my opinion far superior to Generation X. Coupland shows us the apocalyptic possibilities for our world, and also possibilities for love and change and growth.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay ...
Review: While reading it, this wasn't so bad. As another reviewer says, the characters were beleivable for thirty-something slackers, it was decently written, and while the story is fantastic and somewhat pointless, it almost pulls itself together in the end. They entire viewpoint is from a group of high school firends who sink into slackerdom without ever growing up -- until the ghost of a friend who died tries to mend their ways. I have not read other Coupland so I guess if you are a fan go ahead and read it. But I got nothing out of it -- neither the characters, nor the story, nor any deeper meaning, make it a memorable read. For something much better, read "Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas," (Robbins) "Norwegian Wood" (Murakami) "Stanley Park" (Timothy Taylor) or "Monkey Beach" (Robinson).
Rating:
Summary: Haunting if choppy
Review: "Girlfriend in a Coma" is one of those titles that just sucks you in, and on the advice of a pal, I started reading the works of Douglas Coupland with this book. It's a good novel, with a weirdly haunting and poignant storyline. Actually, two of them. But even with a bit of choppiness in the story, it's a very moving, interesting book. In the waning days of the 1970s, seventeen-year-old Karen falls into a coma during a party with her pals and her boyfriend, Richard. After making love with Richard on a mountaintop, she had confessed to having dreams of a frightening future about her friends and home; now, she lapses into a mysterious sleep that lasts another seventeen years. Nine months afterwards, she gives birth to a daughter, Megan, who is cared for by her parents. Richard, still in love with her, remains near Karen and Megan, who grows up unhappy and insecure because of her depressed father and comatose mother. Her friends graduate and drift away from the place where they grew up, only to be drawn back for different reasons. And one night, when they have all come to the hospital -- Karen wakes up. As she struggles to accustom herself to the more advanced, bleaker world and the changes around her, she reveals on a talk show that the world is ending. And her words come true when the population of the world begins to fall into a sleep of death.. The most hard-hitting part of the book is, oddly, not the commentary on our increasingly soulless world or the end-of-the-world twists. It's the people in it, especially Richard, whose life increasingly revolves around Karen (he rarely, if ever, says that he loves her, but it's obvious he does) and Megan, whose unhappy feelings that she is Death result in a goth getup and a druggie biker boyfriend. Other people drift in and out (including the ghost of Jared, a classmate who gets to be the bemused observer), and their lives are in stark, sometimes chilling contrast to Richard's. (Especially junkies Hamilton and Pam) There are some problems. The first half of the book is basically about Karen's coma and how it affects the people around her; the second half is the surreal, semi-supernatural apocalypse. It seems a little like two novellas crammed into the same book, because there aren't enough threads to tie the two halves together -- you just suddenly slam headlong into the end-of-the-world plot. And Coupland's vision of the apocalypse seems a little localized, but he more than makes up for this at the climax of the book, which is doubt the most beautiful part of the book. Sad and happy, haunting and liberating -- pure poetry. If nothing else, the book should be read because of that. Coupland's writing shifts around from one part of the book to another. Sometimes it's fairly stark and matter-of-fact, but during the more introspective, symbolic, or just dreamy scenes he really lets rip with the prose. (And don't worry, the narration from a ghost is not particularly gimmicky -- Jared really does have a part to play) "Girlfriend in a Coma" is in some ways not an easy book to read. But it raises some intriguing what-ifs and features some truly beautiful scenes and memorable characters. Definitely recommended.
Rating:
Summary: What did I get myself into?
Review: My sister purchased this book when it first came out, and after she read it once it sat on the bookshelf for years. It was not until I went home during the Christmas holiday that I decided to grab the book and see what it was all about. The title alone lead me to believe that was a sappy, Oprah meets Nicholas Sparks novel that would attempt to tug at my heart strings.
What I soon discovered was this book was not what I expected. It was better. I have such trouble decribing all that is in this book, and feel that i would short change the reader by divulging any plot twists, turns, or even a synapsis. This is the type of book where the less you know about it the better. I can honestly say that I wish I could read it again for the very first time. Enjoy
Rating:
Summary: What Happened?
Review: This book was not the most wonderful book I have ever read. It did have a lot of detail and information and it does keep your attention but I didn't like a lot of the things that happened in it. The way that some of the problems were handled were not handled very good at all. One main problem that I didn't like was When Karen had the baby, her mom took over and wouldn't let anyone know it was acually Richard's baby. I definatly wouldn't allow that. In the begining, Richard and Karen make love for the first time. That night Karen takes some dieting pills and drinks with them. She becomes very ill and slips into a coma. She gives Richard a note that says she seen the future and will now be punished. A few months later, the nurses say that she is pregnant. When the baby arrives she stays with Karens mother and know one is allowed to tell anyone the baby is Richards. About 5 years later, Karen wakes up. She is 5 years older fisically but not mentally. When she finally remembers why she was in the coma and why, she wants to go back. Does she go back? you will have to read and find out.
Rating:
Summary: Wake up and smell the coffee world because....
Review: ...our generation is more important than most people realize yet. This book blew me away. The details are different but the story might as well be about what has happened in my life lately. I also was at the end of the world and now I am back - the same but different. For those who are still stuck in the small shallow meanness of today's "normal" society...laugh now...but you will one day soon be faced with the same choice - what will you decide? Thank You Douglas Coupland for writing this book...it confirms that I am not alone in my transformation.
Rating:
Summary: Don't wanna end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard.
Review: "Most people, given a second chance, f--- it up completely. It's one of those laws of the universe that you can't shake. People, I have noticed, only seem to learn once they get their third chance - after losing and wasting vast sums of time, money, youth, and energy - you name it. But still they learn, which is the better thing in the end." This quotation, from the first chapter of "Girlfriend in a Coma" by Douglas Coupland, neatly sums up a meta-theme in his writing. His stories are about people who are given a shot at redemption and waste it, but are forced to keep going. "Girlfriend in a Coma" has just enough of the wildly fantastical to keep you reading, but the ending is pat, suggesting an even bigger redemption (the "third chance" mentioned above) that is then left completely unexplored. Still and all, an intriguing story that leaves you thinking. And humming Smiths tunes.
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