Hey Nostradamus!

Hey Nostradamus by Douglas Coupland
Literature

Coupland has written a book about a high school shooting. The difference is it is told in four voices; Cheryl, Jason, Heather and Reg. Cheryl is the last person shot and the secret bride of Jason. Jason stops the killings by killing one of the murderers. Jason's father, Reg calls his own son a murderer which leads the police to suspect Jason as the mastermind of the shooting.

It is interesting how each of these people have been affected and even 10 years into the future are still affected deeply. Jason's family dysfunction is explored. His mother is an alcoholic, his father a religious zealot and his brother perfect.

Jason is damaged beyond repair and his trust in other people is non-existent. This damage affects his current girlfriend Heather's life and that of his father, Reg.

I have read other Coupland books and not particularly enjoyed them. I very much enjoyed this one. It was simply written but very effective.

First Line: "I believe that what separates humanity from everything else in this world - spaghetti, binder paper, deep-sea creatures, edelweiss and Mount McKinley - is that humanity alone has the capacity at any given moment to commit all possible sins."

Rating:

(4.5/5)