The first and only story of love and looming apocalypse set in the aisles of an office supply superstore. In Douglas Coupland's ingenious new novel-sort of a Clerks-meets-Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf-we meet Roger, a divorced, middle-aged aisles associate at a Staples outlet, condemned to restocking reams of twenty-lb. bond paper for the rest of his life. And then there's Roger's co-worker Bethany, who's at the end of her Goth phase, and young enough to be looking at fifty more years of sorting the red pens from the blue ...
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The first and only story of love and looming apocalypse set in the aisles of an office supply superstore. In Douglas Coupland's ingenious new novel-sort of a Clerks-meets-Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf-we meet Roger, a divorced, middle-aged aisles associate at a Staples outlet, condemned to restocking reams of twenty-lb. bond paper for the rest of his life. And then there's Roger's co-worker Bethany, who's at the end of her Goth phase, and young enough to be looking at fifty more years of sorting the red pens from the blue in Aisle Six. One day, Bethany comes across Roger's notebook in the staff room. When she opens it up, she discovers that this old guy she's never considered as quite human is writing mock diary entries pretending to be her-and spookily, he is getting her right. She also learns he has a tragedy in his past-and suddenly he no longer seems like just a paper-stocking robot with a name tag. These two retail workers strike up a peculiar and touching epistolary relationship, their lives unfolding alongside Roger's work-in-progress, the oddly titled Glove Pond, a Cheever-era novella gone horribly, horribly wrong. Through a complex layering of narratives, The Gum Thief, highlights number-one bestselling author Douglas Coupland's eye for the comedy, loneliness and strange comforts of contemporary life. On every page of this witty, wise and unforgettable novel, Coupland reminds us that love, death and eternal friendship can all transpire where we least expect them. And that even after tragedy seems to have wiped your human slate clean, stories can slowly rebuild you. I'm the dead girl whose locker you spat on somewhere between recess and lunch. I'mnot really dead, but I dress like I want to be. There's something generic about girls like me: we hate the sun, we wear black, and we feel trapped inside our bodies like a nylon fur mascot at a football game. And FYI, I'm not in school any more, but the spitting thing was real: a little moment that sums up life. I work in a Staples. I'm in charge of restocking aisles 2-North and 2-South: Sheet Protectors, Indexes & Dividers, Note books, Post-It Products, Paper Pads, Specialty Papers and Social Stationery. Do I hate this job? Are you nuts? Of course I hate it. How could you not hate it? Everyone who works with me is either already damaged or else they're embryos waiting to be damaged, fresh out of school and slow as a 1999 modem. Just because you've been born and made it through high school doesn't mean society can't still abort you. Wake up. Let me try to say something positive here. For balance. Staples allows me to wear black lipstick to work. -Bethany --from The GumThief
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Add this copy of The Gum Thief to cart. $3.22, like new condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Random House Canada.
Add this copy of The Gum Thief to cart. $5.03, fair condition, Sold by EB-Books LLC rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Rockford, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Random House Canada.
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Fair. Item in acceptable condition including possible liquid damage. As well answers may be filled in. May be missing DVDs, CDs, Access code, etc. 100%Money-Back Guarantee! Ship within 24 hours! !
Add this copy of The Gum Thief to cart. $6.49, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Ruby rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Random House Canada.
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Add this copy of The Gum Thief to cart. $7.49, like new condition, Sold by The Book Scouts rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hamilton, ON, CANADA, published 2007 by Random House Canada.
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Fine in Near Fine jacket. Size: 9x6x1; We're happy to combine shipping to save you some money. We're also always buying collectible book collections. Contact us for details. We're happy to provide pictures of any and all books for you, please just ask! Canadian first edition, first printing. Contains number line 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10. Virtually no wear to jacket. Jacket is NOT price clipped. Covers are clean and bright. Edges are sharp. No tears or creases. The book itself is in Near Fine condition. The binding is straight and tight. NO remainder mark.
Add this copy of The Gum Thief to cart. $11.99, very good condition, Sold by A Good Read rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Toronto, ON, CANADA, published 2007 by Random House Canada.
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Near Fine in Fine dust jacket. 0307356280. A Good Read ships from Toronto and Niagara Falls, NY-customers outside of North America please allow two to three weeks for delivery. Bit of a slant to spine.; 1.1 x 8.71 x 5.8 Inches; 288 pages.
Add this copy of The Gum Thief to cart. $14.00, very good condition, Sold by Bison Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from winnipeg, MB, CANADA, published 2007 by Random House Canada.
Add this copy of The Gum Thief to cart. $17.99, very good condition, Sold by Russell Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Victoria, BC, CANADA, published 2007 by Random House Canada.
Add this copy of The Gum Thief to cart. $23.49, very good condition, Sold by artlessmissals rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2007 by Random House Canada.
Add this copy of The Gum Thief to cart. $43.00, like new condition, Sold by A Good Read rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Toronto, ON, CANADA, published 2007 by Random House.
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Fine in Fine dust jacket. 0307356280. A Good Read ships from Toronto and Niagara Falls, NY-customers outside of North America please allow two to three weeks for delivery. Flat-signed by author on title page.; 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall; Signed by Author.
In Douglas Coupland?s epistolary novel, 'The Gum Thief', the reader is reminded that friendships can transpire in the strangest of places between individuals that appear inexorably different on the outside. The main characters both work retail at Staples, Roger, a divorced middle aged man , and Bethany, a young girl at the end of her goth phase. Coupland makes the characters come to life through the complex narratives that exposes the characters mutual struggles to fit into popular culture, a theme Coupland is notorious for. I feel as though this is a novel that every individual can relate to in one way or another,: whether they?re willing to admit it or not is another thing. I give 'The Gum Thief' two thumbs up.
