Buy new:
$32.00
$1.89 delivery September 17 - 20
Ships from: Teknik-books
Sold by: Teknik-books
$32.00
$1.89 delivery September 17 - 20. Details
Or fastest delivery September 12 - 16. Details
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$32.00 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$32.00
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Teknik-books
Ships from
Teknik-books
Sold by
Teknik-books
Sold by
Teknik-books
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt. You may receive a partial or no refund on used, damaged or materially different returns.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
$9.97
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime FREE Returns
Book is in good condition and may include underlining highlighting and minimal wear. The book can also include From the library of labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys dvds etc. . We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service. Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime! Book is in good condition and may include underlining highlighting and minimal wear. The book can also include From the library of labels. May not contain miscellaneous items toys dvds etc. . We offer 100% money back guarantee and 24 7 customer service. Free 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime! See less
FREE delivery September 21 - 25 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Or fastest delivery September 20 - 23
In Stock
$$32.00 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$32.00
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Condition
Used - Good
Condition
Used - Good
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
30-day refund/replacement
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Douglas Coupland
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture Paperback – March 15, 1991

by Douglas Coupland (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 642 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$32.00","priceAmount":32.00,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"32","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"00","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"jaJSo1YH1GGT0zRw70RtPFg1%2F1kGoZq3BycjFWGWkNzvoKmT4kdTZwr8cEeN%2F9wh4Ktr8qTPA8NQ70iaK%2BGMqRh%2BspqAlyEAEQtxTu6EgndNdnIkz4Q%2BxypTFA6y64s%2BMYI70Mjgq%2FhOhQQ760k1NyyaCFvNCPossh%2BhJs%2Fv7KmSMlgjS2jy7CL81bg1T%2BlC","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$9.97","priceAmount":9.97,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"97","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"jaJSo1YH1GGT0zRw70RtPFg1%2F1kGoZq3MjO43HrEE1eOgP41U4po9jtbCVIR%2BGHxm2ClrVc5%2B%2BjfFV5x0FnOvnj4O06gMEeDZvBdpukgPiKY6M4uc2sox9mBFX%2BVMnWHSFZRaq4LP%2Bt7DbFjugIb64sfi35OxckB1fqlCC6%2BPFuLsZpukNmD2PvXMpd4KyNg","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

Generation X is Douglas Coupland's classic novel about the generation born from 1960 to 1978 ―a generation known until then simply as twenty somethings.

Andy, Claire, and Dag, each in their twenties, have quit pointless jobs in their respective hometowns to find better meaning in life. Adrift in the California desert, the trio develops an ascetic regime of story-telling, boozing, and working McJobs―"low-pay, low-prestige, low-benefit, no-future jobs in the service industry." They create their own modern fables of love and death among the cosmetic surgery parlors and cocktail bars of Palm Springs as well as disturbingly funny tales of nuclear waste, historical overdosing, and mall culture.
A dark snapshot of the trio's highly fortressed inner world quickly emerges―peeling back the layers on their fanatical individualism, pathological ambivalence about the future, and unsatisfied longing for permanence, love, and their own home.

Andy, Dag, and Claire are underemployed, overeducated, intensely private, and unpredictable. They have nowhere to assuage their fears, and no culture to replace their anomie.

Previous slide of product details
  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    March 15, 1991
  4. Dimensions
    7.5 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    031205436X
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0312054366
  7. See all details
Next slide of product details
Books with Buzz
Books with Buzz
Discover the latest buzz-worthy books, from mysteries and romance to humor and nonfiction. Explore more

Frequently bought together

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture
This item: Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture
$32.00
Get it Sep 17 - 20
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Ships from and sold by Teknik-books.
+
Not Me (Native Agents)
$13.80
Get it as soon as Saturday, Sep 14
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
+
Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination
$11.49
Get it as soon as Saturday, Sep 14
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
spCSRF_Treatment
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Newcomer Coupland sheds light on an often overlooked segment of the population: "Generation X," the post-baby boomers who must endure "legislated nostalgia (to force a body of people to have memories they do not actually own)" and who indulge in "knee-jerk irony (the tendency to make flippant ironic comments as a reflexive matter of course . . . )." These are just two of the many terse, bitterly on-target observations and cartoons that season the margins of the text. The plot frames a loose Decameron -style collection of "bedtime stories" told by three friends, Dag, Andy and Claire, who have fled society for the relative tranquility of Palm Springs. They fantasize about nuclear Armageddon and the mythical but drab Texlahoma, located on an asteroid, where it is forever 1974. The true stories they relate are no less strange: Dag tells a particularly haunting tale about a Japanese businessman whose most prized possession, tragically, is a photo of Marilyn Monroe flashing. These stories, alternatively touching and hilarious, reveal the pain beneath the kitschy veneer of 1940s mementos and taxidermied chickens.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“A groundbreaking novel.” ―The Los Angeles Times

“Captures the listlessness that accompanies growing up in today's info-laden culture.” ―Rolling Stone

“Amusingly explores the more restless and disaffected segment of the under-30 crowd.” ―Cleveland Plain Dealer

“A readable and valid account of a generation that envisions a completely new genuine genre of bohemianism.” ―San Francisco Chronicle

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition (March 15, 1991)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 031205436X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312054366
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.5 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 642 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Douglas Coupland

Douglas Coupland

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Since 1991 Coupland has written thirteen novels published in most languages. He has written and performed for England’s Royal Shakespeare Company and is a columnist for The Financial Times of London. He is a frequent contributor to The New York Times, e-flux, DIS and Vice. In 2000 Coupland amplified his visual art production and has recently had two separate museum retrospectives, Everything is Anything is Anywhere is Everywhere at the Vancouver Art Gallery, The Royal Ontario Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art, and Bit Rot at the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam, and Villa Stücke in Munich this fall. In 2015 and 2016 Coupland was artist in residence in the Paris Google Cultural Institute. Coupland is a member of the Royal Canadian Academy, an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Officer of the Order of British Columbia and is a Chevlier de l'Order des Arts et des Lettres.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
642 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book interesting, delightful, and entertaining. They also praise the writing quality as well-written and the author as amazing.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more
ReadabilityWriting quality
10 customers mention "Readability"8 positive2 negative

Customers find the book interesting, delightful, and entertaining. They say it makes reading feel light and digestible.

"...It makes reading feel light and digestible." Read more

"The book was worth the price of admission. Good read." Read more

"...This book really is amazing and I highly recommend that everyone and anyone read this book, you will not regret it!..." Read more

"...The other was how incredibly average and mundane the book was...." Read more

5 customers mention "Writing quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written and mention the author is amazing. They also say the book is a delightful and immersing read.

"Great book. Amazing author." Read more

"...pessimistic at times, but that is part of its charm and it is written pretty well." Read more

"...Superb prose. Interesting characters. At least one of them will remind you of yourself or someone you know...." Read more

"Not what I was expecting, but still is well written." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Jason R. West
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and fun, with nostagia
Reviewed in the United States on May 18, 2017
Verified Purchase
One of my favorite books ever. If you're generation x and remember Reagan and the looming possibility on nuclear war you might like the background themes, where the main characters are dealing with finding meaning in the modern world and doing it partial by telling each other melancholy but beautiful stories. The chapters are somewhat discrete as separate sub stories. It makes reading feel light and digestible.
17 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Slight tear, no pages missing, good enough
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2024
Verified Purchase
The book was worth the price of admission. Good read.
Helpful
 Report
Dame Marjorie Chardin
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2013
Verified Purchase
I cannot exist without this book--even though I'm not of Generation X, this book could not be more applicable to growing up in the modern age. This book really is amazing and I highly recommend that everyone and anyone read this book, you will not regret it! It's filled with beautiful moments and bizzare happenings. Just...beautiful!
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Julia McElroy
5.0 out of 5 stars It just felt right.
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2019
Verified Purchase
It feels like I'm 19 again. Only I'm not and have all the wisdom and a experience... But, yeah, it's a little bit like coming home.
12 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Edward
3.0 out of 5 stars Great book - It's not Kerouac, but it's still spot on.
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2019
Verified Purchase
I'm giving this only 4 stars as there are better books that came first that address glorious disaffection.
I read this when I was about 19 and damn was it great! Re-reading it 30 years later I had to laugh at the story. Not because the thoughts, actions, and ideas of the characters are wrong. They aren't. They are absolutely correct and perfect for that time of life. Everyone should read this book once they hit Jr High, High School, College, etc... A very sweet naivety to it all (bless it for being so). I read a few chapters and just couldn't do it... I gave it to my youngest who's just getting into college. He read it in one sitting and told me "This guy gets it!". hahahahaha. Yes, yes he does. Do yourself a favor (if you haven't) and read Kerouac's "On The Road" first and then this book. Don't read Catcher in the rye though. That book is for phoneys, not slackers.
15 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
colleen
5.0 out of 5 stars Read it.
Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2019
Verified Purchase
Great book. Amazing author.
Helpful
 Report
Robert Miner
4.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2008
Verified Purchase
Being of the generation that inspired this book, I have always meant to read it and I finally did.

First off, let me say that the book isn't very long and it won't take much of your time to read. Because of that and the fact that this is a famous and often referenced book, it is worth the time to read.

The characters are self-righteous and they pretend to be so deep and caring about the world but they are really just afraid of failure and success. They are very whiney as I am and as are many of the same generation. Reading this made me think that "the world isn't perfect and never will be, but there is no sense in whining about everything".

As I said, it is worth the time to read. It may be a bit pessimistic at times, but that is part of its charm and it is written pretty well.
13 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Sarah
5.0 out of 5 stars Ground Zero for books on the subject. I finally ...
Reviewed in the United States on March 11, 2016
Verified Purchase
Ground Zero for books on the subject. I finally picked up a copy for my own shelf. If you are into generational theory, this is one of the definitives.
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Lukas
5.0 out of 5 stars Ein wundervolles Buch, das zum nachdenken anregt - Empfehlenswert
Reviewed in Germany on June 2, 2024
Verified Purchase
Das Buch ist eine wahre Freude für Fans der Englischen Literatur, Einsteiger und Zugehörigen der Genreation X. Herr Couplands Schreibweise ist eine wahre freude und zaubert einem ein Lächeln ins Gesicht, regt aber gleichzeitig zum Hinterfragen der Welt sowie der eigenen Lebensweise an.
One person found this helpful
 Report
F
3.0 out of 5 stars Meh
Reviewed in Italy on May 8, 2024
Verified Purchase
Maybe my expectations were too high, but I didn't like it much. Too much hype and too little depth.
Report
Alison S Kennedy
5.0 out of 5 stars Condition of item as advertised
Reviewed in Canada on May 4, 2021
Verified Purchase
Item was described to be in excellent condition and when I received it the condition was like new so I am very happy with it.
Report
Bollig
4.0 out of 5 stars Ok
Reviewed in Belgium on October 14, 2023
Verified Purchase
Ok
Report
Dr. Pol D. Miles-McCann, Sydney, Aus
5.0 out of 5 stars And then I read if for the 4th time. In a pandemic
Reviewed in Australia on October 26, 2020
Verified Purchase
This was captivating the first time I read It and I’ve been back to several times in the intervening years. Re-reading it for at least the fourth time, this time in the winter of Covid, it has even more beauty and impact. Having had the McJobs and the sense that the 20th century peaked before I was born, this resonated on the fist read, and the resonance was magnified by 2020. Unforgettable.
Report