Personal Picks

Generation X is sharp witty story of a couple of teenagers living in the middle of nowhere. To pass their time they tell eachother stories. The entire book is packed with criticism on the previous generation, the yuppieculture and the crazy accelerated world we live in. Along the pages you will find funny footnotes, pictures and newly invented terms to describe everyday madness and the quirks of civilization.



"... Martin was horrified that an employee had called the inspectors, and I mean really freaked out. In Toronto they can force you to make architectural changes, and alterations are ferociously expensive - fresh air ducts and the like - and health of the office workers be damned, cash signs were dinging up in Martin's eyes, tens of thousands of dollars' worth. He called me into his office and started screaming at me, his teeny-weeny salt and pepper ponytail bobbing up and down. "I just don't understand you young people. No workplace is ever okay enough. And you mope and complain how uncreative your jobs are and how you are getting nowhere, and so when we finally give you a promotion you leave and go pick grapes in Queensland or some other such nonsense." ..." Generation X p.24-25

I have the great fluorescent pink paperback edition but it seems to be no longer in stores now.

Hilarious from the start. Do not miss a letter in this book, even though the writer is suggesting that you might want to skip 2/3rds of it!

The book written like an autobiography and that may sound dull but if someone's life is interesting and twisted enough you end up with a great novel. The solipsistic* view of the world put forward in the book is great!



" ... Then, at the moment that I am turning the corner, I become convinced, in a flash of pure truth-seeing ---it happens every time I leave him anywhere--- that Toph will be killed. Of course. The baby-sitter was acting peculiar, was too quiet, too unassuming. His eyes had plans. Of course. So obvious from the beginning. I ignored the signals. Toph had told me Stephen was weird, repeatedly had mentioned his scary laugh, the veggie food he brought and cooked, and I shrugged it all off. If something happens it'll be my fault. He will try bad things on Toph. He will try to molest Toph. While Toph is sleeping he will do something with wax and rope. The possibilities snap through my head like pedophilia flashcards---handcuffs, floorboards, clown suits, leather, videotape, duct tape, knives, bathtubs, refrigerators.
    Toph will never wake up.
    I should turn around. This is stupid. We don't need this kind of risk. I don't need to do this, don't need to go out. It's silly, juvenile, inconsequential. I need to go back
    But I have to do this. There is no risk.
    But there is risk.
    But the risk is worth it.
    I'm so, so evil.
    I open the window, turn up the volume. I pass two cars at once and get on the highway and speed toward Bay Bridge, doing 70 in the left lane, along the water. ... " A.H.W.O.S.G. - p.125

*Solipsism is commonly understood to encompass the metaphysical belief that only one's self exists, and that "existence" just means being a part of one's own mental states - all objects, people, etc, that one experiences are merely parts of one's own mind.

$38.000 dollars to spend. How would you do it? Twists of faith make Will and Hand decide to go around the world and give it away randomly. This attempt for the fastest trip around the world proves to be more than they expected. Weird adventures, great dialogues! (especially the imaginairy conversations)

Splendid piece of art!

What if there was a help-yourself book that actually worked. In this book the world is about to find out. A smalltime editor gets his hands on a huge manuscript and as a desperate last attempt to publish something good he contracts the author. Then all shit hits the fan!

A great What-If scenario exposing a lot of the way the things work in this world. As a bonus it also mocks all the other books that are around that tell you how to live either happy, healthy, succesfull etc...

Biography of the discoverer of the clitoris. (somehow i do still have the feeling that a woman has probably found it way before he did) He feels his discovery might aid him to finally win over the woman he loves. The setting is quite a while back in the sixteenth century.. when the church had a big say in everything.. a tiny discovery stirrs up a lot of commotion. Brilliant book!

This book actually won a prestigieus Argentinian award, but the woman who was supposed to hand him the price refused to do so. The author got the money via mail.