This is my second buddy-review with Kelly from The Written Word and continuing the tradition forged in our first review together, we made it easy work of both deciding on a book to read and then getting this review written.

• Depression
• Adultery
• AIDS
• Cancer
• Suicide
• Thalidomide caused birth-defects
• Dodgy Prescription Drugs
• Questionable Import/Export Trade

To name just some of the plot devices in this book! So I’ll just go with the publishers blurb on this one!

On the eve of the next Space Shuttle mission, a divided family comes together.

In a cheap motel an hour from Cape Canaveral, Janet Drummond takes her medication, and does a rapid tally of the whereabouts of her children. Wade has spent the night in jail; suicidal Bryan is due to arrive at any moment with his vowel-free girlfriend, Shw; and then there is Sarah, ‘a bolt of lightning frozen in midflash’ — here in Orlando to be the star of Friday’s shuttle mission.

With Janet’s ex-husband and his trophy wife also in town, Janet spends a moment contemplating her family, and where it all went wrong. Or did it?

“All families are psychotic. Everybody has basically the same family – it’s just reconfigured slightly different from one to the next.” – Douglas Coupland.

Like last time, I’m going to start with a few brief thoughts on the book and then I’ll answer Kelly’s questions. When you’re done be sure to head on over to The Written Word to hear Kelly’s answers to my questions!

All Families are Psychotic is an utterly manic and over-the-top adventure, which somehow manages to be a gentle relaxing read… It’s not perfect by any means, and I can’t say I’d want to read it again, but it was very readable, and Coupland is fast becoming a favourite author.

On to the inquisition!

Will I read more of his work based on this book? No. But that’s not a criticism, as I’m already a big enough fan to want to read everything he has written! As for where it falls in what I’ve read so far… I’ll be honest it’s my least favourite one so far. I think that is down to the fact, that whilst the plot is zany and frenetic and totally over-the-top. It does slip into being to over-the-top on occasion.

You know what, I thought and thought about this and no single scene stands out in my mind that made me go “Wow!” I think some of that might just be down to the way Coupland just keeps on building improbable twists, after improbable events after… well you get the idea! Long after most authors would admit defeat. This is of course intentional, and part of the reason you keep reading, just to see what he does next.

Actually no, I’ve just remembered a scene I enjoyed, partly because it’s a fun scene and we get a good insight into Wade’s character. It’s a bit long to quote though, so I’ll briefly describe it.

It’s one of the flashbacks: Where the young Wade is helping Susan with a science project and the end up releasing a mini home-made hot air balloon, which then floats up into the woods. And Wade then tries to shoulder the blame.

Wade is probably my favourite character, partly because he is the one we get to spend the most time with, also because despite everything that he has had to go through and a questionable attitude to the law, he remains a pretty decent guy.

Florian is also a fun guy to meet in the book!

Least favourite would be Shw. I almost went for Ted, because as a father and a human he’s pretty crap, but lets face it Shw is only ever out for Shw.

My answer to this one, relates to the my answer to your first question, for the most part I think he does pull it off successfully. The farcical plot builds nicely on each improbable situation after the other, and you do want to keep reading  just to see what he tries to pull off next.

Once or twice though, he attempts to do one thing to many, and the improbable becomes implausible. Not enough to spoil my enjoyment of the book, but it was enough to stop it becoming a favourite.

Don’t forget to head on over to The Written Word to hear Kelly’s answers to my questions!