Comment

Jun 25, 2015booktigger rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Engaging,entertaining and wickedly funny. 'I was already at one remove before the Internet came along. I need another remove? Now I spend the time that I'm not doing the things they're doing reading about them doing it? Streaming all the clips of them doing it, commenting on how lucky they are to be doing all those things, liking and digging and bookmarking and posting and tweeting all those things, and feeling more disconnected than ever? Where does this idea of greater connection come from? I've never in my life felt more disconnected. It's like how the rich ger richer. The connected get more connected while the disconnected get more disconnected.' And therein lies Paul O'Rourke's lifelong dilemna - to feel connected to something, anything -baseball, Catholicism, Judaism....but not through the digital medium. Instead he craves real liife face to face connections - to be part of a group or extended family. This desire to belong gets him into some hilarious situations, as his eagerness to belong is misread. Paul O'Rourke is also having to deal with an online intruder who is posing as Paul O'Rourke. This online impersonator has started a website for Paul's dental practice and is posting 'biblical gobbledygook' comments onliine under Paul's name. And Paul needs to get to the bottom of who is doing this and why? A great novel that portrays the current state of affairs in the world where technology rules supreme and the existence of God is questioned. I loved that Joshua Ferris has in the context of this novel given atheism a God that tells them to doubt his existence - brilliant concept. I was disappoimted by the ending which I felt was weak. Overall though this was an enjoyable read. (less)