RATING: 5 out of 10
VERDICT: A load of old soap.

The quality of Coupland’s output has been in steady decline since (and to some extent including) "Girlfriend In A Coma". Fans of the author who pretty much defined a generation (X, if you must know) will be disappointed to learn that the decline continues with "All Families Are Psychotic".

The extremely (or is that ludicrously?) dysfunctional Drummond family (forget the Simpsons) have gathered in Florida to witness daughter/sister Sarah being launched into space as a passenger on a prestigious shuttle mission. Beyond that, the plot, what there is of it, is far too complicated to begin to explain, except to say it involves love, betrayal, AIDS, surrogacy, greed and a letter written by Prince Willian stolen from the coffin of Princess Diana. Oh, and hope. As with all Coupland’s work, the story is infused with a sense of hope. It’s Coupland’s greatest strength and the book’s only saving grace. Otherwise, it’s pure soap opera and nothing more. In fact, reading it is like reading a script for that old sitcom "Soap" but with all the jokes taken out.

Numerous flashbacks break up the contemporary story in an unbelievably annoying fashion. Things do pick up in the final quarter of the book, but it is too little too late. That said, one can imagine it will make a fascinating movie, particularly if reports that Spike Jonze is to direct prove to be true.