The title alone is fabulous and one I have quoted over and over. All families are psychotic; maybe not as much as this one but just goes to show a look into other families is always fascinating. A good read.

Douglas Coupland is an acclaimed Canadian author and visual artist. I had never read one of his fiction works before but his style and influence on pop culture is undeniable — he came up with terms like Gen X and McJob that I have definitely hear before.

All Families are Psychotic tells the story of a dysfunctional family from Vancouver coming together to watch their daughter Sarah, an astronaut, launch into space. Along the way an affair is revealed, a restaurant is held at gunpoint, there is a suspicious death at Disney World, and a black market baby sale. It is such a ridiculous set of circumstances that is only made more bizarre by the cast of characters and their individual oddities throughout.

The family drama may be exaggerated but the dynamics still ring true. A controlling mother who learns to relax and attempts to find herself in old age and thus, becomes almost unrecognizable to her children. Those being most easily labeled as a screw-up older brother, over-achiever sister, and the eternally depressed youngest child. Finally, the patriarch and generally abusive, Ted. Add in the respective significant others and there is nothing but chaos.

On the surface, Coupland's novel is a quirky, light-hearted, satirical look at the modern family unit. And although I wouldn't go so far as to say that all families are psychotic, they definitely all have their idiosyncrasies, and it is possible to dig deeper here and find emotional depth that will really resonate.

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This is one of those books where I can't help but think, "how on earth did the author come up with all this stuff?" Coupland is so bizarre, I am still absorbing all the hidden meanings and analyzing it through different lenses. It was weird at times, and mostly I couldn't relate (thankfully?) but somehow I know that later this week/this month/this year I will catch myself thinking about it in the middle of the day, or about the meaning of a character, or plot point, or the origin of the author's creative genius - and these will be my signs of a good book. It's something that you don't just put back on the shelf once it's done, rather something that continues to live on and breathe beside you silently reminding you just like a memory. On a more cheerful note, I love the Canadian novel proudly recognizing the towns and popular locations all across Canada.

Ai văzut “Marea mahmureală”? De fapt, ce întreb eu aici, normal că l-ai văzut!!! Îți amintești, desigur, că în film nu există nici măcar un personaj (vorbim de cele principale, da?) care să fie sau să se poarte cât de cât normal și să echilibreze balanța când lucrurile o iau razna într-o manieră absolut dementă și de multe ori absurdă. Exact la fel e în “Toate familiile sunt psihotice”: lucrurile o iau la vale repede și fundul văii zău dacă se vede!

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