Customer Reviews

User ID: A Novel of Identity Theft

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am no literary snob and read a lot of so-so stuff, and did not expect greatness of this book. This identity theft thing happened to me, so the subject was of interest... This book has the worst ending I have experienced in many years and I could not wait to throw it in the recycling, knowing that my local bookstore would NEVER buy it back.

This is a highly interesting book from an academic point of view and, I would say, also a thrilling reading if you look for mere entertainment. Shute's use of irony is subtle at times, mordatn at others - and the irony (self)-addressed at academics if sharp and hilarious. It is also a deep exploration of the construction of identity in contemporary capitalist culture. And the ending is open and disturbing - like life itself! Closed endings are far too passé.

I just finished reading this book. I started it yesterday afternoon and by the evening I was ready to ditch the book! I just really didn't want to read IN DETAIL the whole Identity theft process that the author discussed. In some ways, it was just a little too real and "HOW-TO" -ish for my comfort, but I trudged on. The story line got very boring and annoying as the book went along and I found myself speed reading and then skipping through dialogue just to see where the author was going with this story. By the time I finished - a little after midnight - I found myself exclaiming out loud, "THIS IS THE STUPIDEST STORY/ BOOK I HAVE EVER READ"!!! It would be worthy of the trash can had it not been a loaner from the local library. Terrible book.