Oh… so you HATE hate the internet?

I Hate the Internet by Jarett Kobek is a novel that portrays and twists modern culture with a witty, yet frustrating storyline. Kobek uses a character named Adeline and her tragic life story as a negative critique of the internet. Adeline is a comic book artist, who becomes semi-famous, goes though many different relationships, and is not afraid to speak her own opinion. Many of her opinions are controversial and lead to attacks on the internet over multiple occasions. While telling this awkwardly riveting story, Jarett Kobek includes a numerous amount of commentary on real world people and events. He references people such as Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Jobs, all in an often confusing and mostly negative manner.

While I can agree that Kobek is clever, I do not find the novel appealing or humorous. It is confusing and hard to follow because nothing is simply stated. It is as if the reader must decipher some of the authors wording. Kobek defines words in unusual and metaphorical ways, and then goes on to use the definition in place of the word throughout the novel. A prominent example is how he describes skin color, he says a human either does or does not have eumelanin in the basil cell layer of their epidermis.

This novel can be described as an awkward read. As the reader is attempting to keep up with Adeline’s misfortunate life, you often feel the need to re-read passages Kobek has mixed in the storyline. It is not a “happy” or “fun” novel to read. There are many negative connotations behind Kobek’s wording, especially about the internet. He exposes the hate society is capable of online. The most prevalent example occurs surrounding many things Adeline says, from YouTube videos of her speaking, to her tweets on Twitter. She receives horrible comments and death threats from people on social media. Overall, Jarret Kobek’s negative critiques about the internet combined with Adeline’s story creates a frustrating novel. I Hate the Internet lacks consistency and clarity due to its style and tone.