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3.05 AVERAGE
3.05 AVERAGE
This was fantastic. One of those books I wish I could read for the first time all over again!
His earliest works were racy, thoughtful explorations of darker human impulses. This one, though, reeks -- literally -- like literary click bait.
"Hey everyone, you won't believe what Chuck Palahniuk, THE FIGHT CLUB GUY, has written about porn!"
Sadly, it's utterly predictable. In tone, it tries to shock and surprise. It fails. In style, it employs every synonym for body parts, bodily fluids and body shaming. It bores.
Perhaps the book's biggest failing? Not one character is interesting, likeable or even compelling. Palahniuk has shown us, and made us love, characters who deal in death, crime, private self-destruction and public self-decimation. Here, the reader doesn't wind up caring one way or the other who swallows the cyanide pill stuffed in some cock monkey's locket.
Snuff, more than any of Chuck's other books, feels like an exercise that shouldn't have made it out of a writer's workshop; it's half-done, half-edited and, overall, half-baked.
"Hey everyone, you won't believe what Chuck Palahniuk, THE FIGHT CLUB GUY, has written about porn!"
Sadly, it's utterly predictable. In tone, it tries to shock and surprise. It fails. In style, it employs every synonym for body parts, bodily fluids and body shaming. It bores.
Perhaps the book's biggest failing? Not one character is interesting, likeable or even compelling. Palahniuk has shown us, and made us love, characters who deal in death, crime, private self-destruction and public self-decimation. Here, the reader doesn't wind up caring one way or the other who swallows the cyanide pill stuffed in some cock monkey's locket.
Snuff, more than any of Chuck's other books, feels like an exercise that shouldn't have made it out of a writer's workshop; it's half-done, half-edited and, overall, half-baked.
Meh... it was just okay. 'Rant' didn't blow me away and I was really hoping for this to be better. It was a quick/fun read but not up there with his earlier stuff.
I knew I'd love this book, although I must say I'm equal parts proud and disappointed that I guessed one of the plot twists. Suffice to say I have read enough Palahniuk books to guess that the characters' identities will be confused or completely turned around by the end of the book. You never know who will turn out to be what, but you know it can't be too obvious.
In Snuff, you've got four narrators on the set of a porno... a 600-man/one-woman gang bang to make some serious end-of-career cash for Cassie Wright, the star (or her surviving heir). They're all wonderfully opinionated and quirky: a young man with a sad bouquet who wants to save the woman he thinks might be his real mother; a washed-up TV actor who is gay but thinks the porno will help his acting career; a male porn star with a cyanide pill in the locket around his neck; and Sheila, Ms. Wright's assistant, who is both businesslike and disgusted by the proceedings. I love how they all have their own crazy fields of expertise. Some of them know all about how a woman can die of an embolism during sex. One is an expert on tans. One has a million names for wankers. One learned all about gang tattoos from a dad who made little tiny gang member figurines for his model train set.
And the end, well, I could only guess part of it. It wasn't as mind-blowingly awesome as some of his other endings, but it worked for me.
In Snuff, you've got four narrators on the set of a porno... a 600-man/one-woman gang bang to make some serious end-of-career cash for Cassie Wright, the star (or her surviving heir). They're all wonderfully opinionated and quirky: a young man with a sad bouquet who wants to save the woman he thinks might be his real mother; a washed-up TV actor who is gay but thinks the porno will help his acting career; a male porn star with a cyanide pill in the locket around his neck; and Sheila, Ms. Wright's assistant, who is both businesslike and disgusted by the proceedings. I love how they all have their own crazy fields of expertise. Some of them know all about how a woman can die of an embolism during sex. One is an expert on tans. One has a million names for wankers. One learned all about gang tattoos from a dad who made little tiny gang member figurines for his model train set.
And the end, well, I could only guess part of it. It wasn't as mind-blowingly awesome as some of his other endings, but it worked for me.
I could have sworn I reviewed this book already. Maybe someone deleted it for spoilers? Anyway... I ended up writing a song about the book called "World Whore III". You can listen and download it from iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/welcome-to-baltimore/id379784435
disturbing and funny as usual!i liked this book alot! took me 3 days to read and i think anyone who enjoy's palahnuiks work will love this!
The Palahniuk formula, which I love, is essentially followed here. Story told from multiple points of view, outrageous premise, big surprise, ridiculous conclusion. If the very idea of an aging porn star attempting to cap off her career with a record-breaking on-film gang-bang is not enough for you, there is the mystery of the love child given up for adoption at the beginning of her career. Also the tawdry histories of the men waiting in line for their turn in the spotlight. But one of my favorite things about the whole book was the hilarious porn film titles generously sprinkled throughout the story.
I enjoy Palahniuk usually but it was hard to enjoy this book.
This book took me awhile to read. Not because of any other reason other than it bored me most of the time. Initially, I was intrigued by the premise.
Unfortunately, the execution left me bored, mostly. There were a few moments that kept me interested, mostly the latter half of the story.
But this one was all build up and for not a very good payoff.
I read quite a few books while this one gathered dust on the shelf. I wouldn't recommend it.
Unfortunately, the execution left me bored, mostly. There were a few moments that kept me interested, mostly the latter half of the story.
But this one was all build up and for not a very good payoff.
I read quite a few books while this one gathered dust on the shelf. I wouldn't recommend it.
