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literaryhomeboy's review against another edition
4.0
Gosh, this was a pleasant surprise! Picked it up from a used book store and it was great. Funny as hell with some really interesting ideas I won't post here for fear of spoilers.
philibin's review against another edition
4.0
(4.25 Stars)
What would you get if you took the movies Strange Days, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Cronenberg's Crash, and maybe The Time Traveler's Wife, put them in a blender and hit the mix button?
I don't know either, but Chuck Palahniuk just wrote a brilliant book about it.
Typical of Palahniuk's absurdist satirical fiction, this is a love story. Or maybe a crime drama. Or possibly a glimpse into our future. Whatever it is, it is beautifully written. I read this when it was first released and just now listened to the audio production with a complete cast and it was great. Fans of Palahniuk, Ballard, Welsh, etc. should love this book.
What would you get if you took the movies Strange Days, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Cronenberg's Crash, and maybe The Time Traveler's Wife, put them in a blender and hit the mix button?
I don't know either, but Chuck Palahniuk just wrote a brilliant book about it.
Typical of Palahniuk's absurdist satirical fiction, this is a love story. Or maybe a crime drama. Or possibly a glimpse into our future. Whatever it is, it is beautifully written. I read this when it was first released and just now listened to the audio production with a complete cast and it was great. Fans of Palahniuk, Ballard, Welsh, etc. should love this book.
jakeeys's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
namaria's review against another edition
2.0
I couldn't finish this book. The story was good and had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, I did NOT like how the story was being told, so I brought it back to the library.
thematinee's review against another edition
4.0
Another delightfully twisted tale with a pretty good pay-off, and I'm pretty sure this one will rank up there as one of my favorites of Chuck's novels.
I especially enjoyed the final few chapters where the whole story is boiled down to the lines society draws, and the ideas of communities being formed within those who are outcast.
I especially enjoyed the final few chapters where the whole story is boiled down to the lines society draws, and the ideas of communities being formed within those who are outcast.
nssutton's review against another edition
4.0
i was pretty grossed out and put off by the beginning, but once you hit the meat of the book it comes together in such a manner you can't help but speed through it. totally got cockblocked on finishing it, which sucked, but it'll be worth the late fees.
upbeatmick's review against another edition
5.0
The gallows humour is on point. Very alternative presentation which took a bit of getting used to, but it all works. I can see myself reading this just to catch the things I missed the first time around, and it's short enough to not be daunting. 4.5/5, but it gets rounded up.
gloew's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating book! I loved the format of it and the characters were enthralling.
mrhumpage's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting and somewhat challenging read.
The first third deals with the small town emergence of the titular character, and though told in the style of an oral history, is very much trademark Palahniuk, and for me, very enjoyable.
Approaching the half way mark there is a huge shift in tone, and some elements hinted at during the beginning of the book become clear. This reveals a world quite different to the one the reader may have been expecting.
The end of the book introduces some big ideas, again challenging some of the previous narrative foundations. My interest waned as the book reached its conclusion - I think some of the ideas may have been too ambitious. But if this book forms part of a trilogy as the author has mentioned it will be interesting to see what of this book is truth or fiction.
The first third deals with the small town emergence of the titular character, and though told in the style of an oral history, is very much trademark Palahniuk, and for me, very enjoyable.
Approaching the half way mark there is a huge shift in tone, and some elements hinted at during the beginning of the book become clear. This reveals a world quite different to the one the reader may have been expecting.
The end of the book introduces some big ideas, again challenging some of the previous narrative foundations. My interest waned as the book reached its conclusion - I think some of the ideas may have been too ambitious. But if this book forms part of a trilogy as the author has mentioned it will be interesting to see what of this book is truth or fiction.