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A review by o3ovin
Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I absolutely understand what Palahniuk is trying to do, but he doesn’t quite succeed. This is true in multiple departments.
Firstly, does the narrative style work? occasionally. It’s an interesting experiment in storytelling and does make reading to the end all the more satisfying, but the repetition of specific phrases and transitional beats is slightly jarring.
Now the big one: is Brandy Alexander a transphobic representation of a trans woman? yes. do i think she’s meant to be? no, because the character is not trans, rather a complicated depiction of a damaged queer man. Does this fact make the situation even more complicated? yes!
I appreciate that it is explicitly stated that trans healthcare is saving care for some people, rather than self harm across the board, but the messy rhetoric that may not matter so much to a cis person is the reason I (as a trans person) nearly dnfed this book. It became hard to read after a point.
And yet I didn’t. Despite my issues with the novel I was still gripped by Palahniuk’s style. He is witty, quippy, and unafraid to use unconventional or vulgar manners of description. I really enjoy the strange hyper capitalist hellscape mirror of reality he’s created. Every scene is eclectic and snappy and strangely familiar, I’m excited to read more from him (because I absolutely plan to).
I have heard whispers that there is an anti-terf short story in Haunted, another Palahniuk novel with an unconventional narrative style and next on my tbr, so i’m really interested to see what’s done with both things there.
Firstly, does the narrative style work? occasionally. It’s an interesting experiment in storytelling and does make reading to the end all the more satisfying, but the repetition of specific phrases and transitional beats is slightly jarring.
Now the big one: is Brandy Alexander a transphobic representation of a trans woman? yes. do i think she’s meant to be? no, because the character is not trans, rather a complicated depiction of a damaged queer man. Does this fact make the situation even more complicated? yes!
I appreciate that it is explicitly stated that trans healthcare is saving care for some people, rather than self harm across the board, but the messy rhetoric that may not matter so much to a cis person is the reason I (as a trans person) nearly dnfed this book. It became hard to read after a point.
And yet I didn’t. Despite my issues with the novel I was still gripped by Palahniuk’s style. He is witty, quippy, and unafraid to use unconventional or vulgar manners of description. I really enjoy the strange hyper capitalist hellscape mirror of reality he’s created. Every scene is eclectic and snappy and strangely familiar, I’m excited to read more from him (because I absolutely plan to).
I have heard whispers that there is an anti-terf short story in Haunted, another Palahniuk novel with an unconventional narrative style and next on my tbr, so i’m really interested to see what’s done with both things there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia