kimberly_coles 's review for:

Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

4.0

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What becomes more and more evident as you read multiple Palahniuk books, including Rant, is that the author clearly has a fixation on time and systems. Particularly with what happens when they are broken down. In Rant, Palahniuk breaks normal narrative by writing an 'oral history' of the protagonist, much like transcribing the statements of eye witnesses to a freak accident. Within the interesting narrative is a mystery of a history, asking readers to acknowledge that some or maybe all of the accounts transcribed could be partially or intentionally falsified. Both fascinating and frustrating, the story progresses with no tale-tell signs of real truth distinguished from myth or exaggerations. In the end though, one cannot help but feel that a bit more examination of the text would reveal the real answers of Rant Casey's history. It's not unlike reading an Encyclopedia Brown book where the solutions pages have all been unceremoniously ripped out.

It's every bit as mythical as Lullaby, but less likely to make you question your own morals than Fight Club. In the end, Rant is a pleasure read for readers who enjoy the mindbend, the suspension of disbelief, and the seductive weirdness of authors who break the system - even if it's just for the hell of it.