maybe snuff is just a decoder ring method of saying dead end
I bought and finished Snuff in under five hours. This isn't to say I used this to gauge the quality of the book. Most Palahniuck titles keep me up until the last page turns. I just want to re-enforce my anticipation of the book and it's plot summary. However, only a few chapters in, the storyline seemed obvious and uninspired. Chuck used his expected, though appreciated, methods of fact listing and repetition and it was interesting. Unfortunately, the tune sounded a little too similiar to that of Tender Branson's monologues concerning household stains and wound disguise. A lot of the chapters seemed to exploit Palahniuck's gift for depicting the shocking and morose. It seemed like this was just a little too easy to churn out. Like asking Bukowski to write an essay concerning disaffected drunken womenizers faced with a society to which they cannot conform. I have read and re-read many of Chuck's novels with a slack jaw and eyes dried out for lack of blinking. Haunted still gives me a satisfactory queasiness with every read. Almost all of his stories, shocked, surprised and ultimately, inspired me. Snuff just fell flat. If this had been his first or even second novel, maybe I would think differently. But the fact is, he has already set a standard to which I believe most of his dedicated readers anticipate him to exceed with each new work of art. Even the jacket description of an "incendiary climax" seemed to be of the sophmoric one-liner genre as opposed to the nihilist wit of Palahniuck. I realize he doesn't write these quips but why even lend your name to such low grade irony?
This probably goes completely against the grain of what most of the people on these forums feel concerning Chuck's newest edition. I expect harsh criticism and a big scarlet A to place over my screen name. That's fine. Just know that I'm not calling one of my favorite authors a failure, just a let down, and I would be very interested in reading what other faithful readers have to say about that thought. I will continue to praise Palahniuck's work and buy his future novels. I truly anticipate the release of the upcoming flms based on his books. I just wish that Snuff had turned out to be the literary adventure I was anticipating. And furthermore, it's the first time I've learned about the future release of a new novel(Pygmy), and had my excitement diluted with wariness.
excellent post.
but I cant help but have faith in Chuck's future writings, and I wont say he has hit a dead end. Although Pygmy does sound a bit used.
Snuff was decent, but it almost felt like another author trying to impersonate Chuck. It had all the elements of a good Palahniuk story (the setting, characters, fact listings, etc.) but the plot was just....bleh.
meh, i dont think its his best, but i dont think its his worst... i was actually rather bored through the whole thing. i would have marked it up to a rating of "Meh" if it weren't for the last 2 chapters. the last two chapters i think were worth the rest of the tedium. i dont think he put a terrible amount of effort into this, as ai recall sometime when they announced this he said that his (manager?publisher? i'm not sure how that works... someone importnat) challenged him to write another quick thriller like his others. when i heard that i lowered my exectations. i knew it could be good, but i knew it wouldn't be great. personally i think Rant was a bigger waste of time, though you could tell more thought and effort was put into it.
i'm a terrible person, in more ways than one.
I tried reading it but I ended up putting it down for what ever reason. Now it's just collecting dust on my dresser. It's just not interesting me.
The reason why Chuck is a great author is because he can realte to so many different people on so many different levels. He can't please 100% of his readers every time...well, besides for fight club...I wasn't too fond of Haunted. I found it boring at times though a few of the stories were incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed snuff. Chuck is a writing addict. He must write, all the time. Not everything he writes will measure up to fight club or choke, but if he inspired one person with snuff then he has done his job.
And call me crazy, but I think Rant could have been his best work yet...
Roses are red
And ready for plucking
You're sixteen
And ready for high school.
-Kurt Vonnegut
I definitely agree with this. I cherish Fight Club and Survivor a great deal......but Rant blew me away.
Haven't started Snuff yet, but am hoping its a decent read. The premise is at least hilarious and intruiging.
there is worse pain than yours. -Trent Reznor
dark, filthly little snuff book. i loved it. rant blew me away, but you have to finish it through the ending to feel its weight. haunted is the only one that bored me a bit at first. but just at first. i still feel choke is my least favorite. it's the only one i havent been able to bring myself to read a second time. but really, all of his books rock.
__________________________________
play hard, like it's work to be done.
hey fuck it !
you win some
you lose some
Wait, Snuff is out already?
thanks for sharing.blackhawk tactical pants.
— Spambot
"I could have done worse!" exultantly cried the murderer Lebret, sentenced at Rouen to hard labor for life. — Félix Fénéon