Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Snuff
Book Review: Everything you've come to expect.
Summary: 3 Stars
This is everything you've come to expect from Palahniuk. Being one of my favorite writers, I wanted to love this. Great idea for his sort of twisted humor. But frankly, it wasn't nearly as well executed as his other novels. It was short, seemed rushed at the end, and wasn't nearly as shocking as one would expect. That said, still solid and funny and worth the purchase for a fan. Pick it up.Book Review: Excellent Character Study from the Mind of Chuck
Summary: 5 Stars
In Snuff, Chuck Palahniuk visits the dark underbelly of the porn industry. While the subject matter of the novel may be coarse to some, the book is nevertheless a worthy edition to the body of Chuck's work. While the novel is a narrative of the making of an adult movie, it is also a character study which reveals much about man's search for identity in this world.
Told from the point of view of three actors in the movie, Mr. 72, Mr. 137, and Mr. 600, the story explores how each man is trying to either reinvent himself and find out who he really is. Mr. 72 is a virtual unknown that believes that the star of the movie, Cassie Wright, is his long lost mother. Mr. 137 is a former television star hoping that his part in this movie will remove a past stigma and relaunch his career. Finally, Mr. 600, is an aging adult film star who hopes to get some redemption from a perceived guilt in his past. As all three tell their stories from their own point of view, the reader is introduced to Sheila, the talent wrangler, with a hidden agenda of her own.
It is interesting to learn about these characters through their stories as well as through their perceptions of each other.
The book moves on at a fast pace and can be read in a short amount of time. The writing is signature Chuck right down to the shocking end and twist of events. I can understand that some may take issue with the subject matter, but that is what makes Chuck's fans love him so much -- his raw, in your face storytelling that will live inside you for a long while.
Book Review: Fantastic
Summary: 5 Stars
I love Palahniuk books. But I can say, Haunted had some good short stories to it, as did Stranger than fiction. Both had perfect stories in them, complete, start to finish, work that would bring a smile to Amy Hampel's face. But this book, (Rant, not a big fan) was fantastic. Personally I don't like this multiview point stuff that books and movies are taking, but this book is nothing short of fantastic. The people are so clearly done, the story is hilarious. It's nothing life changing, but I don't think it's suppose to be. It's a great book to have, and you'll find yourself reading parts of it to friends who don't care to hear it.Book Review: Fascinating
Summary: 5 Stars
I've never read any of Chuck's books before, but a friend of mine is always talking about his novels, so I took her advice and bought Snuff. I thought the idea of an ageing porn star going out with a bang, or six hundred of them, quite intriguing. A bit of a surprise book in many ways and I was particularly impressed with how Chuck really gets inside his characters and we really see their hidden depths. Having read it and thinking back on it, I really like it. Its a bit of a change for me, because I'm really into the erotic short story genre, such as Best Women's Erotica 2008 and the unbelievably sexy 100 Percent Erotica. Still, its given me food for thought and I shall seek out more of Chuck's books.Book Review: Finally, (after 4 duds) a return to form for this author!
Summary: 3 Stars
If like myself YOU raced through 'Rant', hated 'Haunted' didn't like 'Diary' and were lulled to sleep by 'Lullaby' then you'll be glad to know that Chuck Palahniuk's best work didn't stop after 'Choke' in 2001. Here in his 9th novelistic effort he turns the porn industry on it's head and satirically skewers it in the way that only he can. With a story about a 600-man strong gangbang of a washed up porn star you'd probably be thinking "low grade porn", but you'd be wrong. What you get here is anything but titillating. In fact like most of his work you see only the seamiest, nastiest and most extreme sides of a very dirty industry. This is a quick and breezy read that has a lot in common with a bad accident at the side of the road. You know you shouldn't and don't really want to look, but you just can't help yourself.... As always with Palahniuk though the laughs come at you out of nowhere like a left hook.