Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
the darker side of life, 22 Sep 2008
One thing I will say about Palahniuk is that he manages to write in such a way that you can smell the unwashed bodies, the urine smell from the toilet, the buffet table laden with crisps and sweets and the body odour of the 600 assembled men. Basically, he manages to write in such a way that you feel slightly grimy by the time you finish one of his books.
Don't get me wrong, this is definitely a skill, but I felt that the voices of the 4 characters (72, 137, 600 and sheila) were all a little too similar.
In some ways I was dissapointed in this book - the characters just seemd to be lacking something, and it seemed that the author set out to try and shock more than to tell a story.
On the other hand, I did sit and read the whle thing in one go - although that was not too hard as this is quite a short novel.
I do not think this book will win Palahniuk too many new fans, although I could see teens who ahve not encountered this kind of book before enjoying it, and I think longterm fans will enjoy the book. It is definitely very inkeeping with Palahniuks "style" of writing, but it is not my favourite of his books.
It is trickey, as on the one hand it is a very evocative work, but on the other hand, it was not as good as some of his other things.
As one person pointed out, the cover does feature a pair of breasts, but as with the rest of this book, there is nothing erotic about the image, or in the story itself - in fact if anything, this book is a pretty good antidote to feeling frisky.
If you are a fan I would give this book a try, if you want to buy a young adult something "edgy" it may be worth a go, but if you are new to this author I think you would be better starting off with Fight Club.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
15 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Three things to know before buying, 14 Aug 2008
1. This is a very short novella (the text is printed in big type to make for more pages), you'll read it in an hour or so.
2. Once the paper seal is removed the book cover is pornographic. You won't be able to read this on the train, in the office, or whilst your children are around.
3. The 'story' doesn't even start to measure up to the author's earlier stuff. In comparison to books like Invisible Monsters or Survivor this book is very, very weak. There are no skewed ideas to play with, or off the wall revelations to ponder. Even without comparison to earlier books the principles of this short story are 10 years too late to be edgy.
Very disappointing all-round.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1.0 out of 5 stars
Quite Possibly The Biggest Literary Disappointment Of My Reading Life, 20 Nov 2010
I honestly find myself at a loss for words having just completed Snuff.
From someone so brilliant to have written the likes of Survivor and Fight Club, comes.. well, this.
This book reads like a Wikipedia article collection, written by thirteen year old boys still searching for the perfect way to describe someone who masturbates. The incessant factoids about porn, Marilyn Monroe, condoms, the gay community, and cyanide could possibly the the most boring, ineffectual and downright idiotic thing I've read in my entire life.
The description is enticing, but this book downright fails to deliver. Chuck insists on creating as many stupid porn titles as he possibly can, sounding like a rehersal for a Saturday Night Live skit before airing, minus any of the humour. The first couple gain a small chuckle, the rest leave you shaking your head. If I had to read one more name for someone who masturbates, I would have thrown the book across the room - had the hardcover novella deceptively marketed as a full novel not cost an arm and a leg.
The plot is unremarkable in every way, the characters utterly unlikeable and unrelatable. Words are repeated, and I feel sorry for whoever edited this 'work' - they're likely out of a job, from all the akward sentences.
You could see the ending of this novel - minus a small 'twist' in the form of the reality in which the two characters will now have to live - coming from a mile away, though they drag it out through disjointed style that forces you to pick it all apart.
If I have anything positive at all to say about this work - the cover is intriguing. Brings back the Linda Lovelace train of thought.
Here's to hoping Palahniuk delivers something worth reading sooner than later.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|