Book Review: Diary, by Chuck Palahniuk

[inverarity]

A former art student turned hotel maid cleans rooms while her husband lies in a coma, keeping a diary of her daily soul-crushing tedium until weirdness hits the fan.

Comments

[calico_reaction]

I used to be a total Palahniuk fan girl, but I haven't read a single one of his books since Rant. I can go ahead and tell you that Fight Club used to be one of his weakest books, so I wouldn't bother, especially if you were underwhelmed by the movie. :) Of what I read, Haunted was the weakest, because the stuff that makes up Palahniuk's style becomes one-note and frustrating, because the book is a series of shorts connected by an over-arcing narrative, and all the narrative voices in the shorts, despite being told by different characters, is the same. Though the story "Guts" it utterly haunting (ha!) and well worth the read.

Over all, I think Rant is my favorite. Survivor has the best ending of his books and Choke has the best beginning.

I remember Diary and Lullaby being in the middle of the road for me.

And I've heard that Snuff was absolutely TERRIBLE (my husband read it, and it's the one that came after Rant, and I've been suspicious ever since).

Granted, I'm usually a fan of that kind of style and unlikable characters in zany situations, but yeah, he's definitely a YMMV author.

[ext_435005]

I find Palahniuk tedious and samey (went through a ton of his books because I was on vacation with my family, my sister had brought his stuff, and I had already read all of my books (read the Twilight books the same way)), but I remember kind of liking Diary and Lullaby and really digging Rant.

The fact that my opinion jibes with that of a confessed former fangirl amuses me.

[calico_reaction]

Reading all of his stuff at one time can really be tiring, because any possible coolness wears thin and you start seeing the same trick over and over and over... that's how I felt when I read Haunted. :)