Snuff
by Chuck Palahniuk
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Book Reviews of Snuff
Book Review: Snuff
Summary: 5 Stars
Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk *****
Wow! I am gonna say up front that during points of this book I was less than thrilled, and during others I was amazed as I always have been by UpChucks work. But for what ever small period of time that I was less than captivated it was all made up for in the end.
To say that Snuff was UpChucks best work might be a stretch, might. But to say that it is his worst as some are hailing it is even more of a stretch. Snuff may not have had the strongest characters he has ever created, and in fact all three of the main characters have a little too much in common, or so it would seem, until the end.
As the leading porn queen of the industry decides to go out with a bang (no pun intended) she plans to sleep with 600 men for one final film. Among the men are a 19 year old who believes for one reason or another he is her son, and was adopted years ago. Another is the man who broke her into the industry....literally. In then end what seems as so obvious is nothing more then fantasy.
For me, Snuff was amazing. No other UpChuck novel has made me laugh so hard or think so much. The meanings and themes of this one need not slip out as they should be explored and found yourself. This is a well worth novel, and I promise if at any point you want to put the book down because as I said it all comes together in the end.
Book Review: More of the Same
Summary: 2 Stars
Palahniuk is such an excellent writer, and there's so much to his work that's genius, but why is he trapped in doing the exact same thing everytime? And I'm the sucker who keeps buying the books, expecting that he'll finally break out of his self-created box.
But I keep being wrong. And so I get stuck reading "Diary," and then "Haunted," "Rant," and now "Snuff." To its credit, "Haunted was slightly better than the other three, and "Lullaby" was OK as well. But "Snuff," in my opinion, is his worst one. It's predictable, it's redundant, it's just trying to shock for the sake of shock.
What happened to his story-telling? What happened to the magic of books like "Fight Club" and "Invisible Monsters" and "Choke"? I don't care about any of the characters, or about anything that happens in the book. I read ahead to pick up the next obscene morsel of a mind feigning how demented it is because being demented sells books. For some reason people are drawn to things that shock, that no one else wants to talk about or mention or describe. But at some point, it all just becomes the mundane.
Ironically, Palahniuk is crossing the line into the mundane with every attempt to be sacreligious. That is, unless he hasn't already been there for the last few years.
Book Review: Most of these bad reviewers don't get it
Summary: 4 Stars
Right up front ... I didn't know where this book was going to take me. The concepts and subjects of Chuck's book are usually off the chart, exploring the human condition at its threshold. If you are new to Chuck's books, it can be off putting. And without reading Choke or Survivor, you may not appreciate his style, his rhythm.
To be honest you have to be a pretty warped individual, to be a fan. Whatever warped means in the general sense... But it is a smart, educated "out of the box" group that can take these stories, like Snuff, to heart. This book is truly a story within a story. The timing is contagious and intoxicating. He takes the time to amass facts and builds the case for these scarred souls. That's what I like about Chuck....
In other words, I think this is his best work in a while. He is going somewhere. I really enjoyed this book's pace and humor. It is a wild ride. and I am sure that I will reread this book again.
If you are reading reviews on books, you are ultimately looking for a decision. Don't let these bad reviews discourage your decision. Critics are usually trying to justify their existance by bitching and moaning that their hero has let them down. I tell them ... write your own book... let's see how far you get.
Book Review: Are you kidding?
Summary: 2 Stars
I'll admit it, i am quite obsessed with Chuck and his out of the box mind, but Snuff seemed to have been written in an hour time period.
If you can honestly not guess what the ending to this book will be by page twenty, than you shouldn't be reading. At page 18, my sister caught on to the entire ending. For me it was page twenty. Just as expected, everything worked out just as the two of us would have guessed within those first few chapters.
Chuck wrote a forgettable story here. Every character blends together. Half the time i was confused as to is Mr. 600 or 72 was talking because they all sound exactly the same. Chuck attempts to give the background of each character but fails when they all speak and think just like the last person to think and speak. Although, i shouldn't be surprised seeing how all of Chuck's characters in any book seem to share very similar mind sets.
If it wasn't that i love Chuck i wouldn't have finished this. In a way i wish i hadn't for the last few pages are unbearable. If it wasn't for the fact that Chuck wrote this, i wouldn't have given this review two stars.
Take it from someone who reads and reread Chuck like the bible, this is not something to bother with unless you must add it to your collection.
Book Review: Something missing...
Summary: 3 Stars
I am a big fan of Chuck Palahniuk. I have read just about everything this man has written. His books are engaging, well-written, and have a tendency to punch you in the face when you least expect it....
And that may be part of my letdown with this book. While I think that the writing is usual Chuck Palahniuk, there is just something missing. The characters, Mr. 72, Mr. 137, Mr. 600, and Shelia, are all well-developed and interesting characters who interact well with each other. The way in which the story is narrated, from multiple perspectives in both present time and flashbacks, works very well. The plot twists were subtle, but effective. Even the ending was typical Chuck Palahniuk.
"Snuff" didn't give me the "oh my God, he did not just do that!" moment I usually get from his books. The last few pages didn't grab me the way his endings usually do. I suspect that part of it is the fact that the novel is really an expanded short story, coming in at just under 200 pages. I didn't want the book to end, and it did. And I found it wanting. It's certainly a good book, although a bit pricey for the length. It just doesn't work for me the same way his other books do. And I wish I could put my finger on it.