Thursday, May 22, 2008

Snuffed

I've been doing a lot of reading lately. I think I'm to something like 15 books this year. I've made a list of the books I've read (I'll post it eventually). One of the cool perks I have at work is I can borrow hardcover books. I borrow them, read them, and then return them. It's a great money saver, but it also allows me to become familiar with product. The last book I read was Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk. I'm not a huge Chuck fan. I've read FIght Club a few years back and have listened to another one of his books, a nonfiction that I think was called Stranger than Fiction, but that's is.

It wasn't a bad book, but it didn't exactly set my world on fire. As per usual, and this one reason why I don't generally read Chuck, the book is rather disturbing. It is about a 600 man gangbang. It is written from the viewpoint of Mr. 72, Mr. 137, Mr. 600, and the "talent wrangler." We are, for the most part, kept in the "waiting room," if you will, which is fine, I don't need a, pardon the pun, blow by blow account of what's happening upstairs with the aging pornstar actress. There are some twists and turns in the book and at times, I felt a bit bewildered. The book is short, just over 200 pages, so reading it was being a fast moving train. It was tough to keep up. It kept me off balance a bit, I'm sure that was the intention. Chuck obviously did reasearch, he certainly delved into the "Babylon-esque" world of Hollywood. A dead movie star? We found out he or she died. I guess I'd recommend it, but with reservations. Its not going to help you learn or figure out the bigger things in life, for example Pi. Its not even all that entertaining. Any book that you have to read while looking through spread fingers because your stomach is turning is not a very good "relaxing read." I'd give it a B+, I guess.

1 comment:

thirdworstpoetinthegalaxy said...

I'm at this point in my life where time is a commodity and if I start to read a book, I'll only finish it if I'm thoroughly engaged. My 17-year-old self would be mortified to hear me say that. That said, I may give Snuff a try, but it's unlikely. Because it sounds like something I wouldn't care to finish.