Snuff

The vice of Snuff is that there's barely anything worth salvaging. As one fellow reviewer put it, Snuff is "Chuck without purpose." It's not necessarily bad, but in light of it being a Palahniuk novel--those books that break through literary bonds and transform into something so much more than mere stories--Snuff falls short of the expectations its creator has...more

The vice of Snuff is that there's barely anything worth salvaging. As one fellow reviewer put it, Snuff is "Chuck without purpose." It's not necessarily bad, but in light of it being a Palahniuk novel--those books that break through literary bonds and transform into something so much more than mere stories--Snuff falls short of the expectations its creator has held high all these years. Not terrible, but terribly forgettable.   hide

OK this is a lot better than some of his recent stuff. "Rant" I couldn't finish. He started losing me, he went off the deep end there. There's been a lot of bad and mediocre stuff since Fight Club, I've read everything, but he's still so damned good when he's good, and with Snuff he's back full-force! It's like he's got his own "scope" the...more

OK this is a lot better than some of his recent stuff. "Rant" I couldn't finish. He started losing me, he went off the deep end there. There's been a lot of bad and mediocre stuff since Fight Club, I've read everything, but he's still so damned good when he's good, and with Snuff he's back full-force! It's like he's got his own "scope" the "Chuckscope" I'm calling it and he aims it at everything and describes everything exactly as it is, as ugly and wretched and unpleasant as it is (mostly), he gives it to you, and his writing is the only way I can describe it ... crackling   hide

Once again Chuck Palahniuk manages to create an intriguing fiction out of what is, for all intents and purposes, seedier subject matter. Snuff tells the story of Cassie Wright, an aging pornstar who is determined to set a world record for serial fornication. The story is told from the points of view of three of the men in line at the record-breaking event and the woman who is responsible for...more

Once again Chuck Palahniuk manages to create an intriguing fiction out of what is, for all intents and purposes, seedier subject matter. Snuff tells the story of Cassie Wright, an aging pornstar who is determined to set a world record for serial fornication. The story is told from the points of view of three of the men in line at the record-breaking event and the woman who is responsible for keeping the whole show running. The subject matter is such that this book will not be for all readers, but for fans of Chuck Palahniuk this is a solid addition to your library. Definitely check it out.   hide

A delightful and rather quick read (4 to 5 hours?). The book flowed nicely, and remained interesting the whole time, and is filled with that typical Chuck style. But, it is important to remember that the book was meant to be short, it was meant to be quick. It wasn't so much intended to be a social commentary on the pornographic film industry, but a quick and dirty book that was fun to read...more

A delightful and rather quick read (4 to 5 hours?). The book flowed nicely, and remained interesting the whole time, and is filled with that typical Chuck style. But, it is important to remember that the book was meant to be short, it was meant to be quick. It wasn't so much intended to be a social commentary on the pornographic film industry, but a quick and dirty book that was fun to read and got straight to the point. It might not be his masterpiece, or the highlight of his career, but it's a fantastic book as it met his goals and expectations. Snuff was a quick book and was never intentioned to be ground breaking or the most intellectually stimulating. He decided to tell a fun story.. and when I actually finish the book, I have a feeling he'll have done jsut that.   hide

Here's the problem for me: Palahniuk revels in transmitting America's dank arcana. But it never illuminates any other point than this: people get monomaniacal for personal satisfaction. Facts and legends that might have made for a fascinating non-fiction thinkpiece get beaten to death (sorry) over the course of 150 pages. The litany of silent-movie stars who couldn't cope with the advent of...more

Here's the problem for me: Palahniuk revels in transmitting America's dank arcana. But it never illuminates any other point than this: people get monomaniacal for personal satisfaction. Facts and legends that might have made for a fascinating non-fiction thinkpiece get beaten to death (sorry) over the course of 150 pages. The litany of silent-movie stars who couldn't cope with the advent of talkies. Home remedies for the external ravages of aging. The logistics of a successful, world-record-setting gangbang. The repetitions of phrase (about 1,000 different variations on 'pud-puller,' weed-whacker', etc.), the way nearly every character drolly offers a new nugget ("True fact," they solemnly intone, beyond the point of tolerance), the list of parody titles... it's not a story so much as the world's longest single-note stage play. Palahniuk is now the purveyor of dark quirk: tone-deaf, giddy recitations of taboo facts. A weird combo of prudishness and provocation. No one wins.   hide

As with most of Chuck Palahniuks books, they are not for the faint of heart. Here he delves into the world of pornography and into the moments leading up to and surrounding the life of porn queen Cassie Wright and her decision to break the world record of serial fornication- 600 men to be exact. The alternating voices in each chapter can get irksome if you don't like that kind of thing but it...more

As with most of Chuck Palahniuks books, they are not for the faint of heart. Here he delves into the world of pornography and into the moments leading up to and surrounding the life of porn queen Cassie Wright and her decision to break the world record of serial fornication- 600 men to be exact. The alternating voices in each chapter can get irksome if you don't like that kind of thing but it does keep the story fresh and helps it unfold in a unique way. Overall I felt a little set up for the end but the ultimate finish is worth it. If you're a palalhniuk fan or a 'collector of all things erotic' this book is for you (or if you're curious about what surrounds porn)- but if you're squimish about sex don't even bother picking it up.   hide

interesting commentary that offers a lot of questions and challenges beliefs but delivered in a "forced" way. Not my favorite, but not my least favorite either. Still worth the read. I don't think that this is best literary effort but not his worst either. This one lands right in the middle. The subject matter is one that's been debated over and over, but it's clearly one...more

interesting commentary that offers a lot of questions and challenges beliefs but delivered in a "forced" way. Not my favorite, but not my least favorite either. Still worth the read. I don't think that this is best literary effort but not his worst either. This one lands right in the middle. The subject matter is one that's been debated over and over, but it's clearly one that is relevant. When it comes to matters of sex, who holds the power, who is a victim and is it demeaning? These are only questions that you, and your ideology, can answer. So whether you love/hate the book, the heart of the issues is really was it thought provoking and did it make you think of an issue in a different light. I think that even if you aren't a fan that it was still able to take aim at your perceptions.   hide

Pretty good with an ending that will really shock you and make you laugh. I would recommend it, and don't think it is perverse because it is about porn. This is a solid story about a young boy seeking out his life story and the twisted life of a porn star mom's love for her child. About done with this book and love it. I would recommend it to anyone who loves dark humor. Although...more

Pretty good with an ending that will really shock you and make you laugh. I would recommend it, and don't think it is perverse because it is about porn. This is a solid story about a young boy seeking out his life story and the twisted life of a porn star mom's love for her child. About done with this book and love it. I would recommend it to anyone who loves dark humor. Although you may wish for more juicy details, but what this book does not leave you wanting to exercise your imagination. Chuck did it again. I read this along with Choke, so I had a big dose of disturbing. I love his style and the topic could not be better. How about thinking that your mom is a porn star that is breaking the world record and while you wait in line to be a part of the record setting feat you find out you have a sister and that mom had planned on giving it all up to make her childs life better. The story has a shocking end to say the least.   hide

I'm a diehard fan of Chuck. So perhaps I'm a little more forgiving than the masses, who (rightly) said this wasn't one of his best efforts. Still, who else could pull off writing this sordid, vulgar, hilariously disturbing book?? "SNUFF" is about an aging porn star's last hurrah, a massive gang-bang on film, told from the perspectives of three of the men who are going...more

I'm a diehard fan of Chuck. So perhaps I'm a little more forgiving than the masses, who (rightly) said this wasn't one of his best efforts. Still, who else could pull off writing this sordid, vulgar, hilariously disturbing book?? "SNUFF" is about an aging porn star's last hurrah, a massive gang-bang on film, told from the perspectives of three of the men who are going to...um... assist her in breaking Annabel Chong's world record, and also told by her assistant, who isn't what she first seems to be. It's short, quick, and down   hide