++BOOK++ review by Simon Key
The cult of Chuck Palahniuk is growing ever more powerful. Simon Key revisits one of his earlier novels and offers a ‘gentle introduction’ into his fucked up world.
Chuck Palahniuk can’t be described as your usual everyday writer. Take these examples
* At readings of his short story ‘Guts’, a story based around masturbating in a swimming pool, 73 people have reported to have fainted in shock.
* His next book, ‘Snuff’ due out (intentionally) around Mother’s Day, centres around a pornstars attempt to beat the world record for serial intercourse
* Having had his first novel turned down for being ‘too disturbing’ he went onto to write Fight Club in an attempt to show his publisher how disturbing he could really be.
"He writes like an angel of death, beautiful and dangerous, and never wastes words. "
It’s difficult to recommend one particular book of Palahniuk’s. Obviously everyone’s heard about Fight Club. And whilst this is an absolute tour de force, I would have to say that Lullaby is the title that shows his writing at its most inventive and dark.
A reporter, investigating a spate of crib deaths, notices that a book of poems and rhymes is always present at the scene. The book is always open at a particular poem that, it transpires, when read aloud or in fact thought of in the right direction will kill the person it’s being aimed at. With this frightening knowledge, he begins an insane road trip with the aid of three misfits, to track down every copy of the book in order to destroy them forever. The problem is, he knows about the poem now. Can he live with this power without using it himself?
There are big topics in this book, (abuse of power, government control) and it can be read on so many different levels. Read a second time, and you may find it a completely different experience. He writes like an angel of death, beautiful and dangerous, and never wastes words. His descriptions on minutiae are necessary and brilliant and whereas his other books have maybe attracted testosterone fuelled boys, this one is totally accessible to all sexes. If you can stand the pace and stare into the face of something pretty dark and disturbing, then Chuck’s your man.
I'm opening The Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green, North London in March. Check out the blog at http://woodgreenbookshop.blogspot.com/, and don’t forget to visit when it opens.
++ Simon Key ++
Artrocker rating: 4
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