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[Alucard]

Wow. What a great way to end the book. Twist after twist, the author had me guessing right up until the very end, before making everything make a sort of sense. Totally brilliant writing and story-crafting. I loved the characters, loved the socially conscious messages, and all of the confusion. Are all of Palahniuk's books this damn good? I think I'll pick up Fight Club next. Either that or Good Omens by Gaiman and Pratchett.

 

[Particle Physicist]

GET GOOD OMENS ...

and lullaby was a great book.. really enjoyed that one.

 

[Alucard]

I've actually owned Good Omens for the better part of 3 years now. It's just been sitting there. I started reading it when I first got it but put it down after about 100 pages for no real reason. I've got a bunch of books in my house that my sister left over when she decided to hop over to the States and basically leave home. So right now I'm looking at Lolita by Nabokov, All Families Are Psychotic by Douglas Coupland, or the aformentioned Good Omens.

 

[Particle Physicist]

good omens is one of my favorite books ever. i absolutely love it. but its really up to you. i usually get in a little rut with an author, and read several books by them before moving on.. so if i was in your situation, i would probably read fight club next.. just dont forget about good omens.. its so great.

im currently reading and thoroughly enjoying 'The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay' by Michael Chabon. For those wondering, Michael Chabon is writer of the book turned movie: Wonder Boys, and he also helped out with the Spiderman 2 script (one of the many reasons why it was so great)..


i believe Kavalier & Clay will be turned into a movie as well...



..

yup: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0366165/

 

[way more]

What I liked most about Lullaby was that the characters weren't so damn lonely like other Palahniuk. It's also is more plot driven, the others are more character studies. If you liked Lullaby you'll like the others, just read them all since there is no consensus on which is the best/worst.

 

[ArcadeStickMonk]

It was very creative but in the end I didn't like it. It just started getting too "out there," ya know? Like Dean Koontz had stepped in the finish some parts.

In general I liked the twists on the characters, and the overall style, but

Spoiler

assassinating dudes by thinking about it? And the part with the frozen baby?

Pure Koontz.

 

[Alucard]

It was very creative but in the end I didn't like it. It just started getting too "out there," ya know? Like Dean Koontz had stepped in the finish some parts.

In general I liked the twists on the characters, and the overall style, but

Spoiler

assassinating dudes by thinking about it? And the part with the frozen baby?

Pure Koontz.

See, the ridiculousness of the plot near the end was what made me love it even more. Just when you think the story can't get any more bizarre,

Spoiler

there is a frozen baby with a woman vomiting all over herself with no teeth and chewing on glass

. I also just really enjoyed how everything came together so well in the end.

Spoiler

The chapters written in italics had me a little perplexed. For some reason I was thinking it was the author himself just talking about how he was writing the book and his adventures on the road. Then you find out it's actually Carl Streator telling the story to the audience while on the search for Oyster and Mona, Lord knows how long after the events of the original story concluded.

You didn't find that at least a little clever?

 

[ArcadeStickMonk]

Clever? Yes; and I really like Chuck's work. Fight Club is practically indescribable to me.

But by the time the revelation comes, I had already rolled eyes over all those things we just spoiler tagged. I kind of felt like the book had let me down for taking it so seriously. I just hate it when a piece is written with such skill and unique style, but still throws in weak hoodoo like this book did.

 

[Alucard]

Suspension of disbelief. I look at the book as a commentary and a satire of modern society. It goes on about Big Brother and society being fed their opinions and tastes by the consumer world, and I felt that all of the supernatural elements were put in because that's the type of stuff that mainstream society eats up in movies. It reminded me of the movie Adaptation in that regard...starts out seriously but becomes what it's preaching against to get its message accross.

 

[Particle Physicist]

It reminded me of the movie Adaptation in that regard...starts out seriously but becomes what it's preaching against to get its message accross.

exactly! it becomes a parody of itself..