Diary
£2.97
Unbelievable, repititive, compelling - The novel takes the form of a diary written by former art-student, Misty, as she makes some horrible revelations about her husband and the community in which she lives. Unfortunately it is difficult to imagine someone actually writing a diary in the minimalistic, repititive style of Palahniuk. The story becomes increasingly unbelievable, and I m afraid the ending does not make the novel make more sense (quite the opposite) unlike the ending in the film Fight Club .I haven t read much horror, perhaps the genre requires the reader to dispell his or her disbelief more than I was able to. Why does Misty mention facts about (real) artists constantly, while not mentioning any facts about the fictional artists central to the novel? Is there no local history of the area? Why doesn t she leave notes like the previous artists from the area did? Many questions like these were carelessly left unanswered.The book maintained my interest well, with the occassional small plot turn, otherwise there is little to commend.The repetition is painful at times, which at least forces you to read the book quickly. A parody: He read the same thing again and again. You read the same thing again and again.I had not read any other Chuck Palahniuk books, but the film Fight Club is a favourite of mine, and I had heard complementary things about Palahniuk so I was disappointed to find the novel too unbelievable, too repetitive, and lacking any theme that connects with me.
He writes like a pro - Chuck Palahniuk is one of those writers who, after you ve read one of his books, you have to read all the others. It s the same way with the works of David Sedaris and Jackson McCrae, Christopher Moore, too. And so I came by way of Diary through Fight Club and Survivor. Palahniuk s works are dark and disturbing, but there s a wry, cynical humor there also. He obviously owes a debt of gratitude to Kurt Vonnegut and the likes of even Oscar Wilde, but he s made his style his own and it s one heck of a style.As usual, the author wraps his books around some theme (infanticide, choking, etc) but the ideas go deeper and more complex than you can imagine. Much in the same was as McCrae s Katzenjammer does with its odd twists and turns. Or the way Martin Amis convolutes his plots in his Money and Success. If you want a book like no other--if you want a lot of them--then read Diary and all other C.P. books.
Everything is a self-portrait - Chuck Palahniuk s sixth novel takes the form a coma diary written by Misty Wilmot, a washed-up art student whose husband, Peter, has been left unconscious after a botched suicide. Long-time readers of Palahniuk will immediately recognise the author s distinct, so-called nihilistic style, and like Fight Club and Lullaby before it, Diary is both blackly comic and astoundingly original. Take for, example, the opening line from the book s second entry (June 22): By the time you read this, you ll be older than you remember. In the four pages that follow, Palahniuk succeeds in identifying Peter as a rather despicable character and eliciting sympathy for the long suffering Misty - all by way of a simple science lesson about the movement of the facial muscles. In truth, there is nothing pretty about Palahniuk s writing, and his informative , minimalist style - not to mention a cast of rather bizarre characters - will turn off as many readers as it will attract. The author makes little attempt to hide the fact that he is trying to deliver his own message, indeed, sometimes he seems at pains to get his point across - to the slight detriment of the narrative s flow. And while the numerous artistic and historical references scattered throughout clearly serve a purpose, there is occasionally a sense that ol Chuck is being a bit smug. For example, the name of the island on which Misty has wound up - the place that still, in spite of everything, holds the key to her dreams - is called Waytansea. Geddit? And yet this is a beautiful book, an intricate, well executed piece of fiction-writing with a plot that unfolds in an intriguing and twisted manner, as Misty makes one unpleasant discovery after another about her senseless husband. Once again, Palahniuk manages to take the reader and show them a world beyond life s little tragedies, wherein his characters find inspiration from the most unlikely of sources and discover the true strength of the human spirit. Diary is an ambitious, transcendent and inspiring book, and as such, it s one that I highly recommend. Matt Pucci
Half baked pseudo-philosophy - This book really did not live up to its reviews. I was expecting great things after reading several of Palahniuk s other novels but the plot line and writing style of Diary left me wondering what went wrong. Palahniuk fills his work with so many references to scientific and artistic terms (often inaccurate) that the real story and narrative is lost under such attempts to prove to the reader just how clever he is being. However this often falls flat when his references are patronising (maybe I m the only reader who already knew what a camera obscura was, but I doubt it) or require seriously clunky dialogue between the characters in order to explain themselves. As for the storyline, whilst I wasnt expecting straightforward realism (obviously) I was hoping for at least believability, but how can you take a story seriously when the main character s intelligence is undermined simply to move the narrative forward? The characterisations are dire, and the narrative lacks the clear cut gritty brilliance of his early novels like Survivor and Fight Club, getting lost in piles of mumbo jumbo about graphology and Art School trivia (note: Writing about art is incredibly difficult - using fun facts about suicidal artists throughout a narrative will not convince the reader that you know what you are talking about) One review of Diary said this book is perfect for art lovers - I disagree. This book is great for anyone who doesnt know a thing about art, because they are the only people who won t see how clumsy and amateur Palahniuk s references and descriptions are.Really disappointing. Palahniuk attempts some kind of modern day Wicker Man storyline with pointless philosophical overtones taken straight out of a freshers reading list. Reviews who described this as a horror must have been taking the piss. The only horror about Diary is the fact I spent money buying it.
Wrong side of a different track... - Diary is another of Mr P s extraordinary books, which will enthral and exhilarate readers from the first to the last page.One of the things that frustrates me about Palahniuk, which is also probably the greatest reason why he is still manages to evades cheesy main stream writing by continuing in his nihilistic style, is simply this... you never see where a plot line is going. The depth of this book is undeniable. This can lead to frustration when reading Diary as he often leaves you with a substantial headache as you try to figure out the plots twists and turns before they happen.This book is for the Palahniuk fan not the Chuck starter. Read Survivor, Choke or Lullaby (probably in that order) to get you started... You could even give Fight Club a miss completely. I say this because if you have seen the film you already know the story.Be amazed, refreshed, stunned, shuffle uncomfortably as you cheer for the antiheroes that Mr P creates and begin coveting from a far at the sheer genius of this awesome writer.