Palahniuk C P Books : Rant: The Oral History of Buster Casey

Rant: The Oral History of Buster Casey

£3.01


Chuck Palahniuk is, of course, best known for Fight Club, a remarkable novel which gave rise to an equally remarkable movie. As a writer, his specialty has been in having no speciality -- other than that of refusing to conform to any expectations readers might have of him. Except in one regard: a book by Palahniuk will be edgy, dark and iconoclastic. Which is very much the case with Rant, The Oral History of Buster Casey. This is a novel that leaves the reader notably off-kilter for a number of reasons, its coal-black vision of a society in a state of near savagery and its sardonically funny approach to the scabrous narrative. The ‘Oral History’ here relates to Buster ‘Rant’ Casey -- and the picture we receive of him is conveyed through a motley group of enemies, friends, relations and sexual partners. Through their wildly differing accounts, we build up a picture of a very unusual man indeed: a charismatic, sinister figure with a predilection for one recreational drug (the main component of which is rabies, no less). His other substance-of-choice (in terms of highly dangerous stimulants) is the venom of a black widow spider (for its aphrodisiac qualities). Living in a small town which is barely civilised (and the passages relating to this bizarre locale are conveyed in Palahniuk’s most phantasmagorical writing), Rant opts to strike out for the big town, and quickly establishes himself at the head honcho of an urban demolition derby which goes by the name of ‘Party Crashing’. The group, on selected nights, conducts a demented game of lethal dodgems, seeking out each other in cars to bring about satisfying motorway mayhem. And in the midst of this madness, Rant, a truly toxic figure, is spreading a variety of very nasty things among those he encounters. This is nothing less than a vision of society plunged into insanity, with every comforting conventional aspect ruthlessly torn away. It s futuristic, it s very dark, and it s very funny. And (as the foregoing might suggest) it is most definitely not for those who like their literature sedate and unshocking. And in that way, of course, it s a typical Chuck Palahniuk novel. --Barry Forshaw

subtle but hard work - Palahniuk has used the multiple narrative form before, but the oral history conceit of this novel gives him the opportunity for further subtlety and ambiguity. This is more ambitous than some of his recent writings, though full of his usual themes of mutilation, degradation, disease and mortality. well worth the effort though probably not the best introduction to this author.

Typically Chuck P. - Rant is full of Chuck P s usual violence, sex, unbalanced characters with a mix of high adrenaline action, philosophy for the 2000 s and some truly bizzare moments. It s typically good if you like this sort of literature, but I wouldn t recommend it to someone who s never read Palahniuk before. Start with Fight Club and come back to this.

The Underdog - I am a massive fan of Fight Club and Haunted, for me this book gave me elements of both. There is real substance to this book, full of those moments when you think you ve figured it all out.As usual this book will keep you thinking and it builds tension well throughout. Not a candidate for first-chuck but good for the seasoned veteran nonetheless.

Mind-boggling eighth novel from author of Fight Club - Love him or hate him, Chuck Palahniuk is one of the most daring and adventurous writers of his generation. Having made his mark in trail-blazing style with Fight Club (now more than ten years old) the author has garnered praise and criticism in equal measure for his bold, minimalist style, sparse plots and warped characterisation - as well some genuinely stomach-turning descriptive passages. Rant, with its use of multiple narratives to tell the story of Buster Rant Casey - a young man from a town four hours drive from anywhere who, in his time, was responsible for the phenomenon known as party-crashing and the spread of rabies among the social underclass (referred to here as Nighttimers ) - is typical Palahniuk fare. But this is an exceptional and excellent novel, both bizarre and compelling. It lacks the rawness and millennial angst of Fight Club or Survivor, and unlike, say, Choke, this is not one you ll be able to read in one sitting. However, Rant sees Palahniuk at his most ambitious and anarchic, as he incorporates elements of science fiction theory (notably, the grandfather paradox ) into a sustained attack on a whole range of societal conventions. Personally, I find it impossible not to be won over by Palahniuk s searing insights into the human condition, however disturbing and far-fetched they may be. Accordingly, I enjoyed this book immensely and even found myself laughing out loud on a number of occasions at the sheer audacity of some of the story s twists. Highly recommended. Matt Pucci

Excellent Modern Speculative Fiction from a Great Talent - I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and was impressed, as ever, with Palaniuk s psychological truth. The futuristic element of this dystopia reminds me of Richard Matheson s work, with the insanity of bureaucratic logic pitted against the needs and desires of the individual. His characters are always skilfully drawn, in at least three dimensions. His female characters are neither ciphers nor stereotypes, always multi-layered individuals.In all a work which could have been undermined by its structure, its oral history which could so easily have become a gimmick in the wrong hands, instead has its key themes reflected in its very structure, the disrupted time-line, the fractured society the characters live in, and most of all the disjointed personality and personal history of its eponymous protagonist.Palahniuk differentiates between voices skilfully, yet weaves a seamless narrative. The revelations are suitably disconcerting and, though not entirely unexpected, he explores the implications so fully that even those of the the butler did it mindset, the last page readers, would not feel they wasted their time reading right through.




Rant: The Oral History of Buster Casey