3 posts tagged “murder”
Finishing my second Palahniuk book, I am struck by how many people are shocked by this work. I suppose it did have scenes not usually depicted (the cannibalism springs to mind foremost) but I'd use a word like chilling over shocking.
The book largely seems like an indictment of reality TV. Let's hope that eventually people are not killing and being killed for the sake of one's 15 minutes.
The structure of the novel is interesting. It is a novel about writers who are writing short stories throughout the novel. Every other chapter is a short story "written" by one of the characters. Really, the stories are confessions from each one's past.
The short stories are far more interesting than the novel proper. No less unbelievable, but very memorable.
While Haunted is vastly different from Choke (and one of Palahniuk's more minor novels) I'd say I did draw one more conclusion about the author's style.
He has a talent for making the most far-fetched idea seem, at least, plausible.
The book largely seems like an indictment of reality TV. Let's hope that eventually people are not killing and being killed for the sake of one's 15 minutes.
The structure of the novel is interesting. It is a novel about writers who are writing short stories throughout the novel. Every other chapter is a short story "written" by one of the characters. Really, the stories are confessions from each one's past.
The short stories are far more interesting than the novel proper. No less unbelievable, but very memorable.
While Haunted is vastly different from Choke (and one of Palahniuk's more minor novels) I'd say I did draw one more conclusion about the author's style.
He has a talent for making the most far-fetched idea seem, at least, plausible.
As with the last few classic books I have read, I am surprised by the dissimilarity between this book and the ideas of the book in pop culture.
Neither Frankenstein nor his creature are anything alike between film and novel. Frankenstein comes across as shallow and cowardly--at least until it is too late. The scientist reminded me of all those bad horror movies where the female lead is running without thought. Frankenstein needed a plan and he needed to protect his family. Instead, he ran around until he twisted his ankle and fell to the ground.
The "monster" is less like a monster than an exile and an outcast. He is erudite, articulate, and athletic. It took a while to adjust to this "new" image of the creature.
The pop culture images of the creature are actually just the image that the character fights against through the book. It seems Shelley failed to get the point across. Or, we really are more like the humanity Shelley represented in her novel than we would like to believe.
Neither Frankenstein nor his creature are anything alike between film and novel. Frankenstein comes across as shallow and cowardly--at least until it is too late. The scientist reminded me of all those bad horror movies where the female lead is running without thought. Frankenstein needed a plan and he needed to protect his family. Instead, he ran around until he twisted his ankle and fell to the ground.
The "monster" is less like a monster than an exile and an outcast. He is erudite, articulate, and athletic. It took a while to adjust to this "new" image of the creature.
The pop culture images of the creature are actually just the image that the character fights against through the book. It seems Shelley failed to get the point across. Or, we really are more like the humanity Shelley represented in her novel than we would like to believe.
Instead of reading the next book on my list I read Story of the Eye. It's on the 1001 book list and only a hundred pages. My main impetus was to read something quick.
I can definitely see why people were shocked back in 1928.
One thing struck me. I have never heard of a murderous egg fetish.
The rest of it was just unpleasant--rape, insanity, blasphemy, murder, golden showers, suicide--but not indescribable.
The egg thing. That's unique. Sick, but unique.
I can definitely see why people were shocked back in 1928.
One thing struck me. I have never heard of a murderous egg fetish.
The rest of it was just unpleasant--rape, insanity, blasphemy, murder, golden showers, suicide--but not indescribable.
The egg thing. That's unique. Sick, but unique.
