Monday, November 17, 2008



Surivor - Chuck Paluhniuk

"There’s always the chance you could die right in the middle of your life story."
I've always considered myself a fan of Paluhniuk. The rub is that I haven't even read enough of him to call myself that. I read Fight Club 10 or so years ago, and Haunted and Rant when the both came out (2005 and 2007, respectively), and every time I read another, I love him a little bit more. So I've sort of made it my mission to go back and read all the ones I never got around to reading...like I'm doing with Vonnegut.
Survivor will not end up being my favorite Paluhniuk novel. It probably won't even merit inclusion in a best of Paluhniuk novels list. However, it is definitely worth the read, as it is a pretty entertaining satire of American culture. In short, the story begins as Tender Branson, the last surviving member of the Creedish religion/cult, tells his life story to a black box on a plane that's about to crash into the Australian outback. He tells of his childhood (or lack thereof), leaving the complex to become a virtual slave to a wealthy normal couple, the end of the Creedish people, and his forced inclusion into the mainstream as a religious icon. The novel is dark and funny, at times you may even felt guilty for laughing, but you'll enjoy it every step of the way.
Now, which of his novels should I take on next?

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