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Snuff is a story told from the perspective of 4 people about to make adult film history. All of them are connected in some way that is unknown to them but gets reveled ,to the reader at least, thorough the progression of the story. This is my 2nd Palahniuk book and I like his writing style although it may not be for readers who enjoy a more linear story told from one or two perspectives.The ending comes out of nowhere and is just as unususal as the rest of the book. Overall I would say that if you have enjoyed Palahniuk's other books you should enjoy this one.
One mistake I think Chuck makes is that he sets it in a world that doesn't exist anymore. No. Especially the young man. Men obsessing about the nuances of their bodies, the secrets of how celebrities stay young-looking, esoteric info about drugs and their side effects, encyclopedic knowledge of deaths. Ordinarily, I get caught up in the rhythm of it, but here it was irritating.
There were times when Chuck seemed to be recalling his greatest hits. I can't really put my finger on it. I'm a huge fan and "Choke" ranks as one of my favorite books of all time.But there's just something off about "Snuff." The premise, the characters and the setting are all perfectly set up for another great Palahniuk book, but it just doesn't happen.This is the first time I've ever been distracted by Palahniuk's pronounced writing tics. Like many other authors, Palahniuk seems to be writing about 1979 instead of 2009.
In him, Chuck seems to be saying that the obsession men have with porn actresses is really their attempt to make them the mom they never had. Why is it so boring. We've seen this all before.I never, ever thought a Chuck Palahniuk book about the adult industry could be this boring. He continually speaks about these lavish, big-budget porn movies Cassie Wright appears in, but they don't exist anymore. But there's also some awful material and despite its length, this book really, really drags.
It feels a little weird coming here to write a negative review of something by Chuck Palahniuk. These men who study every detail of these women and their films are really just looking for some maternal affection. Do I agree with that. But it's an interesting theory I've never heard before.So the book has a good setup and good characters. As fun as it is to hear his porn-spoof titles, the simple fact is that his image of the industry is nothing more than false nostalgia. The ending feels like some cheap "Law & Order" dramatic-sting reveal.There's nothing especially bad about this book. Often it felt like I was reading someone trying to imitate his style.
It's just kind of stale and forgettable. Frankly, the porn industry Chuck paints isn't even close to the reality of it today. (It would be fun to hear Chuck's thoughts of the real world of porn -- where everything is streamed right into your bedroom via the Internet, and where the viewers are now the performers, using the anonymity of the 'Net to live out their fantasies).The book (which is more along the lines of short-story length) is broken up into chapters narrated by four different characters: a young man who thinks Cassie Wright is his biological mother, an aging gay TV star desperate to rekindle his career (he thinks he'll do it by proving he's straight), an old porn star who got Cassie into the industry, and the woman running the gang-bang film the three men are going to be in.As you'd expect, they all have interesting stories. Chuck's dry humor comes through and I did chuckle a few times. Which is something I would never expect from Palahniuk and probably won't see again anytime soon.
Seems to start out strong, but then fails to really get going. The entire novel feels like an intro to something else. Something better.
I purchased this item for a Christmas Gift~ I Imagine it was well liked as it was on their Christmas List~
It reminded me of those novels that are entirely based on emails or something interesting like that. I just finished Snuff, and it was a kooky ride. And I sympathized with all the characters. I'm not quite sure I even got all of it, but what I did get was entertaining, and slightly weird. I really enjoyed the four different points of view in the story, and how it kept switching back and forth while still moving the story forward. The story itself - a woman trying to break a world record at a porn movie shoot - didn't do much for me, but I did enjoy not knowing what was going to happen, and the various little twists. It was definitely an entertaining read.
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