Chuck Palahniuk Puns

After a brief hiatus, r/books is pleased to recommence with our monthly book club!

During the month of March, we will be reading Rant: An Oral History of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk. Each week there will be a discussion thread and when we are done, Chuck himself will be joining us for an AMA on Tuesday, March 30th.

From Goodreads (feel free to skip if you prefer to know nothing going into the book):

>Buster “Rant” Casey just may be the most efficient serial killer of our time. A high school rebel, Rant Casey escapes from his small town home for the big city where he becomes the leader of an urban demolition derby called Party Crashing. Rant Casey will die a spectacular highway death, after which his friends gather the testimony needed to build an oral history of his short, violent life.

!Content Warning! (possible spoilers)>!rape, incest, pedophilia, gore, misogyny, homophobia, possible animal cruelty!<

You may find the dates of, and links to, the discussion threads below in the sticky comment on this post. You are welcome to read at your own pace. Don't worry about joining later on in the month. Usually it is pretty easy to catch up and you are always welcome to join the discussions a little later.

If you would like to view any past book club selection or want to see how things work, you may find the complete archive here.

For those of you that are viewing reddit on the redesigned desktop version you will see an option on this post to 'follow'. If you 'follow' the book club post you will receive a notification when a new post, a discussion thread for book club, is added to the collection. It is still being tested, so it may not be perfect, but perhaps it will make it easier to join the discussions when they go up.

I am having a really hard time finding any. And, please do not request Gone Girl.

Thanks

Looking for a light read that's batshit crazy in a fun surreal way.

From his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience: “...my classic thing is that there are so few social model novels for stories for men. For women, there are. Every season there's a new [...][book][...] in which women can come together and talk about their lives and if you’re [a] man you've got either Fight Club or you have the Dead Poets Society and that is really it.”

Do you agree with this statement? Those seem like polarizing examples to me.

edit: THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

Link to the original announcement thread.

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the third discussion thread for the March selection, Rant: an Oral History of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk! We will be discussing up to (and including) Chapter 30 - In Mourning. Hopefully you have all managed to buy or check-out the book and are caught up, but if you haven't, you can still join in on a later discussion; however, this thread will be openly discussing up to chapter 30. If you wish to talk about anything beyond this point, please use spoilers.

Below are some questions to help start conversation, though because this week was a lot of ramp up to the finale, I imagine that it will be more your general thoughts on new context for established elements. Feel free to answer some or all of them, or post about whatever your thoughts on the material.

1. What are some of your favorite parts or quotes? What parts did you find confusing or wish were different?
2. What are your thoughts around the I-SEE-U act? Does it bring to mind other events (in fiction or otherwise)?
3. What are some small scenes or lines of dialog that you are holding onto, expecting to see pay off? Is there anything you would want to watch for upon a reread?
4. For first-time readers, what questions or predictions do you have moving forward? What is your expected ending and what could you see really surprising you? How does boosting, party crashing, I-SEE-U, and Rant's family tie together?

Reminder that next week we will be finishing the book and the final discussion will begin Friday, March 26th. Then Chuck Palahniuk will be here for an AMA on Tuesday, March 30th

This weekend, the announcement for April Book Club selection will be posted. It will (probably) not be pinned as an announcement until after the AMA on Tuesday but it will give you time to check it out of the library or purchase it ahead of week one. The final weekly discussion for Rant will link back to it as well.

In '06, when I was 16, I read Fight Club after having seen the movie a year or so prior. I fell back in love with reading.

See, I was lucky enough to have two parents who were both avid readers. Hell my mom was an English teacher for the first 20 years of my life so books were always all over my house.

I say I fell back in love with reading because around age 14 I became too cool for school, smoking weed and chasing girls. I had my first cell phone at age 15 I believe, and among other factors I just stopped reading.

I had also started using cocaine and my fragile live spiraled out of control. So it was decided that I needed to get away, and was sent to live with my father and wicked stepmother a state away. I went from a suburb right outside a massive Metro area to a podunk town with one highschool and one Walmart whose parking lot doubled as a hangout for high schoolers on weekends. Misery insued.

I truly believe the only good thing my father has ever done for me was instill in me a love for books and how not to raise my kids if I ever have any. But that's neither here nor there. We would go to the library weekly. About a month in after I finally accepted this would be my life until the second semester of my Junior year was over I picked a book out at the library. Fight club.

Up until that point the Harry Potter books were my favorite although I'd only read the first couple. Wonderful of course but just a completely different genre. I finished FC in two days and was just overwhelmed by how the words on the page made me feel.

I needed more. The only other Palahniuk book they had was Haunted. My adolescent mind was blow. See, I just had no idea books like this existed. How could a book make me laugh, cry, feel uncomfortable, and even sick to my stomach ( you know if you read it). I fell back in love with reading.

I will not bore you any further with the details of my life from 17 to 31 but I want to share with you some recent events. Having battled with addiction all my life I am recently sober and wanted to pick up reading again as I'd only completed 1 or 2 books since I was released from prison a couple months before turning 24. I chose Make Something Up. A book of short stories by Palahniuk. The hooks in deep and it will not come out easy this time.

Palahniuk has been busy so I have much to look forward to although I have read about 75% of his catalog. My Favorite work of his is a tie between Choke and Rant. I will be

I’m searching for books for a friend, she hasn’t had time to read for pleasure for some time as she’s been working on multiple degrees in the medical fields for the past decade.

She’s said her favorite authors from her younger years are Kurt Vonnegut and Chuck Palunik, specifically his work Invisible Monsters.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.

I really enjoyed this! I had considered picking it up when it came out last year but just wishlisted it, and then it was an audible.com Daily Deal a couple days ago. I snagged it for $1.95 and now know I would gladly have paid full price for it. I am pretty sure, in fact, that I'll be getting a physical copy of the book specifically so I can reread and highlight throughout it.

As a teen, I adored Invisible Monsters. I thought it was daring and unusual- things that I wanted to be.

I recently read Adjustment Day and found it to be one of the most ridiculous books I’ve ever read. (Black people magic levitating golden pyramids, harvesting men’s sperm many times per day, genetic purity testing via tasting saliva, r*pe-whether it was ear or poop- being referenced in an alarming amount, etc). It was like an worse version of The Man in the High Castle.

I tried the first two of the Damned/Doomed trilogy a few years back and didn’t like them, but figured it was a one off.

I’m of the soft opinion now that almost everything he’s written falls into the category of Im14andThisIsDeep or subject matter and plot that an extremely emotionally stunted adult would gravitate towards. (Much respect for Fight Club though.)

Any thoughts, whether in agreement or to the contrary, would be more than welcome! Maybe it’s just my overly narrow view of his books.

Ok, technically it was the audiobook. But hey close enough.

Have you ever wondered what Chuck Palahniuk's peers look like?

Well, now you can wonder no more, as Mr.Palahniuk hand-selected some of his favorite short stories and compiled them into one book.

Clearly based on his forward of the book, his theme of the book are stories that make you feel very uncomfortable. Yes, I would personally label this book as "Transgressive Digest" a big book of taboo subject matter.

Such as

Ambagious Endings

Suicide

Beastiality

Dietary Medicine

School Violence

Questionable Blind Dates

PTSD

Cruel Siblings

Incel Over-achievers

Retail Urban Legends

Small Town Scandals

And Much More.....

What surprised me the most is how well written these stories are, I was expecting edgelord childishness that you would see on your average dank meme Reddit forum. But was pleasantly surprised to see that each story had a darkly comedic tragic sensibility.

It's refreshing to see writers go for the throat when dealing with any of the subject matter that I mentioned above. I would be truly surprised to see some of these writers take a stab at horror fiction or at the very least flesh out some stories into a film narrative.

But again, I want to stress if you never read a Chuck Palahniuk novel and think this is a good starting point? ABSOLUTELY NOT, DON'T READ THIS.

I would recommend reading his first novel Fight Club, Survivor, or Haunted before reading this.

As for the rest of you Palahniuk fans, who are on the fence and not sure, then yes read this. It's an enduring reminder that transgressive storytelling is very much alive and well.

I really love both of their writing styles, as well as their penchants for dark subject matter and unlikeable protagonists who are snide, comically cynical and discontent with the world around them. I love Damned and My Year of Rest and Relaxation the most - the protagonist in the latter is my favourite I've read about in a second and I'd especially love to read about characters similar to her. Also, absolutely not dealbreakers, but I much prefer first person narration as well as female and/or villainous protagonists.

Other general favourites are You by Caroline Kepnes, Bunny by Mona Awad and I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid - they don't need to be similar to these, but just to get a sharper idea of what I like.

Thanks in advance!

honestly such a blast to read, absolutely loved the second half, especially. i really enjoyed this and i found it difficult to put down once it got going. i love the themes of masculinity, depravity, and the meaning of being human or lack there of.

looking forward to reading next week’s Night Film by Marisha Pessl

Link to the original announcement thread.

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the final discussion thread for the March selection, Rant: an Oral History of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk! Here and now, for all of your thoughts on everything in the book.

Below are some questions to help start conversation. Feel free to answer some or all of them, or go your own way.

1. There was a lot to digest this week - were you confused by some parts? Was the ending satisfying? Surprising? Was the pay off earned and adequately foreshadowed? What patterns do you discern in the way different elements connected?
2. What were your favorite parts of the novel?
3. For those of you who have read other Palahniuk works, how does Rant compare?
4. What are some suggested readings for people who loved this book and want more like it?

Update - The AMA with Chuck is unfortunately going to be postponed a little due to unforeseen circumstances. Chuck sends his apologies and we will hopefully have a new date soon. Watch the schedule for changes.

Announcement - Our next book club selection for the month of April will be The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett! You can find the announcement thread with reading dates and more, here. If you have any feedback on the club format or suggestions moving forward, please add them in the announcement thread as well.

Link to the original announcement thread.

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the second discussion thread for the March selection, Rant: an Oral History of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk! We will be discussing up to (and including) Chapter 20 - Junkyards. Hopefully you have all managed to buy or check-out the book and are caught up, but if you haven't, you can still join in on a later discussion; however, this thread will be openly discussing up to chapter 20. If you wish to talk about anything beyond this point, please use spoilers.

Below are some questions to help start conversation. Feel free to answer some or all of them, or post about whatever your thoughts on the material.

1. What are some of your favorite parts or quotes? What parts did you find confusing or wish were different?
2. How has your understanding or expectations of the story-world of Rant changed this week?
3. What thoughts come to mind with boosting? Do you imagine experiences you would want to boost? Ways or people and animals you would want to enhance sensories? Or maybe ethical or philosophical ramifications?
4. What are some patterns you see emerging between the elements of party crashing, boosting, the tooth fairy economy, rabies, chronic boner syndrome, booby-trapped food, the haunted house, and weaponized Easter eggs?
5. For first-time readers, what questions or predictions do you have moving forward?
6. Bonus: If Rant became a movie, who would you cast to direct? Who would play Rant?

Reminder that next week we will be reading up to (and including) Chapter 30 and the discussion will begin Friday, March 19th.

Link to the original announcement thread.

Hello everyone,

Welcome to the first discussion thread for the March selection, Rant: an Oral History of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk! We will be discussing up to (and including) Chapter 10 - Werewolves. Hopefully you have all managed to buy or check-out the book but if you haven't, you can still catch up and join in on a later discussion; however, this thread will be openly discussing up to chapter 10. If you wish to talk about anything beyond this point, please use spoilers.

Below are some questions to help start conversation. Feel free to answer some or all of them, or post about whatever your thoughts on the material.

1. What are some of your favorite parts or quotes? What parts did you find confusing or wish were different?
2. How do you feel about the oral history format? Have you read books (or consumed other media) with a similar style and do you find it serves the story or is it frustrating?
3. Through reading these accounts of Rant's life, what sort of person do you understand him to be?
4. How do you feel the pandemic has played into your reception of the material? (Especially if this is not your first time reading!)
5. What questions do you have moving forward?
6. Bonus: what would be a theme song for Rant based on these chapters?

Reminder that next week we will be reading up to (and including) Chapter 20 and the discussion will begin Friday, March 12th.