Diary (2003)

Some asshole (or teenager, come to think of it) had circled every standalone sort-of-profundity in my, which called attention to some bits I wouldn't have dwelt upon otherwise. ( )

Excellent mind-fuck, such as Palahniuk is wont to write. ( )

Some funny stuff in there, but the plot was not that engaging to me. ( )

I am usually wary of authors attempting narratives from the perspective of main characters of the opposite sex, but Palahniuk delivers. This book is about a woman dealing with the attempted suicide of her husband and the unravelling of a lifestyle she spent her entire life dreaming of and trying to obtain. She is sometimes infuriating in her relentless bitterness and sometimes pitiful and worthy of a reader's deepest sympathies, but she never stops being Misty, so kudos to Palahniuk. Woolf would be impressed, I'm sure. This isn't a nihilist fiction, but it is fatalist in its presentation and message. It's straight to the point, a bit terrifying in places, and thoroughly entertaining. Long-time fans and new readers alike should enjoy this novel. ( )

Diary
By Chuck Palahniuk

After Misty Wimot’s husband attempts suicide and ends up in a coma her mother in law suggest she keep a diary for him, writing down all of the mundane things she can think of so that when he wakes up he will know what he has missed. Misty’s diary is full of anger at her husband as she finds messages he has sealed away in houses all over the island they live on, but soon her diary takes a dark twist as the islanders push her to paint again and once she does she soon winds up regretting her decision.

This is the first novel by Chuck Palahniuk I have read so I didn’t know quite what to expect. I wouldn’t exactly classify this as a horror novel but it is twisted and demented that there cannot be another genre so fitting. The novel starts off sarcastic and mean but when your husband calls you a fat cow in messages he has left before he tries to kill himself, well needless to say you’d be pissed off too. When you hear about a woman who is surviving such an incident you would think there is no way I can understand how that character feels, but the author manages to bring each character to life so vividly you completely sympathize feeling each emotion she feels and wanting to play her drinking game right along with her. But the best part of the novel is the ending; with a spectacular twist that is sure to leave you going “What the heck?” this author definitely saved the best for last. I had thought I figured it out and then Chuck Palahniuk came out of left field with such an amazing twist I can’t wait to read more of his work.

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http://bookwormrflects8.blogspot.com/ ( )