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This is the book that demanded I take this man seriously. A collection of short essays shows the commitment he has to the craft of writing. Some are hilarious, some are touching. All are entertaining.
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Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories
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From the bestselling author of Fight Club and Diary, a collection of essays and journalistic pieces that prove that real life has imagination beaten cold in the strangeness and wonder departments
Chuck Palahniuk's world has always been, well, different from yours and mine. The pieces that comprise Stranger Than Fiction, his first nonfiction collection, prove just how different, in ways both highly entertaining and deeply unsettling. Encounters with alternative culture heroes Marilyn Manson and Juliette Lewis; the peculiar wages of fame attendant on the big budget film production of the movie Fight Club; life as an assembly-line drive train installer by day, hospice volunteer driver by night; the really peculiar lives of submariners; the really violent world (and mangled ears) of college wrestlers; the underground world of iron-pumping anabolic steroid gobblers; the immensely upsetting circumstances of his father's murder and the trial of his killer—each essay or vignette offers a unique facet of existence as lived in and/or observed by one of our most flagrantly daring and original literary talents.
Chuck Palahniuk's world has always been, well, different from yours and mine. The pieces that comprise Stranger Than Fiction, his first nonfiction collection, prove just how different, in ways both highly entertaining and deeply unsettling. Encounters with alternative culture heroes Marilyn Manson and Juliette Lewis; the peculiar wages of fame attendant on the big budget film production of the movie Fight Club; life as an assembly-line drive train installer by day, hospice volunteer driver by night; the really peculiar lives of submariners; the really violent world (and mangled ears) of college wrestlers; the underground world of iron-pumping anabolic steroid gobblers; the immensely upsetting circumstances of his father's murder and the trial of his killer—each essay or vignette offers a unique facet of existence as lived in and/or observed by one of our most flagrantly daring and original literary talents.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published June 15,2004
This edition
- Format
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256 pages, Hardcover
- Published
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June 1, 2004 by Doubleday
- ISBN
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9780385504485
- ASIN
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0385504489
- Language
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English
About the author
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Written in stolen moments under truck chassis and on park benches to a soundtrack of The Downward Spiral and Pablo Honey, Fight Club came into existence. The adaptation of Fight Club was a flop at the box office, but achieved cult status on DVD. The film's popularity drove sales of the novel. Chuck put out two novels in 1999, Survivor and Invisible Monsters. Choke, published in 2001, became Chuck's first New York Times bestseller. Chuck's work has always been infused with personal experience, and his next novel, Lullaby, was no exception. Chuck credits writing Lullaby with helping him cope with the tragic death of his father. Diary and the non-fiction guide to Portland, Fugitives and Refugees, were released in 2003. While on the road in support of Diary, Chuck began reading a short story entitled 'Guts,' which would eventually become part of the novel Haunted.
In the years that followed, he continued to write, publishing the bestselling Rant, Snuff, Pygmy, Tell-All, a 'remix' of Invisible Monsters, Damned, and most recently, Doomed.
Chuck also enjoys giving back to his fans, and teaching the art of storytelling has been an important part of that. In 2004, Chuck began submitting essays to ChuckPalahniuk.net on the craft of writing. These were 'How To' pieces, straight out of Chuck's personal bag of tricks, based on the tenants of minimalism he learned from Tom Spanbauer. Every month, a “Homework Assignment” would accompany the lesson, so Workshop members could apply what they had learned. (all 36 of these essays can currently be found on The Cult's sister-site, LitReactor.com).
Then, in 2009, Chuck increased his involvement by committing to read and review a selection of fan-written stories each month. The best stories are currently set to be published in Burnt Tongues, a forthcoming anthology, with an introduction written by Chuck himself.
His next novel, Beautiful You, is due out in October 2014.
In the years that followed, he continued to write, publishing the bestselling Rant, Snuff, Pygmy, Tell-All, a 'remix' of Invisible Monsters, Damned, and most recently, Doomed.
Chuck also enjoys giving back to his fans, and teaching the art of storytelling has been an important part of that. In 2004, Chuck began submitting essays to ChuckPalahniuk.net on the craft of writing. These were 'How To' pieces, straight out of Chuck's personal bag of tricks, based on the tenants of minimalism he learned from Tom Spanbauer. Every month, a “Homework Assignment” would accompany the lesson, so Workshop members could apply what they had learned. (all 36 of these essays can currently be found on The Cult's sister-site, LitReactor.com).
Then, in 2009, Chuck increased his involvement by committing to read and review a selection of fan-written stories each month. The best stories are currently set to be published in Burnt Tongues, a forthcoming anthology, with an introduction written by Chuck himself.
His next novel, Beautiful You, is due out in October 2014.
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Weird. A series of essays, most of which have been published in other papers/magazines. This is my first experience of this author and i'm not really sure what to make of it.
Most of the early stories seem very stripped down, stories about wrestling - where the facts of each bout are told very basically. Other stories really grip the imagination - the combine demolition derby for instance, or the men who build castles out of chicken wire and plaster (or huge lumps of stone).
There's a melancholy tone to all of them - even the recounting of how the author dressed as a dalmation with a friend of his and ran around Seattle, just to see the reaction he'd get (very nearly getting arrested just for being dressed as a dog).
Random thoughts spring up everywhere. The portraits that he offers of people such as Juliette Lewis and Marilyn Manson are really just verbatim conversations or statements that they make to him.
I've already forgotten a lot of this book and I've only just finished it. But the Combine Harvester Demolition Derby - that'll stay in my head for quite a long time to come.
Most of the early stories seem very stripped down, stories about wrestling - where the facts of each bout are told very basically. Other stories really grip the imagination - the combine demolition derby for instance, or the men who build castles out of chicken wire and plaster (or huge lumps of stone).
There's a melancholy tone to all of them - even the recounting of how the author dressed as a dalmation with a friend of his and ran around Seattle, just to see the reaction he'd get (very nearly getting arrested just for being dressed as a dog).
Random thoughts spring up everywhere. The portraits that he offers of people such as Juliette Lewis and Marilyn Manson are really just verbatim conversations or statements that they make to him.
I've already forgotten a lot of this book and I've only just finished it. But the Combine Harvester Demolition Derby - that'll stay in my head for quite a long time to come.
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So it started out all right, but really crashed and burned in my opinion, maybe because I lost patience. This is a collection of stories, some interesting and indeed, almost stranger than fiction, others average. It is at its best when relating other people's stories, worst when it Palahniuk recording his own musings, which to me seemed as if he's trying too hard, and personal stories, which are not generally strange but seem more the experiences of a person who doesn't want to be well-adjusted, even when he's verging on it.
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Error Humano es un libro de relatos, en su mayoría, de tipos que están bastante pillados de la cabeza.
Son muchas historias cortas las que componen el libro, de modo que me resulta difícil hacer una valoración general.
Con algunas me he muerto de la risa (Casi California me ha matado), otras me han cabreado (como Querido Señor Levin)... y alguna me la he saltado porque lo que hagan los paletos sureños con sus cosechadoras me interesa más bien poco.
Son muchas historias cortas las que componen el libro, de modo que me resulta difícil hacer una valoración general.
Con algunas me he muerto de la risa (Casi California me ha matado), otras me han cabreado (como Querido Señor Levin)... y alguna me la he saltado porque lo que hagan los paletos sureños con sus cosechadoras me interesa más bien poco.
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A collection of pieces covering a variety of subjects: autobiographical, ruminative essays; a portrait of Marilyn Manson; a look into amateur wrestling; an expose of a middle-America monster, uh, combine derby; and so on. All written in Palahniuk’s Ernest Hemingway gone jaded, bare-bones, non-judgmental “minimalist” style. Which style he also writes about, by the way.
A lot of the stories are extremely interesting, especially the ones that creep into seldom charted territory (like the combine derby story, or a piece on life in a Navy submarine) — but no matter how much magic Palahniuk’s got in his writing, he just can’t make Juliette Lewis interesting. He’s also very compelling when he writes personal stuff — not so much about his poor murdered father (some things are too troubled to make really engrossing material), but like his times popping steroids or volunteering with AIDS patients or staying at a “haunted” house. Now, if he hadn’t written Fight Club, would this collection of stories in “manly,” terse prose, some startling and some rather boring, be published as a hardback? Probably not. But what’s very good here outshadows the mediocre.
A lot of the stories are extremely interesting, especially the ones that creep into seldom charted territory (like the combine derby story, or a piece on life in a Navy submarine) — but no matter how much magic Palahniuk’s got in his writing, he just can’t make Juliette Lewis interesting. He’s also very compelling when he writes personal stuff — not so much about his poor murdered father (some things are too troubled to make really engrossing material), but like his times popping steroids or volunteering with AIDS patients or staying at a “haunted” house. Now, if he hadn’t written Fight Club, would this collection of stories in “manly,” terse prose, some startling and some rather boring, be published as a hardback? Probably not. But what’s very good here outshadows the mediocre.
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This collection of non-fiction essays starts you off with a one-two punch in the gut (no surprise for anyone that knows Palahniuk) with pieces including descriptions of sexual exhibitionism and of wrestling injuries. (I literally had to pull over to calm my stomach.)
That being said, (and having got through without any 'projectile' incidents) the reader may then enjoy several enjoyable essays touching on Palahniuk's life pre- and post-Fight Club, as well as a few very enlightening interviews with other well-known persons. You may think you have opinions about Juliette Lewis and Marilyn Manson, but their perspectives are well-worth listening to, and I found them particularly thoughtful and rewarding.
My favorite pieces, however, were two about authors and their books. The one on the minimalist writing of Amy Hempel is going to send me out in search of her books right away. And the one conceived as an open address to Ira Levin, author of Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives, is the most important one for us to focus on today, at a time when the necrotizing effect of most news media sources is causing many people to shut off and shut down in despair. The point Palahniuk made over ten years ago, (and that Levin deftly communicated forty and fifty years ago) is that when we become aware of social injustices that need attention, our artistic responses must ride a fine line in order to inspire positive change without overwhelming the audience.
My summary is inelegant compared to to Palahniuk's exposition, so I encourage all that are so inclined, to look up this book and that essay. And may all creatives be duly inspired.
[Note: the audiobook includes "unabridged selections," so I look forward to turning to my print copy to pick up the pieces that were left out.]
That being said, (and having got through without any 'projectile' incidents) the reader may then enjoy several enjoyable essays touching on Palahniuk's life pre- and post-Fight Club, as well as a few very enlightening interviews with other well-known persons. You may think you have opinions about Juliette Lewis and Marilyn Manson, but their perspectives are well-worth listening to, and I found them particularly thoughtful and rewarding.
My favorite pieces, however, were two about authors and their books. The one on the minimalist writing of Amy Hempel is going to send me out in search of her books right away. And the one conceived as an open address to Ira Levin, author of Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives, is the most important one for us to focus on today, at a time when the necrotizing effect of most news media sources is causing many people to shut off and shut down in despair. The point Palahniuk made over ten years ago, (and that Levin deftly communicated forty and fifty years ago) is that when we become aware of social injustices that need attention, our artistic responses must ride a fine line in order to inspire positive change without overwhelming the audience.
My summary is inelegant compared to to Palahniuk's exposition, so I encourage all that are so inclined, to look up this book and that essay. And may all creatives be duly inspired.
[Note: the audiobook includes "unabridged selections," so I look forward to turning to my print copy to pick up the pieces that were left out.]
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(4.5 stars, but rounding up)
This book took me nearly a month to read, which is a long time considering I usually read books in a week or two. What factors into that is while the book is an overall narrative, with one central character, this is still just a collection of nonfiction essays. So, it was easy for me to pick it up, read one or two stories, then put it down and go read something else. Which is why I am rating it so high.
I think had I tried to read it straight through, I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as I did. Palahniuk is a polarizing writer, thinker, and overall personality and I don’t think this book is gonna win over any detractors. He can be a lot to handle, and if you’re insecure of yourself, he can come across as a know it all. At first glance, he seemingly provokes just to provoke. His subject matter is vulgar, and he has no restraints in painting himself as an intellectual. The first story is about a sex festival, so he puts it right on front street what you’re in for.
It took me until the end of the book to realize Palahniuk had structured his unrelated essays in such a way that made himself into one of his characters: aloof, disaffected, pretentious, but full of wisdom. There’s a story that is made up solely of quotes from an interview, but even that is filtered through his lens, and you can’t help but hear it in his voice.
Not all of the stories hit bullseyes, but the only one I had to pull myself through was the one about the guys who built castles. There was WAY too much technical talk about how to build a castle. Some of the stories that go on too long drag a little, but they’re all building to a point. At the end of the day, this book made me laugh, gag, and think, and I’d be lying to deny that. In that, this book is one of my favorites I’ve read for a while. It’s in its imperfections that it creates a perfect study of one man’s experience.
This book took me nearly a month to read, which is a long time considering I usually read books in a week or two. What factors into that is while the book is an overall narrative, with one central character, this is still just a collection of nonfiction essays. So, it was easy for me to pick it up, read one or two stories, then put it down and go read something else. Which is why I am rating it so high.
I think had I tried to read it straight through, I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as I did. Palahniuk is a polarizing writer, thinker, and overall personality and I don’t think this book is gonna win over any detractors. He can be a lot to handle, and if you’re insecure of yourself, he can come across as a know it all. At first glance, he seemingly provokes just to provoke. His subject matter is vulgar, and he has no restraints in painting himself as an intellectual. The first story is about a sex festival, so he puts it right on front street what you’re in for.
It took me until the end of the book to realize Palahniuk had structured his unrelated essays in such a way that made himself into one of his characters: aloof, disaffected, pretentious, but full of wisdom. There’s a story that is made up solely of quotes from an interview, but even that is filtered through his lens, and you can’t help but hear it in his voice.
Not all of the stories hit bullseyes, but the only one I had to pull myself through was the one about the guys who built castles. There was WAY too much technical talk about how to build a castle. Some of the stories that go on too long drag a little, but they’re all building to a point. At the end of the day, this book made me laugh, gag, and think, and I’d be lying to deny that. In that, this book is one of my favorites I’ve read for a while. It’s in its imperfections that it creates a perfect study of one man’s experience.
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Journalism is not his forte. (Will leave the debates about his novels to others.)
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