Snuff

February 11, 2008
Palahniuk’s audacious ninth novel tells the story of Cassie Wright, an aging porn queen who intends to put an exclamation point on her career by having sex with 600 men in one day on film. The story begins with Mr. 600—the pornosaur who introduced Cassie to the business—as he describes the other 599 “actors” awaiting their moment on screen. The perspective then shifts to Mr. 72, an adopted Midwestern 20-something who is one of the many young men claiming to be Cassie’s long-lost son. Mr. 137, a has-been television star hoping to revive his career, wants to ask Cassie’s hand in marriage so that the two can star in a reality TV show. But for a novel centered around a gargantuan gangbang, there’s surprisingly little action; the small amount of narrative movement takes place backstage, where the characters attempt to get a sense of one another while waiting for their number to be called. There are sharp moments when Palahniuk compassionately and candidly examines the flesh-on-film industry, but mostly this reads like a cross between the Spice Channel and Days of Our Lives
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April 1, 2008
Six hundred men in undershorts, gooey with bronzer and barbecue-chip residue, wait for a tumble with an aging porn actress attempting to set the record for the greatest number of sex acts in a single filma film she may not survive. Only Palahniuk ("Rant") would devise this off-putting premise; only he, too, could manage to build it into an entertaining and suspenseful dark comedy. The story is told from the perspectives of Mr. 72, Mr. 137, Mr. 600, and the female event coordinator, all of whom have hidden agendas and secret ties to the performer upstairs. Don't expect titillation here: every detail underlines the degradations of sexual obsession and the pornography industry. But this quick read brims with fascinating trivia about the film industry's dirty secretse.g., the dangers some entertainers are willing to risk for fame. "Snuff" isn't for everyone, perhaps also not for every library, but readers who can stomach its subject matter will find striking characters, sharp parody, and a tight plot. The ending, with its raunchy Shakespearean twist, stretches believability but makes its symbolic point. Highly recommended for mature readers; expect high demand from Palahniuk fans. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 1/08.]Neil Hollands, Williamsburg Regional Lib., VA

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2008
Palahniuk has made a career out of exploring alienation anddepicting sex addicts, suicides, serial killers, and suffering artists. So its not surprising to learn that his new novel is set in the sad world of sex cinema. Aging porn legend Cassie Wright is making one last film, a record-setting gang bang in which she will copulate with 600 men. But, as the title foreshadows, the grotesque simulation of love will prove fatalfor someone. As with Rant (2007), Palahniuk employs an oral-history format, with the story recollected by three menMessrs. 72, 137, and 600and Ms. Wrights handler, Sheila. (These passagesare obviously very explicit, and not only does the porn not look pretty, the Palahniukian prose may cause readers interest in all sex to flag for a while.) While Palahniuks strengthsacerbic humor and bold ideasare present here, his weaknesses are, too: indistinct voices and characterizations, repetitiveness, and research thats not integrated but quoted from one character to another. That said, hes an original, and there is something heady about the risks he takes as a writer. But, ultimately, his ideas are more interesting than his writingsome readers are bound to ask why theyre hanging around someone who keeps beating them up.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)