The new book from Chuck 'Fight Club' Palahniuk is called Snuff and, as you may be able to guess if you know anything about the author, it isn't about the type of 'snuff' old men put up their noses ...
This is a fabulously decadent novel dealing, as it does, with 600 men and one woman trying to break a world record. I won't go into the details involved but it doesn't end well!
Told from three different perspectives (with only five main characters, and a fourth 'narrator' coming in near the end) this is laced with his trademark tongue-in-cheek wit and cynicism and he manages to somehow tie together the grotesque and the pitiful whilst pushing the boundaries once more.
I came to this with a love of his other work and I thought this was great. It is short, punchy and edges into his usual vague existentialism whilst veering off into totally random directions (covering everything from prison tattoos and the etiquette of a riot to discussing expert tips on facial exfoliation and the benefits of an ice cold bath).
If you have never read any of Palahniuk's novels before this would be a great place to start.
I can remember as a kid happily sitting in front the TV watching old black and white movies from some of the greats of silent and early cinema. Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd and Laurel and Hardy all have the ability to transcend age and amuse both young and old alike.
My favourite, though, has always been the legendary Buster Keaton.
Edward McPherson's Buster Keaton: Tempest in a Flat Hat has become one of my favourite books because, rather than just being a biography of the man himself (the book does a good job of that too[2026] his childhood is examined and we hear about his later life), it is a comprehensive guide to the movies of a true genius of cinema.
As such, it succeeds on every level. It concentrates mainly on his 1917-1929 films; this is considered the 'golden period' as it were, and this book is responsible for making me rush out and buy a complete box set of all of the movies mentioned. I'm so easily swayed sometimes!
As always, we have our regular 'Story Time' at Books etc on a Saturday afternoon at 3pm... feel free to drop in!
