Invisible Monsters

Wow I love this crap. Many people criticize Chuck for his dislexic pre-pubescent writing style but I think they are just jealous because he has made millions off it. Having read all of his books except Lulluaby, I agree that he doesn't vary much from his winning formula so if you don't like one, you probably wont like the rest. The fact of the matter is these books are funny, absurd and surreal and that is what I like about them.No need to cover the plot. Its your standard indentity crisis finding yourself fluff. The plot sequence works becuase it is as amazingly ridiculous and absurd and surreal as the characters and the setting. The one liners, the language, the vanity, the valiums, the violence, the sex, the gender switching, the irony, I love it all and this was one of those books I read in two days.Bottom line: A must read for Chuck fans, aspiring models, lovers of pulp noir garbage the sick & perverted and people in love with themselves. Not appropriate for bedtime reading for the kiddies!

Despite the tragedy of the storyline and the callousness of the lead characters, I promise you are going to get several belly laughs from this twisted piece of literature.In a zany prose reminiscent of Candace Bushnell's 'Sex In The City' and the surrealism of Bret Easton Ellis's works, Palahniuk has written a twisted and sick tale of disfigurement, love, hate, and fashion here in Invisible Monsters.Shannon McFarland's career as a picture perfect model was ruined the day her lower jaw was shot off while she was driving down the freeway. Her best friend Evie Cottrell steals all her clothing while she is in the hospital, and her fiancé Manus Kelley leaves her; but during her speech therapy classes she meets the enigma that is Brandy Alexander.Brandy befriends Shannon, and together with friend Seth Thomas they set off on a wild cross country tour, viewing high end estates up for sale and stealing all of the prescription drugs from them. But believe me when I say, nothing is as it seems in this crazy story. You are in for several very big surprises.Invisible Monsters is a book that is not about the plot, it is about the characters, and yet there are twists upon twists upon twists every turn of the page. Who is Brandy Alexander? Who is Shannon McFarland? Who is Seth Thomas? And who is Evie Cottrell? You'll just have to keep reading. Like me, you will probably wind out not caring about any of them, but they are going to make you laugh out loud with their outrageous plans and antics.You'll have tears running down your face when Shannon's parents (in a flashback scene before her disfigurement) give her nothing but condoms for Christmas because her brother died of AIDS. And the conversation around the Thanksgiving table turns to graphic depictions of hinder romping while they cower in unnecessary fear because they support AIDS families. Be thankful these are not your parents.Told oddly in a profusion of scene jumping, using the written word like flash photography, Palahniuk has written a psychotically offbeat tale that nonetheless will have you turning pages as rapidly as Brandy pops vicodin and estrogen. I found it strangely enjoyable and morbidly compelling, and if you like screwy and disgusting stories, you will most likely love Invisible Monsters. Enjoy!

Palahniuk's books are like dangerously wild individuals from the same family. They all have their own quirks and twitches, but you can see the resemblance.Many reviewers of Palahniuk (especially those here) try to judge his writing in comparative terms. ("not as good as Fight Club" or "better than Choke") Palahniuk is, unfortunately, a victim of his own skill, because although his texts are certainly their own stories, they do have remarkably similar tones (e.g. he sprinkles his text with odd/unusual facts as a backdrop for the odd/unusual action). As a result, they polarize the audience quite well. Like one book, and you're likely to enjoy them all.That having been said, let me add my own opinion to the mix: this book is Chuck's best to date (note: I haven't read Diary).All of his books are, to some extent, about identity crises. In this case, it is the identity crisis of ex-model Shannon, whose jaw is blown off in an unusual auto accident. She goes on a soul-quest of sorts with transgendered queen Brandy, and a few other people with similarly odd problems. What follows is a tangled, twisted, and tantalizing tale of drugs, sex, love, loss, and hope.This time, the style of the book is tailored after movie-esqe terms (like "flash forward" and "jump cut"), giving the text a cinematic quality that works well with the subject matter (it also, for you literature fans, makes for a far more subtle metaphor than you'd expect). The flashbacks and the dialogue and the incidents with Shannon's parents and modeling peers are all as well-crafted as an insightful and hilariously filmed movie scene.Some of the reviewers here complain about the "soap opera" quality of the book, to which I say, "go read the funny pages." There are, true, melodramatic moments, but they are well-honed, well-placed, and, by God, necessary. The story's many threads tie together neatly and superbly by the film's violent and firey conclusion, and true to Chuck's form (with the exception of Choke), not a word of the book is extraneous or unnecessary.Other people complain that the novel doesn't answer the question it poses, nor does it rise above the subject matter it scorns. Although I will concede that these statements are half-true, they are simply part of Palahniuk's form, and for his audience, part of his charm. If you want someone to deliver polite and pat answers, then read, I don't know, Danielle Steel.Besides, Palahniuk does offer solutions--he just makes you search for them, makes you assemble them on your own. Neither does he treat his subject matter with wishy-washy ambivalence, but with unflinching honesty and realism (although reading this book, you may find it hard to compare it to any kind of reality with which you're familiar). His spare, brutal, and beautiful writing clarifies the brutal and beautiful nature of his story.So, if you want bite-sized literature with a sweet moral center, go somewhere else. This book is candy, sure, but it's the kind that gets all over you.

Love this book so much I bought it again!

One of the craziest, most perverse stories I have ever read. Not for the meek, but if your up for it, its incredible...Definitely one of his best books

Book was pristine and arrived in a jiffy. Outstanding service!

The beginning through almost the middle of the book I was on the fence about whether or not I was enjoying it. Then, PLOT TWIST. Absolutely fun and exciting book! I love Chuck Palahniuk’s books and this one is in the top 5.

The moment I found out this book was banned, I bought it. I am so glad I did. It was a crazy, wild ride and the story is so good! Highly recommend - an absolute joy to read this.

He loved it, of course. One of his favorite authors.

I finished this book in one day because I wanted to see where it was going. This is the first book I've read by Mr. Palahniuk and I think I'll definitely take a chance to read more, though I feel a little bit disappointed (with myself) when I spend money on a book and it only takes me a day to read. Usually I like to drag it out, but this book really isn't one to drag out. You might get confused and forget what's going on, and I think it really needs to be read altogether to get the full force of the events and characters (especially with all the name changes).His writing is good and the characters are definitely compelling! I found Brandy Alexander to be my favorite.The only thing that kind of got to me is there was so many freaking twists! After like the third one, I felt a little like it was cheating to keep the story going. If that kind of thing bothers you, I wouldn't suggest this book then. But to me, I enjoyed them even though there was so many. It did keep me reading, so there's that ;)

Palahniuk's writing is so bewitching and profound one doesn't need to believe in the realism of the plot; actually, I forgot to care. There's little I can offer as a "review," mostly because I believe Palahniuk is a writer who's talent is beyond review. He could patch together fragments of details and stories completely unrelated to each other and write 500 pages of utter nonsense and still manage to captivate and transfix the reader. Invisible Monsters, like most of his other work, is infinitely quotable. His material seems to leave few readers completely ambivalent - you love him intensely or hate him furiously - but his work is consistently and brilliantly written.Frankly, I couldn't even begin to explain the actual story to anyone who asked me, but Palahniuk is Palahniuk: I knew enough of the story to follow - immerse myself - in his words. Not everyone appreciates this, but one doesn't read Palahniuk if one wants to be spoon-fed generic and formulaic, "easy," mainstream-friendly stories.

Fight Club was great. Lullaby was amazing. Pygmy was not worth reading. Snuff was mediocre, but at least better than Pygmy. And all of them are more alike than different - a possibly interesting hook of a premise, characters who are self-absorbed and damaged, a reliable number of plot twists, and a focus on the less attractive aspects of the human, both physiological and psychological which is played for humor.Invisible Monsters is much like Snuff in that it has a passable story line, about 3 plot twists, and is full of sadly damaged people. On one score it outdoes Snuff, in that it takes anything physically repulsive, and turns it up 2 notches.Invisible Monsters is somewhat timely, in that it takes on the beauty standard, the beauty industry, and our obsessive gaze on feminine beauty at a time when this is being discussed and analyzed in the larger media.I will not bother recounting the story line here, since numerous reviewers do that for you. As for the plot twists, they add to the enjoyment of the book, but despite being "twists," can be seen coming from a ways back. The characters are passably interesting, but only insofar as they are self-absorbed "monsters" each fighting their way around an obsession with physical and sexualized beauty in their lives.Would I recommend it? Only if the airport newstand is sold out of everything but romance novels. Honestly, there are better uses for your time.

After starting this novel and not knowing what to expect, which is what I love about Palahniuk, I can't even begin to explain how I felt when I was done. I will give it my best shot.The characters, first off, are fantastic. Again, Palahniuk manages to capture the best and worst of human traits here. So as not to spoil the twists for anyone else who is going to read it, I will be vague in my awe.The main character has you by the heart strings whether you want to like her or not. You can't help but to by intrigued by her plight and the mystery surrounding it. However, this is not a novel about external conflict. It is all internal, and that's even harder to swallow when your throat is choked with tears around every page.This book proves to me that it doesn't matter what you're writing about. It matters what you make your reader feel. After falling in love with the transgender heroine who leads the main character down a path of self-destructive salvation and succumbing to the desire to do exactly what you are not supposed to, I find Brandy Alexander to be an amazing human being.Chuck takes you out of your comfort zone and refuses to guide you back, forcing you to become more and more comfortable with what you don't understand. I laughed, I cried, I shut the book with my mouth slack jawed on the floor. I chewed my nails off. I couldn't put it down.I highly suggest you read this, everyone, everywhere.

I wouldn't say that I'm a fan of Chuck Palahniuk, but I continue to read his books. And though I'm always sure I can guess what's going to happen in these stories, I'm always pleasantly surprised that the plot takes turns I never expected them to.Palahniuk said his goal was to make this story seem like you may have missed something, because the pace was so frenetic. Well he did. And just when it seemed like what I missed wouldn't be found it popped up and we surprised me.I never read the original print copy, and I don't think I will. What I enjoyed the most is that this story reads just as well even if you don't follow the instructions.So, choose your own path, make the book happen as you see fit, and enjoy.

When Kurt Vonnegut sadly passed away, there was a feeling that perhaps satire had died within the modern American lexicon. "Invisible Monsters" is here to prove doubters wrong and in a big way. Shannon McFarland is the girl everyone knows. The pretty (but not crazy pretty) girl in high school who has aspirations (but not huge aspirations) and an untapped sexual potency that is both highly attractive and innocent at the same time. She rebukes the world created by her model friends and (without spoiling the twist), creates her own Hell in which she thrives quite well. The book is without a plot, as most of Chuck's novels are, but when you dig this far into the character and you find how much you relate to them and how much they don't relate to the world around them, a plot is the last thing you need.

I thought this was another outstanding novel by Palahniuk. I thought the pacing of the story was well and especially liked how a lot of the surprise in the novel came from character's true identities. But not just in the normal sense of a character's motive being different then expected, but due to the fact that many of the characters are addressed by different names throughout the novel, there are moments where we find out that two characters who we think are different are actually the same person. And this keeps the reader on edge and does not allow them to take names for granted throughout the story.I also thought this was one of the better openings of the Palahniuk novels. It really started with a bang, and even though we traveled back in time to grasp exactly what was going on, it did a really fantastic job of giving you a good "juicy" scene to get you interested in the novel from page one. The ending sections of the novel are everything that Palahniuk fans are to expect from him. The events really start to ramp up and surprises and shocking events are around every corner. In this novel in particular we get to see a scene in the first few pages of the novel, then at the end, armed with more information on the situation, view the event very differently, and this is very effective and interesting.At it's core this book feels like a story of many people searching for their identity and place in the world, which is something that at one level or not very relatable. The twists and turns throughout the novel mixed with a quirky narrative and some interesting characters make this a very enjoyable read.

Chuck Palahniuk has taken a lot of flack over the years for being a one-trick shock pony incapable of doing anything besides shoveling blood and guts and graphic sex into the reader's face. This is true, for the most part. But he used to do it with a guise of social commentary (see Choke, Fight Club). Recently with books like Snuff, the shock-value isn't the main attraction, it is everything, coming off as a shadow of his former self. Well let's just say the epitome of his former self is contained within this rollicking beast of a book. It starts off with a literal bang at a wedding gone horribly asunder and ends in somewhat the same fashion. In between we learn about lip gloss and pill addiction and let's not forget the Thanksgiving Dinner Conversation! Very strong, aberrant stuff here, Mr. P. The characters are all pretty intriguingly strange. There isn't a lot of meat around them, however. They spend most of their time spouting odd nihilistic philosophy as they barrel headlong toward the afterlife. Think Thelma and Louise if one of them was a trannie and the other had her face torn off and reconstructed. It's pretty fun, though not quite as good as Lullaby or Choke. All Chuck Books with Letter Grades (aside from Pygmy which I have yet to read): Choke A Lullaby A Fight Club A Survivor B+ Invisible Monsters B+ Rant B Fugitives and Refugees B- Haunted C- Diary D Snuff F

What a whacky, whimsical, twisted trip of novel this one was! It was certainly one of the more entertaining reads of the year for me. Palahniuk takes the beauty standard to tasks for dismissing what lies beneath it. The physical deconstruction (in the case of Shannon), reconstruction (in the case of Brandy Alexander) and transformation (in Manus's case) of the key characters in the novel allows for a deeper examination of the internal demons that, left unchecked, will destroy the beauty in anything or anyone it encounters. This is another one of those novels where plot summaries will do it no justice. It's best that you encounter the text without plot details and simply allow the novel to take you where it will; but strap on, I mean in, because this ride lurches back and forth, helter-skelter with the speed of - well probably speed. Too much resistance on behalf of the reader could cause a whiplash of the brain and an immediate dislike of the reading experience. But stick with this one; in the end, Palahniuk pulls it all together and it makes the ride worthwhile."Invisible Monster" reads like a screen play on steroids creating for this reader a movie theatre in my mind. I can totally see this as a film, Tarantino directing. It's a satisfying experience to encounter a novel with this level of dark humor and poignancy. This is my first read by Palahniuk but after completing the novel realized that I've seen a film base on another of his novels,

Choke

. Although I certainly know about the film

Fight Club (Widescreen Edition)

I didn't know it was based on a Palahniuk novel; I'm pretty sure that I'll read the book as I couldn't get into the movie. I'm glad for the introduction to this author and I'm looking forward to the next meeting

Besides having watched maybe 50 times in the last 10 years "Fight Club", and actually just recently watching "Choke", I never have actually read any of Chuck Palahniuk's books. This was the first I picked up which I just finished.As I did expect having been familiar with his two films, and following what appears to be Palahniuk's style, he develops a bizarre story based around typical, every day and otherwise normal people and situations. Nonetheless, this book did push the limit as far as "bizarre-ness" is defined in my book.The characters definitely push the edge of what is defined as socially acceptable behavior, which in my opinion, is a technique used by Palahniuk to bring humor and awkwardness into rather normal everyday circumstances.The story premise didn't much interest me. As other reviewers have mentioned, Invisible Monsters takes a bit of "Sex and the City", "Fight Club" and "Galmour Magazine" and meshes them all together. In one sentence, I might call it the "Fight Club" for women.My next read is Survivor, another book by Palahniuk. Bottom line, I wasn't disappointed nor overly thrilled with Invisible Monsters.This book IS recommended for:- Those interested in a light, week-long read.- Fashion conscious women who have been forced by their boyfriends/husbands to watch "Fight Club" over and over again.- Those who enjoy bizarre stories, odd twists and extremely lyrical writing styles.This book is NOT recommended for:- Children under 18.- Readers that might be offended by the mention of sex-changes, transvestites, gay sex, and any other questionable topic that lies in between.- Not recommended for those readers who easily get lost in too many metaphorical and lyrical comparisons.

Chuck Palahniuk has a way with words. some say he is gimmiky, but i think hes clever. always taking a somewhat unconventional aproach towards his story telling and especially his prose, Chuck [as I'll choose to call him instead of repeatedly trying to remember how to spell his surname] likes to reveal to you key character develpements long after the reader has already made determinations and decisions about the plot and how it revolves around the protagonist. think of how it is revealed who Tyler Durden really is in his novel "Fight Club" and you have an idea of what im getting at.in this novel the protagonist is a former model that has suffered a terrible deformity. she can no longer speak and communicates by writing questions and phrases on a pad. she also befriends a transvestite with thunderous charm and a [closeted] homosexual addiced to estrogen pills. they travel the country taking advantage of the open house viewings for real estate on the market. they live from well thought, yet dime store, philosophies that center around the abandonment of the past, the stories that make up a person. and i wont divulge anymore.the story is a quick read that, although not as re-readable as "Fight Club," which had a more assured prose and depth to the plot, is a book you immediately want to share with others. a highly enjoyable, satisfying read that is superioir to most paperbacks one would find at the airport book store shelves. Chuck is undoubtedly one of the better fiction novelist alive, and this book further proves that theory.