Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk

"Cassie Wright, porn priestess, intends to cap her legendary career by breaking the world record for serial fornication. On camera. With sex hundred men. Snuff unfolds the perspectives of Mr. 72, Mr. 137 and Mr. 600, who await their turn on camera in a very crowded green room. This wild, lethally funny and thoroughly researched novel brings the huge yet underacknowlegded presence of pornograhpy in contemporary life into the realm of literary fiction at last. Who else, but Chuck Palahniuk would dare do such a thing? Who else could do it so well, so unflinchingly and with such an incendiary (you might say) climax?"

(It's a mouth! LOL)

Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk was the perfect book to read on the train. The first day I opened it up, I could feel the guy sitting next to me reading whatever he could see over my shoulder, staring at me giving me a funny look and then go back to reading. Then when this same guy decided his stop was up, he not so smoothly leaned forward as he got up trying to figure what book I was reading. For all those nosy people who lean over to see what you're typing or watching on your phone whilst on public transportation, if you want to freak them out, read Snuff. I thought people were judging me when I read The Hipster Handbook by Robert Lanham in public, but that's nothing compared to reading Snuff in public. But of course that didn't stop me; it only made me want to read it more obnoxiously in public. I found it hilarious that people would think I'm reading a nice, innocent book and that they too can read a nice, innocent book only to be slapped with the fact that Snuff is about a porn star setting a record for serial fornication.

But Snuff isn't just about a veteren porn star trying to set a world record. Cassie Wright has her surface reasons for doing what she's doing, but as you read further into Snuff, you'll find a hidden agenda to this whole story. I thought it was really interesting and really true. I liked how Palahniuk didn't outright use the real meaning of Snuff as the main plot. He had an idea and decided to use something funny to make it seem less heavy of a topic. There were so many twists and turns and things revealed that helped the story it's hard to describe them without giving everything away.

In the description when it says Snuff was thoroughly researched I thought Palahniuk did research on the porn industry because that was what's on the surface. As I read more of Snuff and read all the knowledge bombs he was dropping, I realized he didn't do research on the porn industry. There was a lot of mentions of old Hollywood actors and how they died or what they did for their craft. I'm not going to say who he mentioned or go into specifics, you'll just have to read it yourself! I fully intend to do some research on my own and see how many of those facts are true. But I think they're all true. I think I got smarter reading Snuff. Everything in Snuff was really thought out; there was nothing in Snuff that didn't have a purpose. I love stories like that. Nothing was a placeholder. And on account of there was so much detail in Snuff the fact that everything had a purpose is amazing. I love Palahniuk's spare no detail style of writing.

Being told through different perspectives, Snuff reminded me of The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis. I think stories told from different perspectives allows so much more to happen and it makes the story more intriguing to read. Snuff also reminded me of Diary by Chuck Palahniuk because of the main character and story.

I found Snuff really funny. The porn parodies of big Hollywood films mentioned in the book were hilarious as were the names Sheila called the six hundred men who agreed to be in Cassie Wright's "going out with a bang, record breaking" adult film. Some of the parodies mentioned: The Wizard of Ass, The Twilight Bone and To Drill a Mockingbird. These are probably real adult films, but my curiosity is not so tickled that I Googled to find out. Some of the nicknames Sheila gives the participates were: willy-wankers, palm-pilots and jizz-juicers. Never have I ever laughed so hard at alliteration.

I always think I know what's going on in one of Palahniuk's novels. I keep thinking it until I'm slapped in the face with the truth. Then I'm left surrounded by my exploded brain trying to pick up the pieces. Palahniuk really knows how to lead you on and then tear everything you think down. With no mercy! That was no exception in Snuff.

My favorite character was Mr. 72. He was so naïve and sensitive. Compared to Mr. 137 and Mr. 600, he was the one who I sympathized the most with. Sheila reminded me of Hazie Coogan from Tell-All by Chuck Palahniuk. I don't want to give anything way, but while reading Snuff I felt like Sheila was doing what Hazie did, only twice as fast. To put it simply, I thought Sheila was a shady character.

I really wonder what inspired Palahniuk to do research and write a novel like Snuff. I think it's the most innovative novel I've ever read. I don't think I'll read another novel like it unless I read Snuff again.

I think this would make a great film. I was thinking about how I'd write the screenplay while I read it. Perhaps it's too shameless, but I think done right, Snuff could be a profitable indie film.

I highly recommend Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk if you're looking for a laugh!

Sidenote: I said Snuff twenty-five times in this post (including this time and the title).