Wicked Twisted Lullaby

"Ever heard of a culling song? It's a lullaby sung in Africa to give a painless death to the old or infirm. The lyrics of a culling song kill, whether spoken or even just thought. You can find one on page Poem and Rhymes from Around the World, an anthology on the shelves of libraries across country. When reporter Carl streator discovers that unsuspecting readers are reading the poem and accidentally killing their children, he begins a desperate cross-country quest to put the culling song to rest and save the nation from certain disaster. Written with a style and imagination that could only come from Chuck Palahniuk, lullaby is the lastest outrage from one of our most exciting writers at work today. "

What a difficult review this is going to be. I'm going to try and not give away any spoilers, but it's going to be hard. This review may seem light compared to my other reviews of Palahniuk novels. It also could be because I was a bit confused by Lullaby, but here goes!

I enjoyed reading Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk; it brought me back to when I read Diary in high school. Lullaby and Diary are so similar. I wonder what I would've thought if I read them right after each other. The narrator in Lullaby reminded me of the narrator in Diary which I loved. The narrator was unreliable even though we find out the narrator's name is Carl Streator. I really found Diary and Lullaby so similar not just because of the narrators. Also because of the weird events, the situation and the theme. 

Lullaby is the most moral and philosophical Palahniuk novel I've read to date. The narrator can't tell what he actually believes from what he's been told to believe. He's talking about free will. The theme of "free will" plays a major role in Lullaby. The narrator grapples with idea as many of us may have dealt with feelings like that. 

There weren't a lot of things I didn't like about Lullaby. I've gotten a lot of quotes from this novel. One being this quote: The more people die, the more things stay the same. It's kind of a contradiction because people have to die in order to keep the natural balance. But it goes perfectly well with everything that happens in Lullaby. I loved how the narrator is driven throughout the whole story because of one event that happened to him and how it keeps coming up throughout the novel. I liked the idea of him being conflicted about his situation and him being the only one who sees the irony in what they're doing. They way Palahniuk uses colors in this novel is unlike any novel I've read before. The description of how pink hair is or what kind of yellow is a suit was really appealing. The most vivid imagery of colors in a Chuck Palahniuk novel. 

Carl Streator kind of looks like Castiel from Supernatural. If you don't watch the show, read Lullaby then Google Castiel. As for those you who know who Castiel is, just read Lullaby. 

In all of Chuck Palahniuk's novels there's a huge twist that changes the whole novel. However in Lullaby, I think the whole book was the twist. 

Most of Palahniuk's protagonists are sort of Anti Heroes. You're not supposed to feel too bad for them or sympathize with them but by the end of Lullaby, I feel bad for Carl. All he wanted was a "normal" life and now he's stuck in his new life where his old self is a ghost. 

I recommend you read Lullaby! Maybe even read Diary and then Lullaby or Lullaby and then Diary. 

Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk

""Begins here first account of operative me, agent number 67 on arrival Midwestern American airpot greater _____ area. Flight ______. Date ____. Priority mission top success to complete. Code name: Operation Havoc."

Thus speaks Pygmy, one of a handful of young adults from a totalitarian state sent to the United States, disguised as exchange students, to live with typical American families and blend in, all while planning an unspecified act of massive terrorism. Palahniuk depicts Midwestern life through the eyes of this thoroughly indoctrinated little killer, who hates us with a passion, in this cunning double-edged satire of an American xenophobia that might, in fact, be completely justified. For Pygmy and his fellow operatives are cooking up something big, something awful, that will bring this dumb country and its fat dumb inhabitants to their knees."

It pains me to say this, but Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk is my least favorite Palahniuk novel (thus far). I never met a Palahniuk novel I didn't like until I opened Pygmy. I thought I actually did like it. The writing style reminded me of the way Annyong from Arrested Development speaks. I found that funny and it helped set the tone of the book. I also liked the names of the "kill moves" Pygmy aka operative Number 67 said during his inner monologues. For example he'd say: "pow-pow, Giant Stork Death Kick, collapse inside of pig dog (number 67's name for his host brother) zygomatic arch (cheekbone), driving bone back direct to spear brain, jab-bloom, dead before make stink breath." He'd say stuff like that in his head imagining ways to kill the people around him. Number 67 doesn't like any Americans. He's on a mission from his country to destroy America.

Then I finished the 'Dispatch Second' aka the second chapter of Pygmy and I had to take a break. The second chapter is super graphic and not what I expected from Mr. Palahniuk. He's written stuff like that before, but the nature of this time did not sit well with me. I couldn't believe what I had just read. At first I didn't really follow it, but certain words gave me clues of what was going on and then I got it. Maybe I was being a little too sensitive about the situation, but I just can't get over that. I will forget it in time, but I just can't believe it. I think that I might've liked Pygmy better if what happened in chapter two didn't get constantly referenced in all the other chapters. I don't think it was relevant to mention more than three times. Sure it played a role in the "twist", but it got mentioned way more times than necessary.

It took me forever to finish Pygmy, mostly because I put it down for two weeks. The plot of Pygmy has such potential and I could tell when it was supposed to be funny, but it was in bad taste for me. I really couldn't wrap my head around the comedy after the second chapter. It sucks because I'm judging the rest of the book based on what happened nineteen pages in, in a two hundred and forty one page novel.  But que sera, sera.

I found it kind of hard to follow Pygmy as well. At first I liked the style of writing, but then I read a whole chapter and I totally missed everything that happened. I only realized I did because they were talking about it in the next chapter.

The end of Pygmy was also so mediocre. Not at all in the style of Chuck Palahniuk. I was really disappointed. I had high hopes for Pygmy and I got shot down so hard.

For the first time ever, I'm not recommending a Palahniuk novel. But if you want to read it to know what I'm so disgusted over, go ahead. Don't say I didn't warn you. 

My Childhood Reading

From a very early age I was getting books read to me and it's no wonder I started reading before kindergarten. It's kind of funny when I look back on it because some days my friends would spend more time with the teacher and I always wondered why. It turned out they didn't know how to read and they needed more time with the teacher to learn. So I overreacted then, in kindergarten, and that trend continues throughout my young adult life. But I digress.

My mom was really into helping my brother and I get to our full potential. Reading is a good way to get there because if you can read, you will always be learning and gaining information. So she read to us all the time. There are bookcases of Marc Brown, Eric Carle, Disney, etc books in my house. I've definitely had them all read to me and on my own I've probably read them all again. Every night before tucking me in, my mom would read a book to me. I remember there was a time in my life when every night my mom would read a mystery Barbie book from this series I got. I loved those books. They're all gone now; my mom gave them away to the kids she teaches. I don't mind because I've outgrown them, but maybe I should've kept them for my daughter. When I outgrew being read to before I go to sleep I started reading on my own. I read the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen mystery series, the Captain Underpants series, Goosebumps, everything. I couldn't get enough.

Recently, my mom told me that my absolute favorite book for her to read to me was Dumbo. Every night that's what she read to me. I don't remember that at all, but it's not surprising because I love Dumbo now. That explains why. She says I loved Dumbo because of his pink ears. I loved pink when I was little. Isn't that cute because I'm not too fond of pink now.

This is my old Dumbo book.

If I had to pick one thing to thank my mom for, besides my life, it'd have to be introducing reading to me at such a young age. I can't imagine where I'd be right now if I didn't read at such an early age. It sounds weird to say because reading doesn't seem like that big of a deal, but it's a big deal to me. I really think reading has shaped me into the person I am today. I think reading and film go hand in hand,  but that's another post in itself.

I think it's really important to read at an early age because it helps with learning and it's fun. I know my kids will definitely be reading everything I read as a kid, especially Captain Underpants.