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Invisible Monsters

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 52,820 ratings · 2,464 reviews

When the plot of your first novel partially hinges on anarchist overthrows funded by soap sales, and the narrative hook of your second work is the black box recorder of a jet moments away from slamming into the Australian outback, it stands to reason that your audience is going to be ready for anything. Which, to an author like Chuck Palahniuk, must sound like a challenge....more When the plot of your first novel partially hinges on anarchist overthrows funded by soap sales, and the narrative hook of your second work is the black box recorder of a jet moments away from slamming into the Australian outback, it stands to reason that your audience is going to be ready for anything. Which, to an author like Chuck Palahniuk, must sound like a challenge.

Palahniuk's third identity crisis (that's "novel" to you), Invisible Monsters, more than ably responds to this call to arms. Set once again in an all-too-familiar modern wasteland where social disease and self-hatred can do more damage than any potboiler-fiction bad guy, the tale focuses particularly on a group of drag queens and fashion models trekking cross-country to find themselves, looking everywhere from the bottom of a vial of Demerol to the end of a shotgun barrel. It's a sort of Drugstore Cowboy-meets-Yentl affair, or a Hope-Crosby road movie with a skin graft and hormone-pill obsession, if you know what I mean.

Um, yeah. Anyway, the Hollywood vibe doesn't stop these comparisons. As with Fight Club and Survivor, the book is invested with a cinematic sweep, from the opening set piece, which takes off like a house afire (literally), to a host of filmic tics sprayed throughout the text: "Flash," "Jump back," "Jump way ahead," "Flash," "Flash," "Flash." You get the idea. It's as if Palahniuk didn't write the thing but yanked it directly out of the Cineplex of his mind's eye. Does it succeed? Mostly. Still working on measuring out the proper dosages of his many writerly talents (equal parts potent imagery, nihilistic coolspeak, and doped-out craziness), Palahniuk every now and then loosens his grip on the story line, which at points becomes as hard to decipher as your local pill addict's medicine cabinet. However Invisible Monsters works best on a roller-coaster level. You don't stop and count each slot on the track as you're going down the big hill. You throw up your hands and yell, "Whee!" --Bob Michaels(less)

Paperback, 304 pages

Published September 17th 1999 by W. W. Norton & Company

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May 01, 2011 Jason rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dead-tree-edition, for-kindle, 2011, reviewed

Quite possibly the most fucked up piece of literature I’ve ever read, this novel is a brilliantly executed train wreck from beginning to end.

77 likes · like · see review

Oct 20, 2007 Emma rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Chuck Palahniuk is the hugely popular author of modern, edgy books like Fight Club (also a movie with Brad Pitt--go ahead, act surprised) and Choke. For this reason I did not expect to like Invisible Monsters, originally published in 1999.

The story is told by a nameless narrator: a young woman who used to be beautiful. After a series of bizarre, haunting events involving a freeway, birds and a few other things those days are gone forever. Her face disfigured, her voice gone, the narrator is invi...more Chuck Palahniuk is the hugely popular author of modern, edgy books like Fight Club (also a movie with Brad Pitt--go ahead, act surprised) and Choke. For this reason I did not expect to like Invisible Monsters, originally published in 1999.

The story is told by a nameless narrator: a young woman who used to be beautiful. After a series of bizarre, haunting events involving a freeway, birds and a few other things those days are gone forever. Her face disfigured, her voice gone, the narrator is invisible. And a monster in the eyes of most. Desperate for someone to save her, the narrator meets Brandy Alexander at just the right time. Brandy embodies the life that the narrator used to have--except for an important operation that Brandy still needs to have.

Riding off with Brandy, the narrator starts fresh. Life is a story. If you don't like the story you have, make up a new one. As the lives Brandy offers up as truth continue to change and the lies threaten to fall apart, it becomes clear that no matter where you run eventually you have to face the facts and really decide what story you want to tell.

That's the story. But it's really not even half the story.

Stylistically, this novel has a lot going on. It's written in the first person, present tense setting up a tone that is both conspiratorial and conversational. Despite that, the narrator remains aloof, unreliable. Talking to the reader like an old friend, the narrator reveals the smallest details of her past while leaving key plot points to herself until the right moment. There are few male novelists who can write as convincingly in the voice of a woman as Palahniuk. The narration is amazingly authentic even when the story becomes more and more over-the-top.

Palahniuk also brings a high level of complexity to the narrative, writing the story in a non-linear format. The novel opens with the final scene as the narrator tries to explain how she got to that point. Along the way flashbacks are interwoven with "the present" and other points in the time line of character's lives.

This is the kind of book that requires a lot of attention. Like the modeling world that the narrator comes from, nothing in this novel is exactly what it seems. Characters lie, information given as fact turns out to be false. Palahniuk manages all of these elements impressively well, making it all work despite the bizarreness and absurdity inherent to certain parts of the plot.

More than anything, though, this book is really a character study. Palahniuk creates a lot of unique characters whose lives intertwine unexpectedly. As might be expected from the plot description given above, many ofthe relationships between characters in Invisible Monsters are dysfunctional. But it is the dysfunction that allows Palahniuk to look at how people interact and what it really means to love someone. So, while it is utterly strange, this novel definitely puts the "fun" in dysfunctional.
(less)

34 likes · like · see review

Jan 29, 2012 Meg ♥ rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: e-books, z-2011-reads

The main character in this book is nameless, and disfigured. She was once a beautiful model, and now feels invisible. She hides under a veil after being called a monster. When she lost her face she saw the true colors of everyone in her life. Her fiance leaves, and her best friend constantly steals her clothes while she's in the hospital. In speech therapy our main character meets Brandy Alexander, and the story unfolds.

This is probably my least favorite book so far by Palahniuk, but it was stil...more
The main character in this book is nameless, and disfigured. She was once a beautiful model, and now feels invisible. She hides under a veil after being called a monster. When she lost her face she saw the true colors of everyone in her life. Her fiance leaves, and her best friend constantly steals her clothes while she's in the hospital. In speech therapy our main character meets Brandy Alexander, and the story unfolds.

This is probably my least favorite book so far by Palahniuk, but it was still enjoyable. I wish I hadn't read the synopsis of this book, and just went into it knowing nothing at all. Another problem is my expectations. When I heard this was Palahniuk's first book he ever tried to have published, and it got rejected as "too disturbing" I thought this was just what I was looking for at the moment. Well, I came to the conclusion that either other people get disturbed and/or offended too easily, or I am truly becoming incapable of being shocked. So either way this is not the book's fault...

Some of the "twists" in this book I saw coming within the first few pages. I will admit that there were a few that got me, but most were predictable. Again, had I not read the synopsis maybe I would have had a completely different opinion, but I have no way or knowing that for sure.

So that's what I didn't like, but here is what I did like. Invisible Monsters is a book that's not about the plot. It's really about the characters. None of them are likeable, but that makes them fun to read about. Like me, you will probably wind up not caring about any of them, but they will make you laugh with their outrageous plans and crazy antics. I really could not stand the main character's parents, though. Oh jeez, these parents were like...cliches of idiotic parents that embarrass their children...times 10 thousand. Just wow. Very interesting character study, anyway.

I enjoyed how the story was told with lots of scene jumping, magazine style, using the word FLASH like flash photography. I also thought Chuck did a decent job writing a woman's perspective, and he honestly captured the way some extremely superficial women think. There are definitely some inspired parts, and it's very fast paced. The story never got boring for me.(less)

29 likes · like · see review

Mar 19, 2008 Ash rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It made me want to blow my own jaw off...but in a good way.

88 likes · like · see review

Dec 03, 2008 Erica rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm too old for this stuff. Shocking doesn't do it for me alone, and he works SO VERY HARD at being vulgar and violent and crass. Don't get me wrong; those are three things that can make for a great story. But it was so unrelenting and contrived, and not as funny as it was supposed to be. There were some clever turns of phrase, and it wasn't entirely unenjoyable, but I was not really impressed.

31 likes · like · see review

Apr 24, 2008 Sara rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-madness-literaryish

Check the shelf I put this on. Now you're ready: This book is insane. There's something on practically every page that makes you say, "What the *%$#!?" You'll keep reading anyway, though, and you'll love it. The book's like a really hard-core Swedish massage. It hurts SOOOOO good.
The story is essentially about beauty: who values it, what it means, how it can be good, and how it can be a horror. Not only do the characters suffer FOR beauty, they suffer BECAUSE of beauty, and that's a powerful co...more

43 likes · like · see review

May 08, 2008 Miko rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

****DO NOT LOOK THIS UP IN WIKIPEDIA IT GIVES AWAY EVERYTHING I REPEAT DO NOT LOOK IT UP! In fact, don't even read the synopsis, I would just dive right in knowing nothing.****

THE START:
So far it is pretty good. It says right from the start that you are going to read this book feeling like you are missing things and it's very true.

I am having a hard time holding on to any solid plot but am captivated from what I can grasp. It's the same author that wrote Fight Club and it kind of has that same...more

9 likes · like · see review

Feb 16, 2008 Darga rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: beautiful people, people who think critically about happiness

"it's an old woman who owns this house, i figure. ignored and aging and drugged out old women, older and more invisible to the world every minute, they must not wear a lot of make-up. not go out to fun hot spots. not boogie to a party froth. my breath smells hot and sour inside my veils, inside the damp layers of silk and mesh and cotton georgette i lift for the first time all day; and in the mirrors, i look at the pink reflection of what's left of my face.
mirror mirror on the wall, who's the...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 25, 2011 Alana rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Tengo altas expectativas porque 1. Es de Chuck Palahniuk 2. Es sobre una modelo transfigurada.

It had me at: "Don't expect this to be the kind of story that goes: and then, and then, and then. What happens here will have more of that fashion magazine feel, a Vogue or a Glamour magazine chaos with page numbers on every second and fifth page. Perfume cards falling out, and full-page naked women coming out of nowhere to sell you make-up".

===

Mini comentario una vez terminado el libro:

Mi mente de ps...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Kelanth, numquam risit ubi dracones vivunt rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: narrativa

Anche i migliori amici, a volte, ci fanno incazzare.
Così anche i libri dei nostri autori preferiti a volte ci deludono, così com'è successo a me con l'ultimo libro che ho letto di Palahniuk; le aspettative erano alte perchè abituato al fatto che l'autore sa come sorprendermi sempre con le sue storie straordinarie e il suo stile di scrittura crudo, diretto, imprevedibile. Per la sua manifesta superiorità nel sorprendere.
Sebbene in questo romanzo tutto ciò che ho appena descritto è presente, fors...more

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Apr 09, 2008 Billfrog rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been reading this book while wondering if this is the book I'd recommend to someone looking to begin their Chuck Palahniuk experience. Through the rare luxury of a slow day at the hospital, I got to read a lot of it at once, getting through the second half of it today (though the first half of it was read in rather short bursts). I just finished the last 50 pages at Allegro pizza, a UPENN undergraduate hangout, full of people who are all equally convinced that their life is the dominant sto...more

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Oct 23, 2007 amanda marie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 50booksin07

The narrator was once a gorgeous model, now left monstrously disfigured after a messy drive-by. Her jaw was shot off, leaving just her tongue & top row of teeth to show as a trophy for her pain. Quickly, nearly everything she once had (fiance, seemingly wonderful modelling career) is gone. Enter: Brandy Alexander. An amazingly sassy and gorgeous transgender woman, who pushes the narrator (whose name is revealed 3/4 of the way through the novel) to do what scares her most and forget about the...more

4 likes · like · see review

Oct 21, 2007 Alexis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: advisory07-08

Pages: 200+

So, it's safe to say that Chuck Palahniuk owns my soul. Not even a little bit of it. The whole thing.
Invisible Monsters blew my mind. I spent a good chunk of the book stuck in confusion and my mind felt like it had just been exposed to the trippiest thing ever. But, as I like to think, what is a Chuck Palahniuk story without mental mind trips and without confusion? It is not a Chuck Palahniuk story at all!

Right off the bat Palahniuk leaves his print by introducing a set of character...more

10 likes · like · see review

Jul 26, 2007 Leslie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who liked dark humor

Shelves: fiction, audiobooks

Wow, I have always liked Palahniuk ever since I listened to him narrate Choke on audio a few years ago. I love how his books always deal with some dark side underworld. In this one, he deals with the dark side of beauty, fashion, and the Hollywood lifestyle.

The main character was a beautiful model, but now she her face is disfigured from a gunshot wound and she can't speak except to us, the reader. My favorite scenes were with her parents, in a series of flashbacks, who, feeling guilty about dis...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 15, 2010 oriana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2007

About halfway through this book, I was talking to my roommate, and I said, Gosh it's not nearly as fun reading this book the second time around, because I remember all the twists and everything, so it's way less exciting getting to them.

Omigod I was wrong.

Sure, I remembered who shot Shannon, which is maybe the biggest twist, and sure, I remembered who Brandy was, but really, that's revealed almost immediately and barely counts as a twist.

Because actually? This book is all freaking twists. There...more

1 like · like · see review

May 18, 2008 Chris Hall rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A bleak and revelatory examination of the world of High Fashion, and a culture obsessed with beauty, Palahniuk's Invisible Monsters started strong, but reading the last 40 pages is like pulling teeth (or, to use a more apt metaphor, like losing a jaw).

The book went wrong somewhere near the climax, and though the impact of Palahniuk's message depends on themes such as narcissism, greed, and megalomania, the lack of a sympathetic main character just couldn't hold my interest for 300 pages.

I'm fi...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 24, 2012 Theresa Flores rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, with-review

The very first Chuck Palahniuk book I've ever read.

After finishing the book, I already became a fan of Chuck Palahniuk. I was really impressed by his writing. The book was just so refreshing and new, very odd, and very bold and blunt. The book had some confusing and disturbing parts at times, but Chuck Palahniuk was actually able to make those parts of the book appealing for me. Many times, I could not put the book down and stop reading. The ending, for me, was actually really shocking. And dis...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2008 Buffy B rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Buffy by: Tom from Vermont

I have a theory about Chuck Palahniuk books.
If somebody is starting to read Chuck Palahniuk for the first time...the first book they read of his will always be their favorite. I have found that to be the case with many people.
I really enjoyed Invisible Monsters and it was the first Chuck Palahniuk book I read. It was such a new approach to writing that I had never seen before, and I found myself really engrossed and moved by the now-usual Palahniuk twisty ending. It was such a shocking book to...more

12 likes · like · see review

Jan 24, 2012 Miki rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-fiction, contemporary-literature

Fun quirky read. The protagonist is a woman who used to be beautiful and is now grotesque. It reminds me of that Diane Arbus quotation about freaks being aristocrats. Book covers gender identity, loneliness, superficiality, etc. It has the edginess of "Fight Club" but with a girly-catty twist.

1 like · like · see review

Aug 10, 2012 Luigi Greco rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ho apprezzato particolarmente come smaschera l'ipocrisia della famiglia, quella che rinnega prima il figlio, e lotta poi per i suoi diritti. Quando è morto.

1 like · like · see review

Aug 13, 2008 Chelsea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Didn't knock my f---ing socks off like I was expecting. Maybe because I read it in 2 days and didn't have time to let the crazy soak in. I would still recommend it. Still very clever and nihilistic. It's interesting that Fight Club got tagged as the quintessentially "masculine" nihilism novel, and this one pretends at first to be the "feminine" counterpart. I'd recommend it. But I still recommend Survivor first.

hm...interesting how the most self-destructive thing a woman can do is shoot herself...more

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Oct 15, 2012 miss♥k rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audio

GIVE ME twisted.. GIVE ME funny.. GIVE ME gruesome.. GIVE ME one effed up life! As stated in the beginning, this was definitely NOT the kind of story that goes.. AND THEN.. AND THEN.. AND THEN. The repetitions of certain ideas and statements really engrave the message into your psyche. Chucks style of writing is undeniably unique.. As anyone who has seen Fight Club can agree. The line between you screaming in your head "WTF IS REALLY HAPPENING" to "COMPLETE AND UTTER CLARITY" is very very thin.....more

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Jan 29, 2013 Katherine rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1999

Invisible Monsters opens on our nameless main character standing in the middle of a scene that is ten shades of chaotic. The lavish mansion they are in is on fire, pools of blood are creeping ever closer, and the end is near.

Flashback to the beginning of the entire mess.

The narrator, a former model & somewhat actress dependent on her beauty is in a hospital after a horrific accident. The young beauty is informed that half of her jaw is missing after a stray bullet hit her on the freeway, sen...more

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Feb 10, 2009 Helen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My reaction to Invisible Monsters was much the same as my great Aunt Kack’s to Northern Exposure back in the 80’s. She couldn’t believe what “they” were putting on TV, and I can’t believe what “they” are putting in print. And yet, just as my great Aunt Kack could be found in front of the boob tube every Monday night, for the past week or so, I could be found sprawled on my sofa reading Invisible Monsters.

When Shannon McFarland’s jawbone is shot off in a drive-by shooting, she winds up in a hosp...more

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Jan 03, 2009 Aj rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Wow.
That is all I find myself saying, and have been saying for the past 5 minutes, for I have just finished the book, "Invisible Monsters". This was one HELL of a book, and if you want shocks, twists, and turns, this is the holy grail of books. There are a total of 5 main plot twists that will really surprise you. But I warn you, if you do read it, it is also a very disturbing book, but it also teaches a lot of lessons in life and how sometimes, you have to do wrong to make it right again. My fa...more Wow.
That is all I find myself saying, and have been saying for the past 5 minutes, for I have just finished the book, "Invisible Monsters". This was one HELL of a book, and if you want shocks, twists, and turns, this is the holy grail of books. There are a total of 5 main plot twists that will really surprise you. But I warn you, if you do read it, it is also a very disturbing book, but it also teaches a lot of lessons in life and how sometimes, you have to do wrong to make it right again. My favorite experience from reading this was probably when I was reading the ending while listening to music and at the moment that Brandy got shot and "Time to Dance" by Panic! started to play, it was freaking awesome.

***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***

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***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***

***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***SPOILER ALERT***

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My favorite moments

Overall favorite moment: When Brandy (Shane) tells that he actually put the can in the fire, because he was tired of being a normal kid, and how he became a girl because everything else in the world was either too trendy, or too vague.

Favorite chapter: The Big Finish:Chapter 27-32 (Discover that Evie used to be a man, Brandy gets shot, Shannon tells Brandy her life story, burn the place down, wedding reception to name a few parts)(less)

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Dec 03, 2008 Skip rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: fashion models, drug-riddled transvestites, detectives

I had really wanted to read something of Chuck Palahniuk's. I had never read any of his novels, and did not want to read Fight Club because I felt it would be too "pop" of an introduction to his work. Consequentially, my fiance bought me this novel. I have to say, I really really like the author's style. The story is dark and gory and brutal, but the writing style is humorous rather than vulgar, and the subject matter is treated with a black comedy feel. I got the impression from reading this bo...more

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May 06, 2013 Xara rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Смесени чувства по отношение на книгата, на моменти почти ти идва да я захвърлиш с досада (особено в началото- главната геориня е абсолютно безлична). На всяка крачка те кара да си кажеш WTF? Малко прекомерно си личи желанието на автора да шокира, да бъде вулгарен, hard core и непредсказуем (не че принципно това е лошо, много книги са вулгарни и цинични и в същото време стахотни за четене като цяло), което го прави...леко предсказуем.
Хубавото е, че сюжетът не е праволинеен, върви отзад напред,...more Смесени чувства по отношение на книгата, на моменти почти ти идва да я захвърлиш с досада (особено в началото- главната геориня е абсолютно безлична). На всяка крачка те кара да си кажеш WTF? Малко прекомерно си личи желанието на автора да шокира, да бъде вулгарен, hard core и непредсказуем (не че принципно това е лошо, много книги са вулгарни и цинични и в същото време стахотни за четене като цяло), което го прави...леко предсказуем.
Хубавото е, че сюжетът не е праволинеен, върви отзад напред, прескача в различни моменти, това малко или много държи читателя нащрек и неутрализира предсказуемостта до някъде, от време навреме си мислиш "ох, тук май пропуснах нещо.." в крайна сметка, ако внимаваш всичко се изяснява...
В стилистично отношение повторенията правят добро впечатление и задържат вниманието, на моменти те карат да ги търсиш. Също така и фактът, че авторът учудващо добре е напипал мисленето на типа жени като главната героиня, която разказва всичко от първо лице, единствено число.

Като цяло е по-слаба от "Боен клуб". Трудно е да се каже за какво става въпрос и да се препоръча дали си струва или не. Бих я препоръчала на фенове на Чък Паланюк или евентуално на хора, които споделят мнението, че прекомерната суета и вторачването в изкуствения външен вид от страна на модната индустрия изглеждат повърхностни и гротескни. (less)

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Apr 06, 2013 Monique rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Just finished reading this book, and finished it in one day. HOLY good LORD. This book totally blew my mind. It's the first Chuck Palahniuk book i've read and needless to say i can't wait to get my hands on the others.

The book starts off at the end, one of those novels where you first open it up read a chapter and think what the hell is going on? in-fact you'll probably feel this way throughout most of the book, totally confused and reading it questioning yourself why you feel so desperate to fi...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Zoe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk is about a woman whose face gets shot off. It tells her story in a non-linear manor, jumping back and forth between her life before her accident and her life after. It is also largely about her relationship with a transgender woman named Brandy Alexander.

I really enjoyed this book. The narration is very cynical and sarcastic which made it interesting and funny to read. I found myself thinking about a lot of the social commentary the story made after I had fi...more

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Feb 08, 2013 Cameron rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've read a lot of books, especially lately, that are a lot like a beautifully wrapped gift, one with sparkly wrapping paper, high-end ribbon, and just something you are really excited about opening. Then, once you do open it, you find it is just a big hunk of crap in a box. I thought Swamplandia was going to be great because everyone loved it and it had a great premise, but then there was just a big turd of a missing plot and casual molestation in there. The Shack? Sure I could read a frighteni...more I've read a lot of books, especially lately, that are a lot like a beautifully wrapped gift, one with sparkly wrapping paper, high-end ribbon, and just something you are really excited about opening. Then, once you do open it, you find it is just a big hunk of crap in a box. I thought Swamplandia was going to be great because everyone loved it and it had a great premise, but then there was just a big turd of a missing plot and casual molestation in there. The Shack? Sure I could read a frightening ghost story where a man confronts his...oh and it is really just this poop in there.

I've read a few Chuck Palahniuk novels and what I have found to be so challenging with them is that they offer the same presentation as these other crappy (stay with my metaphor here) books. They each have a great premise, but the content is just so awful and crude (in both writing style and content, as anyone who knows Palahniuk would have to consent with). But, what makes Palahniuk's books different, and challenging, is that in the middle of the pile of crap, there is something great. A little kernel, if you will (stay with my metaphor) of genius.

Invisible Monsters is no exception to this really horrible analogy that I have just created. The premise of a beautiful fashion model who must live with horrific facial deformity due to losing half her face in a freak accident is a great idea. Having her narrate her misadventures, in no particular chronological order, of stealing and near-ODing on drugs with her drag queen and pervert counterparts, and doing so with overused literary callbacks and impossibly ridiculous situations: that is kind of the crappy part.

But through all of these things that the author throws at you, intentionally trying to disrupt the reader and make them uncomfortable in any number of ways, there is a really ingenius message. The author weaves together this torrid story in an ultimately brilliant way. It is a powerful message, all be it still rather disturbing, that the book finishes with. It is a book that for as much as I didn't enjoy traipsing through most of it, I will remember for a while and would like to discuss with anyone who will listen.

Though, I don't know who would actually listen to me, what with all of the fecal metaphors I tend to throw out there. Shit.
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About Chuck Palahniuk

Charles Michael "Chuck" Palahniuk is an American Transgressional fiction novelist and freelance journalist of Ukrainian ancestry born in Pasco, Washington. The press release for his book, Rant, states he is now living in Vancouver, Washington. He is best known for the award-winning novel Fight Club, which was later made into a film directed by David Fincher.

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“The one you love and the one who loves you are never, ever the same person.” — 8,684 people liked it

“All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring.” — 8,016 people liked it

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