What did you think of Rant?

[jackalope]

I confess that I haven't read everything by Chuck, but I've read at least four of his works and Rant was the most disappointing. I get the whole idea of an oral history and its inherit inconsistencies. He probably worked really hard at building them in. But the idea of people intentionally running into each other seemed just a little too Blade Runner for me.

For a great true oral history, read Rudolph Grey's biography of Ed Wood:

http://www.amazon.com/Nightmare-Ecsta...

[Richard]

I found Rant very enjoyable. I would rank it much better than Haunted in particular. I would say it's about the same as Diary. It does require some thought to get through it, Interestedly, many of the things mentioned in the non-fiction "Fugitive and Refugees" were present, albeit in a modified form, in Rant.

[Pablo]

Not many people had good things to say about Rant, but I liked it. It made me laugh out loud more than once. True, it was a bit sci-fi-ish at some parts, but overall I think it was a good book.

[Pablo]

Oh, plus I actually kind of like the oral biography format. It feels like reading Shakespeare.

[Elli Jo]

I honestly enjoyed this book. It was really difficult for me to follow and so strange... It captured me right away and it just kept me reading. The more I read, the more confused I'd get, and the second I thought I had figured it out, I lost it again. I am still working on the comprehension, but I think I am going to have to read it again.

Now - where does the "based on a true story" part come in that I was hearing from people? Or this "oral biography?" Where in the hell in this book can anything truly make sense or be real?

I loved it :) That's Chuck for you....

[Andy]

Elli Jo wrote: "I honestly enjoyed this book. It was really difficult for me to follow and so strange... It captured me right away and it just kept me reading. The more I read, the more confused I'd get, and th..."


There is no based on a true story with this novel and the oral biography is the style that it is written in. The main character is already dead at the start of the book and people are recounting there memories of him. All fictional of course since this is a work of fiction.

Hope that helps.

[Dean]

I am a huge fan of Palahniuk's work.
I stress this up front along with another preface; I have been disappointed with his last few offerings. After the genius of "Fight Club," "Choke," "Survivor," and "Invisible Monsters" things seemed to take a dip a little...and then a little more. "Diary" was simply "OK" and "Snuff" was really, well...not so great.
More to say about previous endeavors, but here in "Rant" I feel that Chuck picked it back up again.
The narrative takes a fantastic twist being told through the eyes of various persons in or around the main story. It felt like a modern take on old epistolary tales.
The character development was fabulous as the reader gets to see the development through so many different sets of eyes.
Some people found this hard to follow, especially those who heard the story via audiobook (I cannot even imagine being able to follow it using that medium).
My reviews are always about how the book made me feel, did I enjoy it, was it well-written and fresh, etc. I don't go for giving away plot points or speaking too much about the actual story. Those synopses are better left to jacket covers.
This was a return to the old dark, twisted, truly messed up Palahniuk style with great story telling and a new attitude. He started to feel like he was writing simply for the sake of "shock" instead of "shocking" in his writing without reaching.
I love this foray into an almost cyberpunk flavor. As always, Chuck does amazing things with subcultures and he shines here.
Fast read. Brilliant writing. Fascinating the way it was constructed. I was sad when it ended.
This book was a great read and, as I have always done, I will look forward to the next book that Chuck brings us.

[Crystal]

rant is fantastic. it currently sits at number one for me, and has for the past few years. admittedly, most of the other chuck p fans i know either haven't read it or didnt think much of it. i loved every bit of it.