(Goodreads)
Injected with new material and special design elements, Invisible Monsters Remix fulfills Chuck Palahniuk’s original vision for his 1999 novel, turning a daring satire on beauty and the fashion industry into an even more wildly unique reading experience. Palahniuk’s fashion-model protagonist has it all—boyfriend, career, loyal best friend—until an accident destroys her face, her ability to speak, and her self-esteem. Enter Brandy Alexander, Queen Supreme, one operation away from becoming a bona-fide woman. Laced in are new chapters of memoir and further scenes with the book’s characters. Readers will jump between chapters, reread the book to understand the dissolve between fiction and fact, and decipher the playful book design, embarking on a ride they’ll never forget.I bought this book two years ago as a Christmas present for my best friend. It didn't take her two years to read it lol but it did take her a long time to start it. So last week after she finally finished it I was able to grab it off her desk and take it to work.
I finished this book in three days. I don't know if that's saying much to others, since I know people can go through multiple books a day. BUT, for me, after reading became a chore because of school, that's saying something.
What's unique about this book (aside from the insane storyline) is the format. It jumps back and forth between chapters so that you don't quite know when you're going to finish. And even though I kept track of the chapters I read and began to see a pattern, I still felt like I didn't know when the end was coming or if I missed a chapter by mistake. Part of me wants to go back in a couple of months and read it from beginning to end, see how much of a trip that is or if it creates a whole different story line.
Without a doubt, the narrative has Palahniuk written all over it. For those of you that have read his 1996 novel, Fight Club, you'll get some of the same feeling from the narrator in that they both have this constant 'catchphrase' that is almost a part of their identity. Both the narrator from Fight Club and Invisible Monsters have this struggle of self vs. self that is incredibly unique and it blows my mind how much of a different point of view they were able to give me.
The narrator of Invisible Monsters is a confusing woman to say the least. Her story is told from the first-person POV but even so I felt like a bystander throughout the novel. I don't find myself rooting for her or wanting her to fail, I find myself simply observing. However, even with all my observations I still found myself surprised at various points in the novel like I was when I first saw Fight Club (which my friend still laughs at for not being able to figure out).
The characters are CHARACTERS. You know how you come across people sometimes that you just can't believe exist? Like some little old lady who gets dragged for three blocks from a pick up truck carrying away her favorite tree? Or a coffee shop barista who somehow manages to remember everyone's name and the entire content of their lives?
Overall, Invisible Monsters Remix is a solid book with plenty of twists. Is it now a favorite? No. Would I recommend it? Without a doubt.
Memorable Quote
"My inventory of people who can save me is down to just me. Not my best friend. Or my old boyfriend. Not the doctors or the nuns. Maybe the police, but not yet. It isn't time to wrap this whole mess into a neat legal package and get on with my less-than life. Hideous and invisible forever and picking up pieces." (225-226)
No comments:
Post a Comment