Diary

I had high hopes for this novel because I've heard so many good things about Mr. Palahniuk. I was sorely disappointed. The first 3/4ths of the novel was good and entertaining. Forget the last quarter. A vast disappointment. I'd expand but don't want to put in any spoilers.

Pro: I bow down to Palahniuk and his absolutely perfect use of 'You' in the telling of this story. He pulls the point of view off beautifully and the direction of reference is placed toward the intended audience, the coma ridden Peter Wilmot. An impressive and original piece of work that again sticks with you long after you read the last sentence. I found myself still pondering different parts of the story for days and marveling at the gutty grit with which so many issues and themes are revealed. After reading a Palahniuk tale, you can't help but look at humanity with eyes wide open and see all the wonderful, shocking and often laughable flaws. Each story is a social experiment that leaves the reader stunned, horrified and thankful that someone has the tenacity to be honest. I loved it! This excerpt says it all and resonated so strongly for me that I had to highlight it. We don't learn from happy, sweet stories or events -- unfortunately, we must be scarred. "It's so hard to forget pain, but it's even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace." Con: Palahniuk will not appeal to everyone. This isn't necessarily a flaw, but a reality for most authors. He has a cult-like loyal fan base but may not attract a large demographic especially across the age gap. However, if you have an open mind and crave something original, I say give it a try. Nonetheless, whether you love Palahniuk or not, you won't easily forget the experience. Bitsy Rating: 5 Stars

Palahniuk's brutally honest look at the suffering of his creative protagonist is haunting and grips you right away. If you've grown up in a small beach town, you understand the love-hate relationship between locals and tourists. If you're an artist, you'll understand it even more. Palahniuk uses this as his backdrop and ultimately his driver for this compelling story of what one woman must do to escape her fate. The results surely do bring the house down in the final conclusion. I won't spoil it by giving too much away, but the ending is as surprising as it is satisfactory.

I love everything Chuck writes and this book is no exception. I've been reading from other people's reviews that they think this novel is dull or boring. I couldn't disagree with them more. I felt that Chuck did a fine job of creating a reasonable eerieness and suspicion early on in the novel that he continued throughout. This book seemed to be his frirst real 'mystery' novel. It was a GREAT story. So great a story in fact that I was considering trying my hand at a screenplay for the novel. Anyone who says this wasn't one of his better novels needs to read other authors to realize that he is indeed one of the best novelists of our time. So even his 'bad' is better than MAAANY others' 'good'.

This is my second Chuck Palahniuk book - and it certainly won't be my last. I first read "Survivor" and couldn't stop at just one! Chuck Palahniuk is by far one of the most original and engaging writers I have come across. He'll leave you guessing and wondering until the end; he ensures a good page turner. In addition, he seems extremely intelligent. You can tell he knows what he's talking about in his books. His details are clear and his writing style is unique, but very good. Days after I'm still reciting lines from "Diary" in my head... it gets stuck! Do yourself a favor and read some Chuck.

I loved this book. It was so unlike anything else I've ever read before! Plot twists and things like that...awesome. The only problem is, I wish I had known more about Misty. Other than that, one of the best books I've ever read.