gang bang
Got your attention? 
I was hanging out with Benefactor the other night, and he’s reading the new Chuck Palahniuk book: Snuff. I haven’t read any of Palahniuk’s books, despite good intentions (I used to read 3 or 4 books at a time but have been oddly slacking lately…), but I’ve heard stories about his last book causing actual spontaneous vomiting during live readings. I read that particular story, and it was admittedly horrifyingly gross, but I can’t imagine actually throwing up in public just because someone read it out loud. *shrug*
Anyway, this one is supposedly the story of an attempt to break the world record for a gang bang. 600 men, one woman, and a film crew. It’s told from the point of view of 3 of the men (numbers 72, 137, and 600) in graphic detail – supposedly Palahniuk did a lot of field research before writing the book.
The thing about it for me is that I’m kind of jealous. Not of the characters (can you imagine how pulverized you’d be down there after 600…never mind, just UGH), but of the writer. How great must it be to just put it all out there, something so taboo and yet so train-wreck-intriguing, and to be able to do it in such a way that it actually comes off as an intellectual work of art. I’ve written a lot of crazy stuff (I actually used to post regularly on Literotica…) but can’t imagine any of it as a best-seller…
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Just a random attorney writing about daily life with Little Filthy, my rotten dog.
May 24th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
I now heart you even more!
Literotica!?!? I wonder if I ever read anything of yours… hmmm…
May 24th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Chris has read a few Palahniuk books, but I haven’t. I’m like you in that I usually have two-three books going at the same time. I don’t think he’s my style though.
On another note, did you catch him showing Anthony Bourdain around Portland on “No Reservations?” He’s just a little dweeby guy! I can’t imagine him having any actual gang bang experience, but I guess you never know with the quiet ones
May 25th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I have to read this book now. I can only imagine what it’s like to be guy #600. Maybe I should ask my husband to fuck a hamburger pattie and tell me what that’s like. I imagine it would be similar.
Okay, that was really gross. But still!
May 27th, 2008 at 8:17 am
Hehe, I’ve read Choke and Fight Club, although Choke was nowehere as good as the latter. I’m going to borrow this one from Avitania and give it a read! He has an interesting style, but sometimes it feels as if he’s simply trying to be… well… whatever that style is
But you’ve intrigued me on the book so now I shall read it! Of course, I’ve been reading Obama’s book now for the past 5 months. Hrm….
May 27th, 2008 at 11:42 am
I think what gets me, is why would anyone WANT that title? “Hey how are ya? I had sex with 600 men in one day!” I’d throw some antibiotics at her and run away.
May 27th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I finished the book Sunday night. It’s a quick read, though part of that is due to Palahniuk’s decision to write all 4 narrator’s voices in the exact same style, making it really hard to remember who’s talking when. I’m assuming he did that on purpose though I’m still sorting out why, exactly…
Anyway, it’s possibly more graphic and wrong than I made it out to be originally. If you’ve ever wondered anything about the history of porn, this is your source.
I had to take a long shower after reading it. And I’m kind of dirty as it is…
May 27th, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Plush – I went and got the book on Monday morning. An hour into it, I was loving it. By the end, I was totally horrified. Slightly amused, but still horrified. And I’m not the kind who squicks easily. (I spent a number of years working tech for large adult-oriented websites; if there’s a way to defile a bodily orifice, I’ve already seen it.). But I couldn’t put it down! I also wondered why the voices for each of the characters were basically the same — with the exception of Sheila, but even then she was barely distinct. Some of the “true stories” she mentioned seemed off-kilter to me, and different than some of the other history I’ve heard, so I wonder how much of it is urban legend and/or exaggeration. (Which adds more to her character, but I digress…)
What I’d love to hear from Palahniuk is anecdotes from the field research. That would be awesome.
May 28th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Hmm… not a claim to fame I would want – but whatever floats your boat I say.
I’ve never read any of his work – not sure it’s my thing. I have a tendancy to like really detailed characters with a really well developed sense of what their motivations are. Not sure you would get that from him.
I agree w/ Bev though… it’s always the little dorky ones that are the real kinky ones. LMAO!
June 4th, 2008 at 10:47 am
He was just interviewed in Writer’s Digest, and on the cover as well…he looks like such a dad. I guess it IS always the quiet ones…..