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Not Forever, But For Now
From the bestselling author of Fight Club comes a hilarious horror satire about a family of professional killers responsible for the most atrocious events in history and the young brothers that are destined to take over.Meet Otto and Cecil. Two brothers growing up privileged in the Welsh countryside. They enjoy watching nature shows, playing with their pet pony, impersonating their Grandfather...and killing the help. Murder is the family business after all. Downton Abbey, this is not. However, it’s not so easy to continue the family legacy with the constant stream of threats and distractions seemingly leaping from the hedgerow. First there is the matter of the veritable cavalcade of escaped convicts that keep showing up at their door. Not to mention the debaucherous new tutor who has a penchant for speaking in Greek and dismembering sex dolls. Then there’s Mummy’s burgeoning opioid addiction. And who knows where Daddy is. He just vanished one day after he and Mummy took a walk in the so called “Ghost Forest.” With Grandfather putting pressure on Otto to step up, it becomes clear that this will all end in only two a nuclear apocalypse or just another day among the creeping thistle and tree peonies. And in a novel written by Chuck Palahniuk, either are equally possible.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 5, 2023
About the author
Chuck Palahniuk
231 books130k followersWritten in stolen moments under truck chassis and on park benches to a soundtrack of The Downward Spiral and Pablo Honey, Fight Club came into existence. The adaptation of Fight Club was a flop at the box office, but achieved cult status on DVD. The film’s popularity drove sales of the novel. Chuck put out two novels in 1999, Survivor and Invisible Monsters. Choke, published in 2001, became Chuck’s first New York Times bestseller. Chuck’s work has always been infused with personal experience, and his next novel, Lullaby, was no exception. Chuck credits writing Lullaby with helping him cope with the tragic death of his father. Diary and the non-fiction guide to Portland, Fugitives and Refugees, were released in 2003. While on the road in support of Diary, Chuck began reading a short story entitled 'Guts,' which would eventually become part of the novel Haunted.
In the years that followed, he continued to write, publishing the bestselling Rant, Snuff, Pygmy, Tell-All, a 'remix' of Invisible Monsters, Damned, and most recently, Doomed.
Chuck also enjoys giving back to his fans, and teaching the art of storytelling has been an important part of that. In 2004, Chuck began submitting essays to ChuckPalahniuk.net on the craft of writing. These were 'How To' pieces, straight out of Chuck's personal bag of tricks, based on the tenants of minimalism he learned from Tom Spanbauer. Every month, a “Homework Assignment” would accompany the lesson, so Workshop members could apply what they had learned. (all 36 of these essays can currently be found on The Cult's sister-site, LitReactor.com).
Then, in 2009, Chuck increased his involvement by committing to read and review a selection of fan-written stories each month. The best stories are currently set to be published in Burnt Tongues, a forthcoming anthology, with an introduction written by Chuck himself.
His next novel, Beautiful You, is due out in October 2014.
In the years that followed, he continued to write, publishing the bestselling Rant, Snuff, Pygmy, Tell-All, a 'remix' of Invisible Monsters, Damned, and most recently, Doomed.
Chuck also enjoys giving back to his fans, and teaching the art of storytelling has been an important part of that. In 2004, Chuck began submitting essays to ChuckPalahniuk.net on the craft of writing. These were 'How To' pieces, straight out of Chuck's personal bag of tricks, based on the tenants of minimalism he learned from Tom Spanbauer. Every month, a “Homework Assignment” would accompany the lesson, so Workshop members could apply what they had learned. (all 36 of these essays can currently be found on The Cult's sister-site, LitReactor.com).
Then, in 2009, Chuck increased his involvement by committing to read and review a selection of fan-written stories each month. The best stories are currently set to be published in Burnt Tongues, a forthcoming anthology, with an introduction written by Chuck himself.
His next novel, Beautiful You, is due out in October 2014.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 666 reviews
June 10, 2023
To say this is one of the weirdest and most uniquely written books i’ve ever read is quite the accomplishment…but i think it is!
let me start by saying this book is gonna be for a VERY NICHE audience. I’m calling it an incestuous Exquisite Corpse with man-baby brothers. it’s hilarious, creepy, and uncomfortable - the fact that these college-aged brothers still have a nanny to bathe them should tell you the tone of the book. Palahniuk uses certain words and phrases very repetitiously, which I can see a lot of readers being annoyed with, but it worked for me in terms of getting you into this narrator’s disgusting psyche. it reads almost as a critique/satire of queer culture (something he’s done before with Invisible Monsters) but taking everything to the extreme.
basically it was fucked up and i loved it
let me start by saying this book is gonna be for a VERY NICHE audience. I’m calling it an incestuous Exquisite Corpse with man-baby brothers. it’s hilarious, creepy, and uncomfortable - the fact that these college-aged brothers still have a nanny to bathe them should tell you the tone of the book. Palahniuk uses certain words and phrases very repetitiously, which I can see a lot of readers being annoyed with, but it worked for me in terms of getting you into this narrator’s disgusting psyche. it reads almost as a critique/satire of queer culture (something he’s done before with Invisible Monsters) but taking everything to the extreme.
basically it was fucked up and i loved it
August 15, 2023
This book is very Chuck Palahniuk. KNOW THAT BEFORE YOU READ IT. If I have to read one more clueless reviewer who is "offended" by the content of a book by the guy who wrote about a man having his guts sucked out of his anus by a pool filter while masturbating, I'm gonna break my screen.
Having said that... this book was awful. In his effort to be offensive and edgy and cool and weird and gross and over the top and depraved, Palahniuk forgot to be one very critical thing: interesting. This latest is so boring and repetitive, and not just because (in true Chuck Palahniuk style) the same words and phrases are repeated ad nauseum. If you've read any book by this author before, you've read every single thing here, from the annoying but very specifically-written first person narrator to the depraved sex acts and deaths to the surface-level satire/critiques of queer culture and privilege. But the other books have done it more entertainingly, even the ones I hated.
Having said that... this book was awful. In his effort to be offensive and edgy and cool and weird and gross and over the top and depraved, Palahniuk forgot to be one very critical thing: interesting. This latest is so boring and repetitive, and not just because (in true Chuck Palahniuk style) the same words and phrases are repeated ad nauseum. If you've read any book by this author before, you've read every single thing here, from the annoying but very specifically-written first person narrator to the depraved sex acts and deaths to the surface-level satire/critiques of queer culture and privilege. But the other books have done it more entertainingly, even the ones I hated.
Read
June 16, 2023DNF @ 20%
Some of you will certainly enjoy these precocious, precious, irritatingly boring children and will later write reviews gushing about vomit and red bum holes and explain to me later that I simply didn't get some sort of scathing ironic commentary about boys schools and the upper crust and nannies who 'use their mouths' and I'm so sorry, but I simply did NOT enjoy this at all.
Bigger sin? I was bored.
But, you do you.
Some of you will certainly enjoy these precocious, precious, irritatingly boring children and will later write reviews gushing about vomit and red bum holes and explain to me later that I simply didn't get some sort of scathing ironic commentary about boys schools and the upper crust and nannies who 'use their mouths' and I'm so sorry, but I simply did NOT enjoy this at all.
Bigger sin? I was bored.
But, you do you.
Read
September 15, 2023Who'd have thought debauchery could be so dull.
Throwing in the suspiciously sticky towel at the 30% mark.
ARC provided by NetGalley and Simon & Shuster.
Throwing in the suspiciously sticky towel at the 30% mark.
ARC provided by NetGalley and Simon & Shuster.
August 18, 2023
As a huge Palahniuk fan, this book was just a huge letdown. It was just...weird. And not in a good way. I never fully understood what was going on. I didn't particularly care about the characters. The blurb made it sound like it'd be an interesting tale, and instead we just get weird sexual depravity. There were plenty of times where I just almost gave up on the book because it was just so frustrating to read a book where nothing really seemed to be going on that mattered.
Adding to this review because I still go back and think about where he went wrong because I was so excited about another Palahniuk book. It really just comes down to some poor writing. People are talking about how you won't like this book if you're easily offended. I am not. I wouldn't mind the incest, the weird way they kill and dispose of bodies, etc. if it was actually written well. But it's just not. I know how well he can write, and this just is not that.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review.
Adding to this review because I still go back and think about where he went wrong because I was so excited about another Palahniuk book. It really just comes down to some poor writing. People are talking about how you won't like this book if you're easily offended. I am not. I wouldn't mind the incest, the weird way they kill and dispose of bodies, etc. if it was actually written well. But it's just not. I know how well he can write, and this just is not that.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review.
August 25, 2023
Goodness, it's been a long time since I liked a Chuck Palahniuk book (2009's Pygmy, for the record). I have to wonder whether it's him or it's me. When he's staked his reputation on being "transgressive" it feels like maybe it's hard to keep up the shock value after about 20 books. Am I tired of the schtick, or is it just getting increasingly unsubtle? I sometimes feel I should go re-read Lullaby or Survivor and see if they're as good as I remember without the novelty factor.
Now, I'm not saying I didn't like this book just because it was "shocking" or "offensive." It's probably less gross overall than Damned or Beautiful You (not that I liked those books much either, to be fair). It's just so dull. Palahniuk hammers a couple of transgressive notes over, and over, and over, and over again (to wit: masturbation, rape, incest, necrophilia), which would be repetitive enough, but the book is written in some bizarre caricature of British English in which sex and masturbation are referred to almost exclusively as "having a go" and "having it off" and it drove me up the wall. By my fuzzy tally I count 97 instances of "having a go" and 89 of "having it off" -- 186 total in a 256 page book! That's one every 1.37 pages. Talking about sex or masturbation every 1.37 pages would be pretty repetitive even if the prose had some variation, but the same two phrases every time? Enough.
Bad prose can be sometimes be salvaged by a good plot or characters, but this book doesn't have a plot, really. What plot there is feels like a castoff from some Fight Club sequel, with the POV character tagging along with his more assertive brother as he kills people and assembles some unbelievable army of socially cast-off young men, but that doesn't really go anywhere interesting. And the characters are all cartoonish hedonistic psychopaths and miserable to spend time with. One thing I've often enjoyed about Palahniuk's books are the little factoids and trivia asides into interesting things (like foley work in The Invention of Sound) but there isn't even anything like that here.
All in all a grueling experience that I would not have completed if not for receiving a copy on NetGalley. So thanks, I guess, to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC?
Now, I'm not saying I didn't like this book just because it was "shocking" or "offensive." It's probably less gross overall than Damned or Beautiful You (not that I liked those books much either, to be fair). It's just so dull. Palahniuk hammers a couple of transgressive notes over, and over, and over, and over again (to wit: masturbation, rape, incest, necrophilia), which would be repetitive enough, but the book is written in some bizarre caricature of British English in which sex and masturbation are referred to almost exclusively as "having a go" and "having it off" and it drove me up the wall. By my fuzzy tally I count 97 instances of "having a go" and 89 of "having it off" -- 186 total in a 256 page book! That's one every 1.37 pages. Talking about sex or masturbation every 1.37 pages would be pretty repetitive even if the prose had some variation, but the same two phrases every time? Enough.
Bad prose can be sometimes be salvaged by a good plot or characters, but this book doesn't have a plot, really. What plot there is feels like a castoff from some Fight Club sequel, with the POV character tagging along with his more assertive brother as he kills people and assembles some unbelievable army of socially cast-off young men, but that doesn't really go anywhere interesting. And the characters are all cartoonish hedonistic psychopaths and miserable to spend time with. One thing I've often enjoyed about Palahniuk's books are the little factoids and trivia asides into interesting things (like foley work in The Invention of Sound) but there isn't even anything like that here.
All in all a grueling experience that I would not have completed if not for receiving a copy on NetGalley. So thanks, I guess, to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC?
October 27, 2023
DNF @ 35%
The most offensive thing about this book is how utterly dull it is.
The most offensive thing about this book is how utterly dull it is.
September 2, 2023
This book stinks. It’s as if a 12 year old heard a description of Clockwork Orange and American Psycho and said “you know what’s really shocking and offensive?” Then wrote down every half wit idea that came into his head.
July 6, 2023
"The only ones who fear death are those who’ve never lived."
Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Chuck!! If you’ve never been offended by his work before then you better prepare yourself. Chuck comes out swinging with all his might and he even got me this time around. Bravo! Would it really be a Palahniuk classic if he didn’t upset some of his readers?
I give you the greatest deaths and tragedies of our time. Sudden deaths... in the lake you go... old age deaths... in the lake you go but not before I hack off your favorite finger. All deaths result in two things, a shallow grave and the missing of a precious digit. All this is thanks to a little family business on the Welsh countryside.
Oh, boy. Chuck is in for it this time. Readers are going to be bringing out the pitchforks with this one. While a lot of readers will be turned off by this sick and twisted humor, I was like an eager kid waiting to open presents on Christmas morning. It was my kind of humor and I laughed throughout. Not sure what that says about me but I think it gives me character.
The story was a unique one. You'll find nothing like this in other books. I really enjoyed this one. I may be biased since Chuck is my favorite author but hear me out... you know you're going to get something f**ked up when it comes to Chuck and he does not disappoint. I enjoyed myself. I think I needed a cigarette after this one.
The one thing from this book that will forever stick with me is, "Which one of your fingers do you consider your p**sy finger?"
Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Chuck!! If you’ve never been offended by his work before then you better prepare yourself. Chuck comes out swinging with all his might and he even got me this time around. Bravo! Would it really be a Palahniuk classic if he didn’t upset some of his readers?
I give you the greatest deaths and tragedies of our time. Sudden deaths... in the lake you go... old age deaths... in the lake you go but not before I hack off your favorite finger. All deaths result in two things, a shallow grave and the missing of a precious digit. All this is thanks to a little family business on the Welsh countryside.
Oh, boy. Chuck is in for it this time. Readers are going to be bringing out the pitchforks with this one. While a lot of readers will be turned off by this sick and twisted humor, I was like an eager kid waiting to open presents on Christmas morning. It was my kind of humor and I laughed throughout. Not sure what that says about me but I think it gives me character.
The story was a unique one. You'll find nothing like this in other books. I really enjoyed this one. I may be biased since Chuck is my favorite author but hear me out... you know you're going to get something f**ked up when it comes to Chuck and he does not disappoint. I enjoyed myself. I think I needed a cigarette after this one.
The one thing from this book that will forever stick with me is, "Which one of your fingers do you consider your p**sy finger?"
June 2, 2023
(3.5 stars) Chuck Palahniuk at his irreverent best. I couldn’t summarize this book nicely and neatly if my life depended on it. Suffice it to say that it’s pure Palahniuk and will appeal to his fans, but lie right on the edge of offensive to many. I can’t say I fully enjoyed it - that would say something about me that I don’t want said - but it kept me entertained.
October 31, 2023
I think I need a reread. I swallowed the first 20% of the book due to its sour, putrescent taste (incest between brothers, dysfunctional family dynamics, constant 'having a go' and 'having it off') but enjoyed the language (the book's set in Wales, with many old British words/slang words added to the mix) and ideas of the other 80%. Read 'About the Author' section at the end of the book before starting it. The main idea turns out to be deeper than its wrapper, intended to shock a reader. The ending's swift, unexpected and crosses out the believability of the whole book.
July 6, 2023
Before I get into my own thoughts about the novel, I’d like to rebuke a few of the negative reviews.
One of the main criticisms I have seen so far is the claim that this book is “bad writing.” I would contend the opposite: Not Forever is one of the best Palahniuk books I have read to date. Not only is it stylistically interesting, but it’s also a prime example of strong storytelling. The ending of a good story should be the logical conclusion of the beginning; I don’t see how Palahniuk could have ended this book any other way.
Another trend among the early negative reviews seems to take issue with the protagonists’ ages. However, if you read far enough (or speak Greek), you’ll see that Otto and Cecil are hardly children.
Not Forever But For Now is delightfully grotesque. It is a brilliant concoction of satire, humor, gore, and tenderness. Chuck Palahniuk has crafted a scathing critique of excessive wealth, toxic masculinity, and society’s obsession with serial killers using unforgettable characters.
Thank you to Barnes & Noble and Simon & Schuster for my Advanced Reader’s Copy!
One of the main criticisms I have seen so far is the claim that this book is “bad writing.” I would contend the opposite: Not Forever is one of the best Palahniuk books I have read to date. Not only is it stylistically interesting, but it’s also a prime example of strong storytelling. The ending of a good story should be the logical conclusion of the beginning; I don’t see how Palahniuk could have ended this book any other way.
Another trend among the early negative reviews seems to take issue with the protagonists’ ages. However, if you read far enough (or speak Greek), you’ll see that Otto and Cecil are hardly children.
Not Forever But For Now is delightfully grotesque. It is a brilliant concoction of satire, humor, gore, and tenderness. Chuck Palahniuk has crafted a scathing critique of excessive wealth, toxic masculinity, and society’s obsession with serial killers using unforgettable characters.
Thank you to Barnes & Noble and Simon & Schuster for my Advanced Reader’s Copy!
October 27, 2023
This book just feels…desperate. I’m a long time fan of Palahniuk, and I really enjoyed his previous novel, but this one carried the recent unfortunate trend of his of trying to be stylistically convoluted with no payoff. I shouldn’t even say style, as I would reserve that for his older works, now it’s just a shtick in the same way a grandparent may say racist things and everyone just awkwardly chuckles because you can’t change it and that’s just “their thing,” but also why you don’t want others around them. I’m fine with Palahniuk being exhaustingly edgy, but there needs to be substance to support the chaos of rape, murder, incest, etc. that pervades this book. Instead, we are left with an annoying narrator and an author trying to be more clever than what is warranted.
September 28, 2023
I have been a fan of Palahniuk for over 20 years. At one point he was so talked about and read he became “Uncle Chuck” in my household. I still reread my favorite, Invisible Monsters every couple of years. I met him and even though it’s not normally my nature, I sweated down to the top of my jeans and clammed up. I only laughed, completely fangirling, and my ex-husband had to speak for me. I’m saying all this to preface why I am giving this one star. At some point he stopped writing social commentary with some obscenity to writing obscenity for the sake of obscenity. The first book that made me think of giving up on him was Damned (the only book I haven’t read is its sequel). Since then, in my opinion he’s had some decent releases but none that hold a candle to his early works. This book? Total trash. And to slap a message at the end saying….”oh didn’t you know this is a book about addiction!” does not save it. It’s all a bunch of rehashed drivel. I am beyond disappointed. I rarely post negative reviews because when I dislike a book I try to give the writer the benefit of the doubt. I barely ever give a one star. But I felt so angry closing this one that I had to say something. RIP Uncle Chuck. I think I’ll go reread an earlier book to drive this one out of my mind.
July 13, 2023
This book found a way to encapsulate and express a feeling I've felt my entire life and been unable to explain. Nothing good can ever really happen, because everything good must end. We do what we can to try to feel bright, alive, weightless, joyful, whatever you want to call it, but it doesn't last. It's not forever, but for now.
This is through and through a Palahniuk book. It's disgusting, dark, and horrifying. It's hilarious, uplifting, and cathartic. If you're turned off in the first half, or even three quarters of the way through, you just have to hold out for the ending. It is worth it. You have to feel all the things it's asking you to feel, or you miss the point. I'll admit this one was a difficult read for me, but I trusted my gut that it was going to take me somewhere I needed to go, and I'm so glad I did. This is definitely a book I'm going to have to read again to feel the full weight of it, and I cannot wait until I get my hands on my own copy in September.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the ARC.
This is through and through a Palahniuk book. It's disgusting, dark, and horrifying. It's hilarious, uplifting, and cathartic. If you're turned off in the first half, or even three quarters of the way through, you just have to hold out for the ending. It is worth it. You have to feel all the things it's asking you to feel, or you miss the point. I'll admit this one was a difficult read for me, but I trusted my gut that it was going to take me somewhere I needed to go, and I'm so glad I did. This is definitely a book I'm going to have to read again to feel the full weight of it, and I cannot wait until I get my hands on my own copy in September.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the ARC.
September 29, 2023
I'm going to write short reviews on the three books I've neglected to do so recently.
I've read at least two books by Chuck Palahniuk that I really enjoyed but this one and Haunted (which I dnfed this year) have been meh. I felt like I completely missed the point in this book and just missed the mark for me. Might be awhile before I try another book by this author.
I've read at least two books by Chuck Palahniuk that I really enjoyed but this one and Haunted (which I dnfed this year) have been meh. I felt like I completely missed the point in this book and just missed the mark for me. Might be awhile before I try another book by this author.
May 25, 2023
Wild, disturbing, hilarious perfection.
December 22, 2023
The works of Chuck Palahniuk are not for everyone. He's been compared to Kurt Vonnegut, but I've always felt that was a misplaced accolade and only close in some respects. After finishing NOT FOREVER, BUT FOR NOW I don't believe he should be placed in a chair even close to the plateau that Vonnegut sits upon.
I haven't read everything Palahniuk has written, but I have enjoyed what I have read (until now). Normally, I can expect a Palaniuk novel to be 1) bold, 2) controversial, 3) a commentary on society, modern life and politics, 4) funny, and 5) entertaining. This hits three of the five marks. I did not find it funny or entertaining, just boring and repetitive (more than ever before). I left out outrageous, wild, and unpredictable. It also hits two out of three. Forget about unpredictable. There really is no clear problem, conflict, or resolution. Just a pile of anecdotal short chapters (2-5 pages) that repeatedly reveal the character aspects of the two brothers that we already have learned enough of by Page 50.
At Page 50 I considered putting this down and not continuing. But, I thought I might miss whatever point Palaniuk had in mind so I kept reading to the end. To his credit, this is very outrageous and succeeding chapters seem to be raising the bar, so that at least kept me going.
In the afterwords Palaniuk states that "For a long time I've wanted to write a book about the pain of addiction, both the pain of the addicted and the pain of those close to them. That's the engine behind NOT FOREVER. Given the choice, most people are not going to read a book about pain, but I would like to share my intention. "Having a go" and "lemon syllabub" are all metaphors, duh. Not to mention the way thirty years can vanish, and one finds himself still a child who's wasted his life."
That last sentence certainly applies to older brother Otto and young brother Cecil, so that's on the mark. The only drug addiction in the novel is Mummy's fascination with opioids, and that is mainly glossed over. So the addiction that becomes apparent throughout the novel is that almost every character, especially Otto and Cecil, are addicted to "having a go."
Except that "having a go" isn't really a metaphor. It's street language. The book is about Otto and Cecil's obsession with sodomy. They love to "have a go". If Palanuik wants to write a book about sexual addiction, then why couldn't he just come right out and say so? Anyone who would be offended by learning what this novel is about is not a regular reader of Palaniuk, anyway.
I looked forward to reading this novel, and I'm disappointed. I'm going to approach any future works by Palanuik with caution. Also, I'm glad I read a library copy and don't have to put this one on my bookshelves.
I haven't read everything Palahniuk has written, but I have enjoyed what I have read (until now). Normally, I can expect a Palaniuk novel to be 1) bold, 2) controversial, 3) a commentary on society, modern life and politics, 4) funny, and 5) entertaining. This hits three of the five marks. I did not find it funny or entertaining, just boring and repetitive (more than ever before). I left out outrageous, wild, and unpredictable. It also hits two out of three. Forget about unpredictable. There really is no clear problem, conflict, or resolution. Just a pile of anecdotal short chapters (2-5 pages) that repeatedly reveal the character aspects of the two brothers that we already have learned enough of by Page 50.
At Page 50 I considered putting this down and not continuing. But, I thought I might miss whatever point Palaniuk had in mind so I kept reading to the end. To his credit, this is very outrageous and succeeding chapters seem to be raising the bar, so that at least kept me going.
In the afterwords Palaniuk states that "For a long time I've wanted to write a book about the pain of addiction, both the pain of the addicted and the pain of those close to them. That's the engine behind NOT FOREVER. Given the choice, most people are not going to read a book about pain, but I would like to share my intention. "Having a go" and "lemon syllabub" are all metaphors, duh. Not to mention the way thirty years can vanish, and one finds himself still a child who's wasted his life."
That last sentence certainly applies to older brother Otto and young brother Cecil, so that's on the mark. The only drug addiction in the novel is Mummy's fascination with opioids, and that is mainly glossed over. So the addiction that becomes apparent throughout the novel is that almost every character, especially Otto and Cecil, are addicted to "having a go."
Except that "having a go" isn't really a metaphor. It's street language. The book is about Otto and Cecil's obsession with sodomy. They love to "have a go". If Palanuik wants to write a book about sexual addiction, then why couldn't he just come right out and say so? Anyone who would be offended by learning what this novel is about is not a regular reader of Palaniuk, anyway.
I looked forward to reading this novel, and I'm disappointed. I'm going to approach any future works by Palanuik with caution. Also, I'm glad I read a library copy and don't have to put this one on my bookshelves.
January 12, 2024
DNF
I think I have bad luck when it comes to ARCs.
This is not the book for me AT ALL, and I knew that when I went into it but I felt I had to read it in order to write a review since it was an advanced reader copy, but I can’t do it anymore. I am officially scarred for life by this book.
Besides this book already being a Chuck Palahnuk book, (meaning you’ll want to wash your mind with vinegar after reading), it had no plot or interesting enough story to make this even a smidge worth reading even if I didn’t mind the disgusting things inside this book.
I really expected things about the Welsh countryside and what it was like having murder be the family business, but instead I read about psychopaths and their sexual tendencies, pedophilia, r*pe, zoophilia, drugs, grooming children, incest, and that’s about it.🤮(And yes I know these “kids” aren’t really kids and that they’re hinted at to be older but it still talks about their past youth).The only murder in the chapters I read were about killing the help. Nothing about the family business. Nothing about a family legacy filled with threats, and as much as I read I would assume some of this would have been introduced by then. And if I have to read “having it off” ONE MORE TIME, I’m gonna loose it.
Yes I get it, this is Chuck Palahnuk, that’s just how he writes, but can you blame me to expect at least a little substance to the story? To think I had a “books are brain food” bookmark in this book.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for this advanced reader’s copy.
I think I have bad luck when it comes to ARCs.
This is not the book for me AT ALL, and I knew that when I went into it but I felt I had to read it in order to write a review since it was an advanced reader copy, but I can’t do it anymore. I am officially scarred for life by this book.
Besides this book already being a Chuck Palahnuk book, (meaning you’ll want to wash your mind with vinegar after reading), it had no plot or interesting enough story to make this even a smidge worth reading even if I didn’t mind the disgusting things inside this book.
I really expected things about the Welsh countryside and what it was like having murder be the family business, but instead I read about psychopaths and their sexual tendencies, pedophilia, r*pe, zoophilia, drugs, grooming children, incest, and that’s about it.🤮(And yes I know these “kids” aren’t really kids and that they’re hinted at to be older but it still talks about their past youth).The only murder in the chapters I read were about killing the help. Nothing about the family business. Nothing about a family legacy filled with threats, and as much as I read I would assume some of this would have been introduced by then. And if I have to read “having it off” ONE MORE TIME, I’m gonna loose it.
Yes I get it, this is Chuck Palahnuk, that’s just how he writes, but can you blame me to expect at least a little substance to the story? To think I had a “books are brain food” bookmark in this book.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster for this advanced reader’s copy.
September 22, 2023
Rounded up to offset all the trash reviews. What were you expecting? Dude isn't afraid to write something wild, and I love that. This was not worse than "Beautiful You" lots of great lines- weird premise that left me with a lot of questions but, this does not deserve all the hate it has received.
March 1, 2024
2.5 Stars
Probably my least favorite Palahniuk I've read so far.
It has interesting ideas and scenes, but for the most part it just seems to wander from one lurid set piece to the next without much point.
I can usually tell what the target of Palahniuk's satire is, but here, I had no idea. Conspiracy theories? Traditional family dynamics, maybe? A note at the end basically says the story is a metaphor for addiction, but the fact I had to read a note to figure that out doesn't speak well to how it comes across in the text.
Skip this unless you're a hardcore Palahniuk fan.
Probably my least favorite Palahniuk I've read so far.
It has interesting ideas and scenes, but for the most part it just seems to wander from one lurid set piece to the next without much point.
I can usually tell what the target of Palahniuk's satire is, but here, I had no idea. Conspiracy theories? Traditional family dynamics, maybe? A note at the end basically says the story is a metaphor for addiction, but the fact I had to read a note to figure that out doesn't speak well to how it comes across in the text.
Skip this unless you're a hardcore Palahniuk fan.
August 26, 2023
Rounded up because this book is so much better than it is rated!! I am surprized at the prudishness here with the incest. Sex is more than just sex. Of course it's just sex as well. But why are you even here??
If you somehow missed Fight Club, you may be shocked by the content here I guess. The main critique that I have is how long the exposition took here. The latter part relies heavily on what you already know, so you can't skip right to it without missing the plot and the point, but some editing here would have been nice.
The biting satire about masculinity in modern culture is worth it. Toxic masculinity is toxic, and it doesn't always line up with what we categorize as masculine and feminine. There is also a lot of play with the concept of community and individuality. Which is actually more supportive and more freeing? How does power shape that reality?
I could keep going, but you likely get the point.
If you somehow missed Fight Club, you may be shocked by the content here I guess. The main critique that I have is how long the exposition took here. The latter part relies heavily on what you already know, so you can't skip right to it without missing the plot and the point, but some editing here would have been nice.
The biting satire about masculinity in modern culture is worth it. Toxic masculinity is toxic, and it doesn't always line up with what we categorize as masculine and feminine. There is also a lot of play with the concept of community and individuality. Which is actually more supportive and more freeing? How does power shape that reality?
I could keep going, but you likely get the point.
August 28, 2023
I finished this a few days ago and wanted to think about and process what I just read. This is also my first time reading this author. I've never seen Fight Club either.
First off, this book has a lot of sex in it, including incest, which seems to bother some reviewers, but it wasn't a big deal to me. I knew going into this to keep an open mind, so it wasn't as much of a shock. Also, it's quite gory, so if that bothers you, I'd skip this one. If you like absurdity and can keep an open mind throughout, you might enjoy this.
I'm not going to summarize the book because the blurb is accurate, and I don't want to give anything away. From other reviews, it appears that his typical style is repetitive. You could die from alcohol poisoning if you took a drink every time the phrase "having it off" was used.
My main complaint with this book is that it is WAY too long. This should have been pared down to a short story or novella. It might have improved my reading experience because I can't really tell you if I enjoyed it or not. The last 30 or so pages of the book are the best part.
A lot of this book is satirizing toxic masculinity and stereotypes of the kind of men we think about as having that toxicity. If you like this author, you'll probably enjoy this book. If this is your first time reading him, I'd find a different book to start with.
My thanks to Simon and Schuster, author Chuck Palahniuk, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
First off, this book has a lot of sex in it, including incest, which seems to bother some reviewers, but it wasn't a big deal to me. I knew going into this to keep an open mind, so it wasn't as much of a shock. Also, it's quite gory, so if that bothers you, I'd skip this one. If you like absurdity and can keep an open mind throughout, you might enjoy this.
I'm not going to summarize the book because the blurb is accurate, and I don't want to give anything away. From other reviews, it appears that his typical style is repetitive. You could die from alcohol poisoning if you took a drink every time the phrase "having it off" was used.
My main complaint with this book is that it is WAY too long. This should have been pared down to a short story or novella. It might have improved my reading experience because I can't really tell you if I enjoyed it or not. The last 30 or so pages of the book are the best part.
A lot of this book is satirizing toxic masculinity and stereotypes of the kind of men we think about as having that toxicity. If you like this author, you'll probably enjoy this book. If this is your first time reading him, I'd find a different book to start with.
My thanks to Simon and Schuster, author Chuck Palahniuk, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book. My opinions are my own.
July 28, 2024
“…he’s like an idea wearing clothes. And rather grotty clothes, no less.”
Two brothers born into a family of hired killers pass the time by corrupting themselves, others, and doing some killing of their own.
I have nothing nice to say about this book. It was a disgusting read that I am thankful to be done with. The characters were awful, and the story was hard to follow because it had way too many abrupt jumps between the past and the present. There was also a part of the timeline that made no sense, and the thing it was trying to surprise the reader with was not a surprise at all.
Here is a note I made while reading it, and it sums it up perfectly:
The whole thing felt like a fever dream of bullshit trying to be something.
One star, now and forever.
Two brothers born into a family of hired killers pass the time by corrupting themselves, others, and doing some killing of their own.
I have nothing nice to say about this book. It was a disgusting read that I am thankful to be done with. The characters were awful, and the story was hard to follow because it had way too many abrupt jumps between the past and the present. There was also a part of the timeline that made no sense, and the thing it was trying to surprise the reader with was not a surprise at all.
Here is a note I made while reading it, and it sums it up perfectly:
The whole thing felt like a fever dream of bullshit trying to be something.
One star, now and forever.
August 24, 2023
I didn't finish this book. I find child sex abuse and violence difficult to read, *edited to add it's revealed they are adults* still didn't read it lol.
Children (adults pretending to be kids) committing said abuse and violence upon one another is particularly unappealing to me. It's pretty messed up, standard aberrant writing for sensationalism. Jokes about thalidomide, asbestos, the death of Judy Garland. Har har. Not my favorite book by Palahniuk.
Children (adults pretending to be kids) committing said abuse and violence upon one another is particularly unappealing to me. It's pretty messed up, standard aberrant writing for sensationalism. Jokes about thalidomide, asbestos, the death of Judy Garland. Har har. Not my favorite book by Palahniuk.
September 24, 2023
after finishing this book, a look gets on my face as it got after the second time I really cried after being born on the realization that this is it.
March 4, 2024
*I feel like to write this review I do have to rant a tiny bit so please bare with me. I quite frankly don’t understand reviewers and rating books lower when not understanding the material or just not vibing with it. This is VERY Chuck Palahniuk and should be taken into consideration. I get everyone has opinions but to come in here saying it was just bad blows my mind. There are certain genres I don’t like but to call them poorly written would be an injustice to the authour. Reviews imo are for finding the correct fan base for readers and to help people find the right books for them rather than to trash artists visions.*
ANNNYYYWAAAYY, this is the epitome of a Chuck Palahniuk book and if you like his stylistic writing, why aren’t you reading this book already? Tonally it reminds me so much like A Clockwork Orange and What We Do Is Secret had a baby. Taking POV from a young child/brother in a family of, let’s face it, fucked up murdering psycho killers, this book goes OFF.
Palahniuk has such a clever way of writing that continually blows my mind. Through his use of repetition, slang, and a child’s mind, he is able to take us through a Bildungsroman that will make you welcome your tame existence. Poignant and raucously funny, clever and wholly uniquely itself. If you can get down with the pointed writing style and let it flow through you instead of battling against it, you will see the wisdom and nuance in its entirety.
This will definitely not be for everybody which is perfectly fair, but find your fucked up friend who tells you too much about enemas and conspiracy theories because they will love you forever for introducing them to the mind fuck that is Chuck Palahniuk.
I’ll be adding some favourite quotes soon to this review because I highlighted SO much.*
ANNNYYYWAAAYY, this is the epitome of a Chuck Palahniuk book and if you like his stylistic writing, why aren’t you reading this book already? Tonally it reminds me so much like A Clockwork Orange and What We Do Is Secret had a baby. Taking POV from a young child/brother in a family of, let’s face it, fucked up murdering psycho killers, this book goes OFF.
Palahniuk has such a clever way of writing that continually blows my mind. Through his use of repetition, slang, and a child’s mind, he is able to take us through a Bildungsroman that will make you welcome your tame existence. Poignant and raucously funny, clever and wholly uniquely itself. If you can get down with the pointed writing style and let it flow through you instead of battling against it, you will see the wisdom and nuance in its entirety.
This will definitely not be for everybody which is perfectly fair, but find your fucked up friend who tells you too much about enemas and conspiracy theories because they will love you forever for introducing them to the mind fuck that is Chuck Palahniuk.
I’ll be adding some favourite quotes soon to this review because I highlighted SO much.*
February 28, 2024
It's probably unfair of me to rate this book. Because I couldn't finish it because it was practically unreadable. The narrator is british so I don't understand much of the slang and he's clearly at least a little slow which also makes it very difficult. But I still kept pushing on because I wanted it to be such a good book. Maybe it gets better and I could have gotten through all the hinting at all the gay sexual things the brother is doing with other people, from servicing pedophiles to dancing naked on a bar as a toddler. But when it got to the point where the brother basically rapes him (which he doesn't seem to understand is wrong) in front of their mother, who is passed out on heroin... I had to put it down.
OK so I managed to start it again on audio book. Just because I really expected it to get better. And for a little bit it made me sympathize with the character who's raping his brother. And then very quickly went right back down the drain. Made it to chapter 22 and officially moved the book off my shelf.
OK so I managed to start it again on audio book. Just because I really expected it to get better. And for a little bit it made me sympathize with the character who's raping his brother. And then very quickly went right back down the drain. Made it to chapter 22 and officially moved the book off my shelf.
August 28, 2023
This book will stay in my mind forever. It was bizarre, disturbing, and so utterly intriguing. Not Forever, But For Now gave off strong Dexter vibes...but was actually way more warped. The main characters were Cecil and Otto, brothers, sidekicks, and extremely perverse individuals. The curt, Brit language was a little hard to follow at times but became a bit easier as the story unfolded. I think the nursery scene and infiltrated tutor was the most repulsive...like make me wanna barf repulsive. The repetitive cashew and Judy Garland scene was amusing and oddly, brought the brothers comfort and familiarity amidst the ongoing carnage. There were also repeated references to Pericles and Agemmenom, but those went over my head. All in all, this was not the Mafia kind of story and family I was expecting from the summary. If you like different, bizarre, and even downright distasteful, this book is for you.
Thank you Simon and Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Simon and Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
August 26, 2023
2.5 stars. writing's great (voice gets a lil tiring in the long run, but stylistically is fun and fitting), and the last ~20 pages are surprisingly satisfying. but overall this book is just not for me. i can only tolerate so much reiterating of the phrase "having a go"
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