Beautiful You

After just finishing Chuck Palahniuk's Beautiful You: A Novel, I can't help but think that this may be Palahniuk's return to form. Many fans may argue that some of his latest books don't quite match up to his early work, and with books like Snuff and Tell All, I agree. Beautiful You feels like Palahniuk has been released from some shackles and is now exploring human sexuality, consumption, consumerism, and gratification in a way he hasn't done in years. Reading through it, I couldn't help but think that this book has been floating around in his mind for years, and that only now has he "been given permission" to write Beautiful You. Beautiful You often feels like an amalgamation of a lot of his earlier works. There is Fight Club anti consumerism, a weird, almost dystopian future you would find in Rant, the perverseness and uneasy "wrongness" that he wrote about in Haunted and Choke. Yet, he tells an entirely new story about a young 20 something female fresh out of law school trying to find her meaning in life. He hits on some of old stomping grounds in which every thing has already been done and accomplished, and what do you do when you have no clue what you want to do? He takes you on a ride barely lasting 136 days, making you question what your world would be like if suddenly roles were reversed. Be forewarned, this book is highly sexual, and I believe is meant to be a parody of the adult erotica novels "50 Shades of Grey". It feels like almost half of the book concerns women discovering their bodies for the first time. At best, it can be erotic, and forces you to think about sexuality in ways you haven't before. At worst, it's uncomfortable and disturbing (which is great if you like reading Palahniuk). I can't recommend it to beginner Chuck Palahniuk readers, as it may turn you off forever, but those that enjoyed Choke or Haunted should also enjoy Beautiful You.

I wish I could say "Beautiful You" is quintessential Chuck, but it strongly deviates form his standard formula, which I came to experience as both refreshing and disconcerting while reading. The first half of the book seems as though written by an entirely different author - while it is interesting and unique, it simply doesn't feel like Chuck, who is darker and edgier and more concise in his prose. I have grown all too accustomed to Chuck's simple sentence structure and ability to jump straight into new scenes without needless repetition of THEMES (albeit not phrases; e.g., invisible monsters "give me ___. flash"). Here, in the first half of the book, Penny's experiences as a helpless and lost 25-year-old young woman in modern (somewhat futuristic) American society, with her overtly scientific and "nerdy" male suitor, Max, appear redundant. Chuck has previously explored hypersexual themes in "Snuff" (which I loved), and Snuff felt authentically Palahniukian - Differently, "BY" felt extremely experimental. An experiment that worked only as the story progressed. Chuck deals primarily with unforeseen and often fantastical elements that are expressed through his animated characters. Here, we deal with Max, a scientist who opts to dominate female sexuality in a political and economic climate he intends to exclusively control through his female sex toy technologies. More eerily, we encounter an unrealistically aged sex witch who was Max's mentor in his youth and whose tools, spiritually and physically, Chuck uses to begin his corporate domination via his Beautiful You products. These characters make Chuck's books worth reading because we suspend our disbelief and go for the ride - we have plenty of this in the latter portions of the book. Also, torched dildos and douches that injure human beings - it's fascinating, don't try to deny it. Of course, there is an array of satire, primarily dealing with mass consumerism and exploitation of female sexuality. There is additional satire of consciousness of primitive desires and how they overlap with functionality in modern american society, particularly as a woman. If we submit to our natural desires, do we become zombies? Can we operate like normal human beings if we allow our sexualities to consume us? Are women compelled to suppress their sexual energies in order to be balanced, successful members of society? If they are not, are they only permitted to do so at the behest of men? This is not Chuck's best (although I refuse to believe that his best days are behind him) - but it is certainly an intriguing premise and decent execution of numerous important interconnected themes.

I love Palahnuik books and will read him even if they are a mess of chicken scratch, dog nuggets, and promoted as flashcards for the blind. That said, I'm not crazy about this one but I give him huge props for doing what very few men have attempted. Ever. This could be completely inaccurate but I felt like he took a huge chunk of the romance novel genre, put it in a blender and drank it each morning for six months to emulate the tone and gland-clogging sexual spree given over to those who love deliciously smutty bodice-rippers. Since I'm one of those people and those books taught me the joy and love of reading (sometimes at 2 AM just to get to that next sex scene), I'm impressed with CP's first sex scene. He didn't exactly "nail" the female brain on romance but he satirized it in a way I could still get off on.

Palahniuk is my all time favorite author, from the gritty Fight Club to the brutally honest Stranger Than Fiction nonfiction work he's written. He allows a sense of connection and understanding-and more importantly complete dedication and devotion to the story, history and mystery behind what most either consider taboo or uncomfortable. He takes you there, makes you squirm with every paragraph, sentence and well placed word to keep you entranced and sometimes disgusted as he says what everyone thinks-humankind is depraved, carnal and disturbed. It's fascinating and beautifully written every time from every character perspective possible.

Muy original y divertida novela. Con momentos eróticos muy entretenidos

Hilariously dark parody of women's "literature", consumerism, contemporary society, both genders, and lots in between. Best CP novel since "Rant" in my humble opinion. The best contemporary writer we have.

excellent author and well versed

...once more Palahniuk satisfied my needs to read a good book! It is exciting as hell, amusing as well. I love how every story turns out different, than one thought before. Good work, worth a read!

I don't know what else to say but Chuck is a funny and twisted writer ..... how do u explain this book ... don't just enjoy it