Book Review

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

As a reader I had heard of Chuck Palahniuk but I never read any of his books even though I was certainly intrigued. Many of you, my readers, may know him from his book/movie "Fight Club". When I first got this book in 2008, I overlooked it. I put it on the shelf and I deprived myself of pure talent and raw emotions. This book has opened up my understanding of what it's like to be in a cult. It makes me grateful to have my family and friends that love and care about me, as I do for them. This book has showed me that if the world is trying to change you, and you happen to give in, you're still the same person only you'll have more experience and be a tad more cynical. I highly recommend this book to anyone who doesn't mind language and unexpected turns.

A little preview in my own words:

(Don't worry, I don't give much)

Tender Branson, a hard working failure. Born in a Creedish church district colony family. He was the first child to leave his "Amish-type" lifestyle at the age of 17. His whole life was planned out and there was no room for argument. With a lifetime of work on his resume, he has quite a few skills that most people wouldn't dream of having. From cooking veal to patching up gun shot holes in a wall. It seems like he has the answer for everything.

"You wanna know how to get bloodstains out of wallpaper?",he'll ask. He'll push you with a simple, "No, really, go ahead and ask me." Then he'll respond. "Put on a paste of cornstarch and cold water. The trick is to forget how fast these things can happen. Suicides. Accidents. Crimes of passion."

"To stand here and try and fix her life is just a big waste of time. People don't want their lives fixed. Nobody wants their problems solved. Their dramas. Their distractions. Their stories resolved. Their messes cleaned up. Because what would they have left? Just the big scary unknown."-Ch. 46 Pg. 282

*Love and Respect,

Steph