Chuck Palahniuk (pronounced ‘paula-nick,’ as I have recently, and shamefully, discovered) is man of many faces and facades. From sassy teenage girls condemned to Hell, to cult members and rabies infested twenty-something-year-olds, Palahniuk has touched on both worlds of oddity, and also human nature. Most know Chuck’s name from the 1999 film, Fight Club.  Barely 120 pages, Chuck Palahniuk himself even says the book is inferior to the film. In most of his works, he begins by pulling the readers in with themes of political incorrectness. Then, quickly moves on to an inciting complex. Real emotions within his words, roped together so emphatically.

After being wholly satisfied with Fight Club, I chose my next Palahniuk book at random. Survivor was the lucky winner, a book with which I pleased to have become acquainted with . Not only was it a great literary follow up to such a dark story as Fight Club, but it also reinforced the impressive writing style that Chuck had been supplying.

Survivor opens with chapter 47 on page 289: A countdown to chapter 1, zero. Tender Branson tells his story into the black box in the cockpit of a massive 747.  Alone, at peace, and articulate, Tender starts from the beginning. Tender Branson is one of the few lucky members of the Creedish Cult who are given the opportunity to be given a job in the “real world”. While working at his beloved job one day, he misses the call from God.  He literally misses the mass suicide of 95% of his cult and family. Immediately, the remaining members of the cult, who too missed The Call, are all taken into custody on careful suicide watch. As the number of remaining Creedish members diminishes, Tender’s popularity begins to rise and his role in society becomes idolized. As his story unfolds, readers meet a survivor of more than just God’s Call. Suicide hotlines, predicting the future, and corrupted childhoods are only a few of the topics that Palahniuk plants into the readers mind with ease and hilarity.

What Chuck Palahniuk does so well is encapsulate his readers. He draws them in, and never lets them go until they have read every last word of his work. This is a man with such horrible, twisted, cynical, and hilarious ideas that will hold you in his grasp until the very last page of every novel. If you need a book to read that will hold you in such a way, start with Survivor. Once you finish, you’ll be hooked on Palahniuk.