Book Review: Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

Oh, this book had such a good premise, and I was excited to see Palahniuk’s take on the subject as you can’t really expect normal from him. But I ended up being disappointed. Every night before going to sleep I had to force myself to read this book. That grew my distaste and is one reason to advocate quitting on a book as reading should be an enjoyable experience (to some extent.)

The opening was too chaotic. I tried to find something to latch on and when I found none; I got frustrated. Only after the third chapter, there was some structure in the different narrations, and I found some investment to read on. But even so, the book didn’t keep me hooked. The only part which sparked my interest was in chapter eight. It was about how to be an effective car salesman. That says a lot.

The tying force of the book Buster ‘Rant’ Casey felt too distant. None of the other characters mattered. Only twice I felt a twinge of empathy towards Rant and his mother, but those passed away quickly. The book had some great writing aspects. It kept this nice mysterious suspense from the beginning to the end, but it wasn’t enough for me. I usually love Chuck Palahniuk’s books, but this time I didn’t find in the bizarre the gem which keeps me coming back to his books. But I know people have praised this book, so there is an audience who loves Rant. Maybe it was the chaotic start that put me off or maybe it is just me, who knows.