Book Review: Chuck Palahniuk's "Rant"

Book Review: Chuck Palahniuk’s "Rant"

Rant: An Oral Biography of Buster Casey by Chuck Palahniuk


 

My review

  rating: 4 of 5 stars
After you read a couple of Chuck's books you think you've got the racket down: anti-hero of sub-culture and their interaction with the dominant society/culture (see Fight Club, Survivor, Choke). "Rant" is definitely in the same vein, a fast plot with some quick turns, poignant in places, and before you know it your done and busy picking up his little philosophical drop lines that he puts through the mouth of a couple characters instead of his usual meta-textual commentary.



The construction of the book is unlike anything Chuck has written, since its all interviews stacked together...or it maybe easier to say its all interview snip-its stacked together. When the book first started I was really impressed with the structure, but I think he gets lazy to some degree and starts using single sentences from his characters to construct the story.



All in all though worth the read.



I think the biggest philosophical drop of the book is that dominant cultures may maintain subcultures as a way to prevent revolutions and keep themselves in power. Constructed sub-cultures are a way to distract possible revolutionaries with non-culture shifting deviance in a form of controlled catharticism. "Survivor" and "Fight Club" are good complementary philosophical books that approach the problem, but I believe come down and separate sides of this answer