caseyf's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Drug use, Gore, Murder, Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Torture, Kidnapping, and Violence
grunbean's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Self harm, Torture, Sexual content, and Mental illness
Minor: Pedophilia
sinisterbeard's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Compulsively unpleasant mash up of Blow Out, American Psycho and Halloween III. Goes off the rails towards the end, but fast and easy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Child death, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Body horror, Pedophilia, Blood, and Murder
dumbidiotenergy's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
original but pedestrian, The Invention of Sound is one of Palahniuk's weaker works. it seems to me like Palahniuk is channeling himself, trying to use his once-natural methods of writing to tell this intriguing story, but it is ultimately ineffective. the writing is lackluster and the plot frequently feels murky and idle, almost like the book is a parody of a generalized Palahniuk book.
the plot development often follows a somewhat confusing progression while being oddly paced at times. it lacks the shocking revelations i've come to expect from Palahniuk's work, but that isn't for a lack of trying--there are plenty of surprising moments in the novel, yet their buildups are either not enough, or the moments themselves are downplayed.
the truly shocking moments are often couched in passages that reach for some kind of all-encompassing philosophical ideology that is only half-present in the novel. each page is riddled with philosophical quips that don't quite seem to fit with the larger themes of the novel, yet Palahniuk seems to be trying to convince the reader that, actually, they *do* fit. there is too much going on while not enough going on. the limbic resonance philosophy that Mitzi holds is easily the strongest ideological undercurrent in the novel, but it isn't fleshed out. instead, the mere fact that Mitzi cares for limbic phenomena is just repeated over and over without giving the reader a glimpse into why it matters so much to her, or why we should care, or anything of that sort.
the characters, while all interesting, multi-dimensional, and unique, wind around each other while somehow never connecting. they don't collide as well as the characters in, say, Fight Club or Choke did. Invisible Monsters, too, comes to mind; the Foster-Mitzi dynamic could have easily been as tense and gripping as Brandy and her sister's, yet there is a lack of exploration into this particular dynamic in The Invention of Sound. it was disappointing, to say the least, especially because Mitzi has so much going for her as a character. Foster's obsessive personality also could've been fascinating to read about if he had been in any sort of real relationship with another person.
lastly, the plot itself was actually a bit basic. there are times where Palahniuk inserts sparkling details and surreal occurrences that elevate the plot, yet there are also storylines that feel half-baked () or feel like fumbling grasps at intrigue ().
regardless, the book had me hooked for the majority of it. i just wanted to know what was going on! towards the end, though, i found myself more wanting it to be over than wanting to relish in the conclusion of the novel. but god, i wish i could hear one of Mitzi's screams, as messed up as that sounds.
the plot development often follows a somewhat confusing progression while being oddly paced at times. it lacks the shocking revelations i've come to expect from Palahniuk's work, but that isn't for a lack of trying--there are plenty of surprising moments in the novel, yet their buildups are either not enough, or the moments themselves are downplayed.
the truly shocking moments are often couched in passages that reach for some kind of all-encompassing philosophical ideology that is only half-present in the novel. each page is riddled with philosophical quips that don't quite seem to fit with the larger themes of the novel, yet Palahniuk seems to be trying to convince the reader that, actually, they *do* fit. there is too much going on while not enough going on. the limbic resonance philosophy that Mitzi holds is easily the strongest ideological undercurrent in the novel, but it isn't fleshed out. instead, the mere fact that Mitzi cares for limbic phenomena is just repeated over and over without giving the reader a glimpse into why it matters so much to her, or why we should care, or anything of that sort.
the characters, while all interesting, multi-dimensional, and unique, wind around each other while somehow never connecting. they don't collide as well as the characters in, say, Fight Club or Choke did. Invisible Monsters, too, comes to mind; the Foster-Mitzi dynamic could have easily been as tense and gripping as Brandy and her sister's, yet there is a lack of exploration into this particular dynamic in The Invention of Sound. it was disappointing, to say the least, especially because Mitzi has so much going for her as a character. Foster's obsessive personality also could've been fascinating to read about if he had been in any sort of real relationship with another person.
Spoiler
we get a little bit of this in his relationship with Amber, yet it seems swept under the rug. Foster believes she's part of the deep-state operation, but the novel makes a point of never illustrating Amber and Foster's emotional/romantic relationship post-Lucy abduction; i believe this to be a flaw.lastly, the plot itself was actually a bit basic. there are times where Palahniuk inserts sparkling details and surreal occurrences that elevate the plot, yet there are also storylines that feel half-baked (
Spoiler
Dr. Adamah being the true killer..?Spoiler
Robb and Blush being part of a deep-state operation..?regardless, the book had me hooked for the majority of it. i just wanted to know what was going on! towards the end, though, i found myself more wanting it to be over than wanting to relish in the conclusion of the novel. but god, i wish i could hear one of Mitzi's screams, as messed up as that sounds.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
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