A review by kaylagetsread
The Invention of Sound by Chuck Palahniuk
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
*taps mic*
Just checking my levels...
Here's a fun Hollywood fact: Did you know that the sound effect for someone falling from a building and smashing their skull is created by gluing a double layer of soda crackers to a watermelon and whacking it with a baseball bat? Well, now you know.
First, we have Mitzi Ives, a highly sought after Foley artist known for creating authentic-sounding screams for Hollywood horror films. Her work is her life and business is BOOMING, as always.
Next is Gates Foster who lost his daughter 17 years ago and hasn't stopped searching since. I mean glued to a computer screen, hypervigilent at all times, dark web kinda searching. Rinse, scrub, repeat.
Both of their lives run parallel until they don't, and that moment will make you want to close the book, stare into nothingness for a while, and start all over again. Ok, maybe that's just what I did. I digress.
At its core is a story about how the suffering of ordinary people is a hot commodity, unbeknownst to the masses that only see and believe what Hollywood wants them to. Palahniuk gets into some Deep State and even supernatural stuff, and everything about it is brutal. I'd say that comes with the territory at this point, but just in case.
The book is split into 3 sections and there aren't any chapters, so the character transitions are pretty blurry. Given the disorientating nature of the book, I'd say that was a brilliant choice. The writing is suspenseful and even through my still lingering fog after reading it *twice*, I'm impressed! There are lots of layers and bits that won't seem obvious until you turn the last page, then it all crashes down on you. It's the books that leave me stunned and wondering what the heck I just read that are my most memorable and this one has definitely left its mark. Now excuse me while I fall down a rabbit hole of Foley effects, popular movie scream origins, and conspiracy theories.
Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a free copy! All views are my own.
Just checking my levels...
Here's a fun Hollywood fact: Did you know that the sound effect for someone falling from a building and smashing their skull is created by gluing a double layer of soda crackers to a watermelon and whacking it with a baseball bat? Well, now you know.
First, we have Mitzi Ives, a highly sought after Foley artist known for creating authentic-sounding screams for Hollywood horror films. Her work is her life and business is BOOMING, as always.
Next is Gates Foster who lost his daughter 17 years ago and hasn't stopped searching since. I mean glued to a computer screen, hypervigilent at all times, dark web kinda searching. Rinse, scrub, repeat.
Both of their lives run parallel until they don't, and that moment will make you want to close the book, stare into nothingness for a while, and start all over again. Ok, maybe that's just what I did. I digress.
At its core is a story about how the suffering of ordinary people is a hot commodity, unbeknownst to the masses that only see and believe what Hollywood wants them to. Palahniuk gets into some Deep State and even supernatural stuff, and everything about it is brutal. I'd say that comes with the territory at this point, but just in case.
The book is split into 3 sections and there aren't any chapters, so the character transitions are pretty blurry. Given the disorientating nature of the book, I'd say that was a brilliant choice. The writing is suspenseful and even through my still lingering fog after reading it *twice*, I'm impressed! There are lots of layers and bits that won't seem obvious until you turn the last page, then it all crashes down on you. It's the books that leave me stunned and wondering what the heck I just read that are my most memorable and this one has definitely left its mark. Now excuse me while I fall down a rabbit hole of Foley effects, popular movie scream origins, and conspiracy theories.
Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a free copy! All views are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Sexual violence
Moderate: Alcoholism and Drug abuse
Minor: Pedophilia