Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #170522 in Books
• Published on: 2007-05-10
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Chuck Palahniuk is, of course, best known for Fight Club, a remarkable novel which gave rise to an equally remarkable movie. As a writer, his specialty has been in having no speciality -- other than that of refusing to conform to any expectations readers might have of him. Except in one regard: a book by Palahniuk will be edgy, dark and iconoclastic. Which is very much the case with Rant, The Oral History of Buster Casey. This is a novel that leaves the reader notably off-kilter for a number of reasons; its coal-black vision of a society in a state of near savagery and its sardonically funny approach to the scabrous narrative. The ‘Oral History’ here relates to Buster ‘Rant’ Casey -- and the picture we receive of him is conveyed through a motley group of enemies, friends, relations and sexual partners. Through their wildly differing accounts, we build up a picture of a very unusual man indeed: a charismatic, sinister figure with a predilection for one recreational drug (the main component of which is rabies, no less). His other substance-of-choice (in terms of highly dangerous stimulants) is the venom of a black widow spider (for its aphrodisiac qualities). Living in a small town which is barely civilised (and the passages relating to this bizarre locale are conveyed in Palahniuk’s most phantasmagorical writing), Rant opts to strike out for the big town, and quickly establishes himself at the head honcho of an urban demolition derby which goes by the name of ‘Party Crashing’. The group, on selected nights, conducts a demented game of lethal dodgems, seeking out each other in cars to bring about satisfying motorway mayhem. And in the midst of this madness, Rant, a truly toxic figure, is spreading a variety of very nasty things among those he encounters.

This is nothing less than a vision of society plunged into insanity, with every comforting conventional aspect ruthlessly torn away. It's futuristic, it's very dark, and it's very funny. And (as the foregoing might suggest) it is most definitely not for those who like their literature sedate and unshocking. And in that way, of course, it's a typical Chuck Palahniuk novel. --Barry Forshaw

Independent
'Something much more interesting'

The Word, April 2007
"a rollicking good read"

Customer Reviews

subtle but hard work
Palahniuk has used the multiple narrative form before, but the oral history conceit of this novel gives him the opportunity for further subtlety and ambiguity. This is more ambitous than some of his recent writings, though full of his usual themes of mutilation, degradation, disease and mortality. well worth the effort though probably not the best introduction to this author.

Typically Chuck P.
"Rant" is full of Chuck P's usual violence, sex, unbalanced characters with a mix of high adrenaline action, philosophy for the 2000's and some truly bizzare moments. It's typically good if you like this sort of literature, but I wouldn't recommend it to someone who's never read Palahniuk before. Start with "Fight Club" and come back to this.

The Underdog
I am a massive fan of Fight Club and Haunted, for me this book gave me elements of both. There is real substance to this book, full of those moments when you think you've figured it all out.

As usual this book will keep you thinking and it builds tension well throughout. Not a candidate for 'first-chuck' but good for the seasoned veteran nonetheless.