Misty feels betrayed, bitter, angry, and she keeps this little diary just so as one day Peter might wake up and have to read it all. Fairly nasty premise, all being told.
As if things weren't bad enough, Misty finds out that her husband has been going around the island upon which they live, spraying graffiti and writing obscene messages in folk's homes, before sealing the rooms up altogether. These messages go a little further than, say "Peter Was Here", or even "Peter Lvs Misty", and tend to go for the old "My wife is a fat bitch with saggy tits" variety. You can imagine how Misty might feel about this.
Turns out one of the homes was occupied by a mysterious bloke by the name of Angel, who takes a keen interest in Peter's handwriting, and tells Misty all about the old graphology, and how the way Peter made his T's meant that he was a giraffe or something. Angel talks about this nonsense over and over, and Misty relates it to us, in case we missed it first time around.
Just for the record.
Because repetition means it's extra profound.
And this is all without mentioning the bizarre conspiracy going on, or the possible involvement of the KKK, or even the fact that everybody seems to think Misty is going to one day paint her masterpiece and make them all stinking rich.
The Tyler Durden type bullshit-philosopher character is here divided between Angel, for present-day pretentious guff, and Peter, for guff from out of the past. What's nice, though, is how Palahniuk makes it explicitly clear how full of shit these self-obsessed neurotics really are. Peter yacks on about Stendhal Syndrome (The real Syndrome, not the Argento flick), and about various artists who died for their art and such, and how their gold is our blood or something, and where did it get him? It got him a bag to piss in, on account of he can't operate his guts anymore.
Just for all the folks who came out of Fight Club thinking how cool Brad Pitt was. He wasn't cool, I'm afraid, he was a prat.
Diary is Chuck's best book since Invisible Monsters, and as a result, he still holds his position as The Duke's Favourite Writer Besides The Duke. He is the epitome of the addictive paperback novelist. I'll sleep just after this page. This chapter. This book. And he's incredibly funny. Even though his hair is fairly ridiculous.
Visit The Duke At Mondo Irlando.
Because repetition means it's extra profound.
Article comments
1 - Chris Kent
lol....excellent post Duke. We all swim in thy wake. I have not read Ol'Chuck, but will have to pick up a book (or two).....
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Thank you Chris.
If you're thinking of giving Ol' Chuck a chance, Diary is actually as good a place as any to start. I forgot to mention Choke in there, about a bloke who works at a theme park and who is addicted to wanking or something, and so goes about sex therapy groups shagging all and sundry. It's very funny. Fight Club is fantastic, but the film is very VERY faithful, so it might feel like you're just reading the screenplay.
Again, thanks for the kind words!
3 - Eric Olsen
Excellent review Duke, I haven't read the wanker either, but I may have to now, and it's your fault.
4 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
lmao eric! Dont blame me, man! Actually, i ahve a notion you might enjoy ol' mr.chuck. He's one of my fave writers as i mentioned above in the bit that has the review. (note the "that" lol) This Diray malarky is probably his best thus far, although Invisible Monsters and Choke are great too. Just a bit repetitive if taken all at once. Best to read a couple books inbetween in each one. or each chapter.
5 - Tom Johnson
I'll second Choke. But then it's the only book of his I've read. And, yeah, I haven't even seen Fight Club yet. I know what you're thinking - "heathen!" Maybe someday I'll get around to that, maybe right after I start giving a crap about Quentin Tarantino (which means likely never.)
6 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Tom, i wouldn't go so far as to say "heathen", but to be honest, I'm getting mental images of weird pagan rituals. Is that a big man made out of straw on the hill there?
Anyhow, besides your loony heathanism, don't feel bad about not seeing Ed And Brad Go Punching yet. In fact, it's probably best you waited, since you can catch it late night on telly sometime, and see it as it should be, i.e, removed from the "this is the greatest thing what i ever did see" hyperbole. Sometimes if folks like something they should just shut their yap about it. Nothing can live up to that much yacking about how great it is. I mean come on fellas, best movie of all time? He was looking for a sled! Hows that the best film ever? Didn't you see The Killing Of Bill Part 1? That had folks getting cut in two and you want me to watch a film about a sled?
Anyway, same applies to Fight Club, except theres no sleds. Its best to se these things through chance in some cases.