The Rif Raff Book Club met Sunday, July 29 for the book selection Survivor: a Novel by Chuck Palahniuk at someplace in Willow Springs, Illinois. It could have been called 'The Willow Crossings.' It was on Archer Avenue.

The place was pretty dark and there were some losers in there but there was space at the bar for a lively discussion. The original spot, 'Chets Melody Lounge' was closed for the evening. But being resourceful Club members, a new spot was found with minimal difficulty. Our apologies to anyone who went to 'Chets.'

Survivor: a Novel by Chuck Palahniuk

I thought the structure of the book, (chapters and pages going backward towards the future was a very creative technique) and initially sparked my interest. But as I read on, I was very disappointed to find this yet another, rambling, non-sensical fantasy (very twisted and weird I might add) of some clearly depressed person trying to understand the meaning of life. The whole Branch Davidian/Creedish thing could have been interesting reading, but it kept going in and out of references to that life. Haven't we read enough of these sick slice of life books? Isn't time to move on to another genre? A big thumbs down on this one.

I really liked this book. The authors ability to move the story in a creative way through a shifting timeline was great. The use of satire was very effective and made you think of the ridiculous world we live in today. I thought it read like a screen play at times and I'm sure it is being shopped around. The themes were universal in his character development. The hero being a lost soul who is guided through his trust in people. The supporting characters using and abusing that simple trust. This was my kind of book bizarre and twisted in a fun look at yourself and the world around us kind of way. Two thumbs up. Good summer read.