I really wanted to like this book. Partly due to the Mao-esque little red book waving dude decked out in comradewear on the cover. Partly due to the fact that it feels like a really long time since I've enjoyed something by Palahniuk. It may just be desensitization. His cult fiction cutting-edge appeal seems to have morphed into a tired pop culture template. One can't fault Palahniuk for his experimentation. This time, he writes the entire novel in slightly disjointed broken English to reflect Pygmy's outsider status as he encounters the peculiarities of American consumerism (which I guess we can call culture). Unfortunately, the social satire is well-tread leaving Palahniuk with his vignettes of oddity.
Palahniuk's creativity is apparent in all his writings and it's hard not to respect it. I only wish it could be directed into something more cohesive.
_____________
As a side note, I loved this quote he lifts from D.H. Lawrence: "They want an outward system of nullity, which they call peace and goodwill, so that in their own souls they can be independent little gods."
