Chuck Palahniuk

Chuck Palahniuk's latest book, Snuff, is an excuse for the author to come up with creative titles for porn. For this alone it is well worth the read. Some of the most porn-o-rific are: The Importance of Balling Ernest, A Midsummer Night's Ream, The Italian Hand Job, and On Golden Blonde. The plot centers on the gangbang to end all gangbangs. Adult movie star Cassie Wright endeavors to take on 600 sex acts in one day and catch it all on tape as her final coup de grâce. The tale is told from the points of view of Sheila, Wright's assistant, who must corral the 600 naked men before bringing them to their sexual salvation, and of three of the men who wait in the purgatory-like holding area. There's the past-his-prime porn star who may have been responsible for dragging Wright into the industry, a has-been TV actor who's hoping to kick-start his career, and a young Cassie Wright fan who may or may not be her long-lost son. Rumors circle around the holding pit that this is Wright's last performance—that she will die during its making either by suicide, homicide, or vaginal embolism. If you crave Palahniuk twists and insights into bodily function and human behavior, you will not be disappointed. Just don't forget to prepare the bleach bath you'll want after finishing the novel. 18+. $30 (includes a copy of Snuff).
Wed., May 21, 7:30 p.m., 2008