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Rant
finds Chuck Palahniuk returning once more to the well to ladle
out another glass of the blood and semen tainted water that
his fans seem to crave. The humor is black, the storytelling
is circular, and the prose is terse and studded with profanity
and scatology; jokes revolving around boogers or used maxi-pads
are not above Palahniuk.
Neither,
apparently, is rehashing ideas that others (and even he) have
done before. This is evident first in the book's structure:
Rant is a collection of snippets of interviews with
people close to the events depicted, much like World War
Z by Max Brooks. Throw in a future in which people implant
ports in the backs of their necks so that they can relive
second-hand experiences and a fascination with car crashes
and you have David Cronenberg's movies eXistenZ and
Crash respectively. Then add a disfigured female lead
(try Palahniuk's Invisible Monsters), and a dash of
Back to the Future. Finally, place all of these things
in a world that is divided into two distinct classes of people—daytimers
and nighttimers—and you have Rant.
It's
hard to imagine all of these ideas fitting together neatly,
and Palahniuk doesn't quite pull it off. The numerous subplots
add something to an extent, but they end up crossing a line
where the story becomes cluttered and meandering. The idea
of people having ports in the backs of their necks is especially
useless. It does not help to advance the plot in any way and
seems merely to be an idea Palahniuk was toying with and felt
like exploring, but it's ill-advised. Even at the end, when
things feel like they should be coming together, the loose
ends he leaves are distracting.
The main
plot of the story is about Buster "Rant" Casey, one man who
intentionally causes a nationwide rabies epidemic. The structure
is far from linear. Stories from Rant's childhood sit alongside
stories about his adult life and stories about his death.
This leads to an active, engaging read. As the bits and pieces
of information come out, one begins to try to assemble a chronology
and connect the dots from various parts of Rant's life.
The oral
biography style does not feel like a gimmick, as in some of
Palahniuk's past works (Haunted in particular), but
adds to the novel. The fact that the story is told through
various third person narrators helps to bring the tall-tale
atmosphere to life. Everyone gets to tell his or her Rant
story, and he is portrayed as an almost mythical creation,
an urban legend in the flesh. Despite a shortage of original
ideas and some sloppy storytelling, it's an enjoyable read.
This is perhaps his best novel since Lullaby. Fans of Palahniuk's
work ought to like it. The mixture of grotesque and funny
that he relies on is well-executed, having both elements in
great supply. The fast pace, unique structure, and multiple
plot elements are able to hold the reader's attention. It's
easy to read and enjoy, but it's not great writing. It's not
life-changing, but it could brighten up a weekend.
(June,
2007)
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