Lullaby

Rating:
Summary: Exceeded My Expectations
Review: I have read all of CP's novels, and when I first heard that this was coming out, I wasn't that excited due to the premise. I bought it three days ago and just finished it, and I think it's one of his best thus far. The narrative style flowed more easily than his other novels, and I could not put it down. I would recommend this book to any one of CP's readers, and to first-time ones as well. It's a great book with keen outlooks on life, and a plot/storyline that is one of the most original since...his last book. A+

Rating:
Summary: Tired & Trite
Review: This book is sloppy, tired, downright awful. *Choke* and *Survivor* were terrific, but not this one...not at ALL.

Rating:
Summary: Prose a tight as Cat gut.
Review: Chuck has been through a lot these past few years, and I think that LULABY is a shining example of him growing as a person and a writer. But don't get me wrong, Chuck still has his razor wire wit and his ability to spin a dark and masterful plot. But this book does seem to evidence to me a kinder, gentler, Palahniuk.

I think Chuck did a really good job of creating lovably horrible characters who mirror our own shallow desires and fears. This is something that not a lot of writers can pull off ( see any work by Brett Easton Ellis and Will Self) I just read LORD VISHNU'S LOVE HANDLES by Will Clarke, which is also a supernatural thriller, and the book reminded me so much of Chuck. The author does the same kind of thing that Chuck is such a master at -- out of the nihilism of modern excess he pulls out these imperfect gems of laughter and sadness while creating this supernatural world that seems perfectly natural. Also Glen David Gold's CARTER BEATS THE DEVIL is a good match for Chuck's plotting and themes but Gold's prose tends to be more florishy.

And one last thing,: Chuck's prose is tight as cat gut in LULABY, hitting the tennis ball of your mind all over the place.

Rating:
Summary: Another great Palahniuk novel
Review: Though I like "Survivor" much more, "Lullaby" is a another successful attempt at a great novel. Palahniuk's voice is still as strong as when he first started and his craftmanship of a story is second to none. It's a shame that he is such a good writer because I can't put the books down causing me to finish the books in a day or so. Oh, if only Palahniuk could write a novel the size of "War and Peace." I would be very happy...If you like Palahniuk, this book is a must-read. If you are curious about Palahniuk, still purchase this book, then his back catalogue. You'll be glad that you did!

Rating:
Summary: Review
Review: Do you like carp,starlings,and Kudzu.Perhaps you shouldn't at least not if you like them here in our country.This book will get at you like the sound of a Bodhran.It is a funny,bizzare,yet worth your timetypeofread.Plus the cover looks great on your coffee table and that is the reason for buying a book anyways.So get it, show it off.It will be a new product to satisfy your consumer urge at least for a day or two.Then you can redecorate your whole house just to go along with the bright dead yellow bird motif.Perhaps that swedish super design and furniture center has a sale.Then after staring at the book for a few days perhaps you should read it.Then join a local chapter of wicca.start making models and play god.Then sit back and let the tv do your thinking.Think about how wonderful and safe big brother has made your life.You know I love humongous hermano and so should you.better yet buy this book on tape.and when you get it on cd play it real loud so you can drown out the neighbors and your thoughts.I can't wait for the edition that will be read by Hillary rodham Clinton.I hope she gets a grammy.

Rating:
Summary: All we know is, we don't know
Review: I count one, count two, count three...
There are worse things you can do to the people you love, than kill them;
for some reason, cheatgrass comes to mind.
But not to worry, she says. I have a badge and a gun and a ...

This the funniest book ever, belive me. I've never been disappointed by one of Chuck's books, except 'Fight Club'. Good movie, bad book!

I think someone should definately make a movie of this 'un!

Rating:
Summary: This Poem Won't Put You to Sleep..... It'll KILL You
Review: "The more people die, the more things stay the same."

Chuck Palahniuk has done it again, this time on a super-natural level. "Lullaby" is a chilling and sometimes humorous novel that forces you to ask this frightening question: "What if words can kill?"

The story centers around a widower newspaper reporter, Carl Streator. He's been investigating the latest crib deaths, and he seems to find the same thing all the time. There's always a book on the scene, called "Poems and Rhymes Around the World." And it's always opened to the same page. The page contains what some have called a "culling song." As it turns out, when the poem is read aloud, anybody who hears it dies. Now, Carl can't get it out of his head and is a lethal weapon that can't control his actions. He ends up killing people who get him upset, even if he doesn't want to. He knows that the poem and book must be destroyed, or all humanity could be doomed, and a new deadly weapon will be unleashed into the world.

I found the story very entertaining and addicting. The pages just fly by so quick, you're done with the novel almost as soon as you start it. The characters are really colorful and unforgettable. I also really like the premise of the story and the very well-structured plot. It also has a lot of twists and turns, just like in his other novels.

Palahniuk uses the first person narrative to tell this dark tale, as with his previous novels. His voice is a unique one that keeps the reader's attention all the way through. Although this is supposed to be a super-natural tale that is supposed to be horrifying, he is still able to add the dark humor he is best known for. Although some have said this book is too much like his others, I disagree. I admit I have only read "Fight Club", "Choke," and this new one "Lullaby," but from just those books alone I can see the improvement and maturity in his latest accomplishment.

I found "Lullaby" to be a great novel. I finished it in less than three days. I was sad to finish it so quickly, but that just means I'll be able to re-read it again very soon. I still think "Fight Club" is his best work, but "Lullaby" was a lot better than "Choke." I will have to read his other two novels when I get the chance. I think Chuck Palahniuk is a fantastic writer with a very creative mind. One thing is for sure, when you read a Chuck Palahniuk novel, you know you're in for a wild ride. "Lullaby" is no exception."

Remember, "Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you......."

They'll just kill you instead.

SLEEP TIGHT!!!

Rating:
Summary: A maniacal ride
Review: 'Lullaby' was written by Chuck Palahniuk at the same time as he was contemplating if the prosecutors should go for the death-penalty for the man who killed his father. This should give you a hint of how dark this book is, both in themes and humor. If you had the chance to kill anybody by simply reciting a verse in your head, what would you do? Would you try to find the source of the poem and exploit it, or would you try to destroy it? These are some of the dilemmas the protagonist in this book has to go through, at the same time as the book challenges you to think about what you would do in a similar situation.

As any other Palahniuk book, there are a lot of other themes flying around; has the entertainment industry turned into a sort of Big Brother? Is Big Brother watching us, or are we watching him? Are we the weed of the world? The list goes on. Every subject in the book is spiced up with Chuck's usual brand of humor, though this time it's darker than ever.

The supernatural settings in 'Lullaby' might scare some Palahniuk purists away, which is sad. The book deals with themes that have been dealt with in the author's earlier works, at the same time as delving into a lot of new subjects, which is something Chuck's fans really should appreciate. The paranormal part is a good way to drive the story on the surface, but the real greatness of the book is everything hidden beneath. After the slightly disappointing 'Choke', I'm happy to say that 'Lullaby' is right up there with 'Survivor' in terms of quality.

Rating:
Summary: only Chuck can tell stories like this
Review: An audible plague. A book written in "peter tracks" bound with human skin, nipple included. Counting 1, counting 2, counting 3...
"Lullaby" tells the tale of 4 deranged characters (one named Oyster for goodness sake) who travel cross country in attempt to destroy all remaining copies of a culling poem, a poem that if read aloud kills the listener. The journey begins as a quest to save the innocent from unnecesary deaths, but quickly turns into a power struggle between those who know the poem and those who know of the poem. There's a difference, and that difference is the center that "Lullaby" revolves around. Save books by burning books, save lives by killing. All these oxymorons make for an incredible read that won't let you put it down, especially if this is one of your first or second Chuck books. If not...
Chuck's stories are uniquely his own, and while "Lullaby" is filled with plots, observations (television is filled with laughing dead people)and analogies that could only be made by him, "Lullaby" was, well, too Chuck. No one writes like him, but perhaps he should experiment a little and apply his style to characters that don't have so much in common (and I mean all of his characters, not just those in "Lullaby") - the book just didn't seem new.

Rating:
Summary: Expected more from Chuck.
Review: It would be hard to describe just how much I had anticipated this book. Being a massive Palahniuk fan I waited with baited breath for his new work. Am I dissapointed? Well, slightly yes. Lullaby has a fascinating premise, and should in the hands of one of todays very few genuinely acerbic social satarists have produced more than it does. The plot basically revolves around journalist Carl Streator, a man with a chequered and tragic past, who thanks to an ancient African "culling poem" finds himself with the power of life or death. Palahniuk touches on some interesting themes here, like the influence of mass media on society and god's relationship to man....those particular theological musings producing a memorable quote about god "coming back with barbecue sauce" which is Chuck Palahniuk at his very best.

While there are a lot of positives, there are negatives as well. the characters development for example (usually a strong point) feels rushed and almost, dare I say it prosaic....almost as if he had a focus group sit down and sketch them out for him. "Jaded reporter harbouring a secret heartbreak" (Streator), "eccentric, love starved, power mad matriachal wannabe" (Helen Hoover Boyle), "socially conscious, rebellious youth with messianic complex" (Oyster).

Tender Branson or Tyler Durden they are not.

So while Lullaby show flashes of the brilliance that Chuck is capable of, it does unfortunately also suffer from a few weaknesses as well.

For first time readers of Chuck Palahniuk I would recommend reading either the widely known 'Fight club' or Chuck's (in my opinion) defining masterpiece 'Survivor' before picking up Lullaby.