The Chucks (Part 1)

DIGRESSION: Unfortunately this blog isn’t going to focus on Chuck Palahniuk, even though we have an awesome event featuring Palahniuk on October 20, 2011. (which if you’re reading this blog you should already know about)  Please don’t fret, though!  This is actually the first of a two part blog in which Palahniuk and Klosterman’s writings somehow coincided with each other at a pivotal time in my reading career.  Part one is going to focus on Chuck Klosterman.  Part two will focus on Chuck Palahniuk, and will appear within the next two weeks. END OF DIGRESSION

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At this time in my life I had just begun to really understand what made reading a more conceptual form of entertainment than watching television/playing video games.  That is not to say, however, that I did not watch my fair share of television/play my fair share of video games.  That is precisely what made Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffsso enthralling: I was READING criticisms on what I had already WATCHED.  He also analyzed whole chunks of pop culture that I had no idea even needed analyzing.  As a counter-culture kind of kid, I ate it up.  I’ve enjoyed it so much I’ve consistently read everything that Klosterman has released.

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Needless to say, I was pretty excited when I heard he was going to release his first complete work of fiction Downtown Owl in 2008.  That year I received it for Christmas, after many wishes.  I was done with the book before Boxing Day (December 26) could strike.

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Having been a Palahniuk fan, I felt like I saw through Klosterman’s plot.  I wasn’t disappointed, but I was a little disappointed.  I loved it, but was unimpressed.  I wanted it to be better.  I wanted it to be more complex.  It was Klosterman’s writing, but I wanted it to be Palahniuk’s.

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After I had been working at Lemuria for a month or so, I found out Joe had an advanced reading copy of Klosterman’s newest work of fiction The Visible Man.  No matter how much I wanted Klosterman’s fiction to reflect more intrigue like Palahniuk’s, it doesn’t mean I love Klosterman’s writing any less.  I was excited to read this book.  I finished it within two nights.  It was absolutely fascinating.  It made me realize how his fiction writing still plays on the same themes as his nonfiction writing has in the past several years: the technology age, voyeurism, honesty.

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This song by Widowspeak from their self titled album released earlier this year captures the emotional theme of The Visible Man: There is something hazy about the plot the reader knows.  But just because it is hazy, or inaudible, doesn’t mean it doesn’t still exist.  The singer’s voice from Widowspeak may not be easy to understand, but to me that does not detract from the beauty of it.  And much like The Visible Man if you listen hard enough you may be able to make out what is happening right before the jig is up.

by Simon