- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: Doubleday Canada; First Edition edition (May 5 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385666292
- ISBN-13: 978-0385666299
- Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 14.7 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 408 g
- Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #93,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"Darkly comic and satirically savage."
— Toronto Star
— Toronto Star
Product Description
“Begins here first account of operative me, agent number 67 on arrival midwestern American airport greater _____ area. Flight _____. Date _____. Priority mission top success to complete. Code name: Operation Havoc.”
Thus speaks Pygmy, one of a handful of young adults from a totalitarian state sent to the United States, disguised as exchange students, to live with typical American families and blend in, all the while planning an unspecified act of massive terrorism. Palahniuk depicts Midwestern life through the eyes of this thoroughly indoctrinated little killer, who hates Americans with a passion, in this cunning double-edged satire of a xenophobia that might, in fact, be completely justified.
Thus speaks Pygmy, one of a handful of young adults from a totalitarian state sent to the United States, disguised as exchange students, to live with typical American families and blend in, all the while planning an unspecified act of massive terrorism. Palahniuk depicts Midwestern life through the eyes of this thoroughly indoctrinated little killer, who hates Americans with a passion, in this cunning double-edged satire of a xenophobia that might, in fact, be completely justified.
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Most helpful customer reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
An utter disappointment,
By
This review is from: Pygmy (Hardcover)
Don't get me wrong, I usually love Chuck's work - even the stuff everyone else hates. So, it pains me to have to give this novel a single star, which apparently in Amazon-speak means "I hate it".For one thing, the book is written in a broken English reminiscent of scenes from bad racist parodies of Asian cultures in sketch comedy TV shows. Conceptually, this works given the premise of the book; practically, it makes the book incredibly difficult to read for more than a chapter or two. Even ignoring the difficult language the content of the story itself is boring - something I have never been able to say about one of Palahniuk's books. Even the few "shock value" moments failed to draw my attention more deeply into the story. Simply put, there is really nothing about this book that would make me recommend it to anyone. If this was the first Chuck Palahniuk book I'd ever read it would be hard to convince me to ever attempt to read another.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not up to Snuff,
By
This review is from: Pygmy (Hardcover)
A few years back I would have told you Palahniuk was one of my favorite authors. His work is cutting edge, unique, and always shocking. Each of his works is unique, from other authors and from his own works. Palahniuk has an incredibly imaginative and creative mind. The closest authors to him are: in Canada Douglas Coupland and in the UK Irvine Welsh. But the problem with always shocking and being so unique is each new work must outdo the previous. As such I think I have lost my taste for Palahniuk's writings.The book is unique, different and well-written. It is the story of Pygmy, one of a group of youths from a totalitarian state that has been sent to the United States, to live with Christian families and experience a better life. At least that is what the Host Families and church believe. Yet in reality these youths have been raised from a young age as agents of the state, part of a planned terrorist attack on the States. Palahniuk does a great job of dissecting Midwestern life through foreign eyes. It is a satire both of America's fears and of America itself. However the story is just too much - male rape, high school massacre, planned seductions, pregnancies and impregnations. And the whole book is written as a series of dispatches from Pygmy to his home government, written in a halting, misunderstood English. Palahniuk captures a feel about the language, yet still conveys his message. Palahniuk's books are usually a pleasure to read and so addictive that I cannot put them down. Some I have read more than once, even back to back - finished it and started reading it again. That was not the case this time. Twice I put it down for a few days, and was uncertain I would pick it up again to finish it. This was the first Palahniuk book I have read that I easily predicted the ending; that, in and of itself, was a disappointment. As a book it is okay, but as a Palahniuk book it is disappointing on many levels. For the hardcore Palahniuk fans out there - they will love it. I think I have just lost my taste for his extremism. (First Published in Imprint 2009-05-29.)
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun and original,
By WarpedMrFoqer "WarpedMrfoqer" (Ottawa, ON CAN) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Pygmy (Paperback)
While the style of language takes a little bit to get used to, it works fantastically once you're comfortable with it. In classic Palahniuk style he uses a clever, unique, and imaginative story as a basis to skewer North American ultra-consumerism. It works on many levels, you can almost feel how the protagonist is disgusted by the culture around him. The dodgeball sequence was the first time I've actually laughed out loud while reading a book in sometime; it was great! Overall, a fun read, although it does serve to remind us of our lives of overindulgence, which is depressing.
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