I don't get it.

Okay, look. I flat out don't get this thread. It's not like there's some deep meaning to Palahniuk's work. If anyone sat there and explained to you everything that they liked about it, it wouldn't make a difference to you. You would still dislike it. So don't worry about it. Lots of people like Steinbeck and Fitzgerald. I don't, and I've never understood why their work was considered to be among the great works of American writers. It just leaves me cold.

I would not start a thread asking why people liked those books. They'd only provide lots of explanations that I'm not interested in because no matter which passage of the Bible was being aped in Grapes of Wrath, I don't give a fuck about the Joads, and that's the beginning and the end of it. I don't think anyone starts these sorts of threads to actually find out why people like a particular author, I think they start them because they want to find people who agree with them. It's not like anyone could say anything that would change your mind.

Outside of that, I am aware that some people don't like books that I enjoy, so if someone did start a thread asking what the fuck was so great about The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay that it won a pulitzer, and they can't see what kind of person would think it worthy of that award, I'd stay quiet and not take it personally. I mean, just because I got something out of it doesn't mean everyone else has to.

I don't expect anyone to be able to change my opinion. I'm honestly actually interested in what people see in the stuff. What is it that engenders such idolization?

It is, however, unfortunate that one unbalanced fanboy has managed to take it completely personally and flip out.

Thanks Ted, I agree. But unfortunately I'm one to respond in the same disposition of the topic.

I'm not a fanboy, nor have I "flipped out". And to prove it, I haven't been vulgar, insulting, or contemptible, and you have.

Look, man, this thread is not about you. Get over it. I don't know why you're the only one who can't handle somebody questioning the unabashed genius of The Great Pahlaniuk, but go check the first page for tips on how you could have better dealt with the subject.

No, you're the one that needs to get over it, I don't have any problem with you questioning someone's talents, or asking about others opinions, I simply didn't like the way you did it. Oh and if you actually payed any attention, I did read the first page, quoted someone, and praised their responce.

I don't know. There was an article on Salon.com about HP Lovecraft a couple weeks ago. They pointed out that Lovecraft is, if you look at it, a bad writer. His prose was terrible, trying for gothic horror and ending up with a story that overexplains how horrifying a certain thing is without ever making you feel that horror. He is, in fact, a horror writer whose stories don't really scare anyone. He used obscure words to cover his lack of education, an effect that was pretty much cancelled out by the fact that he'd make words up when he lacked descriptive terms.

By all definitions, this man was a bad author, but I love reading his work. And so do tons of others, well-respected authors among them. The World Fantasy Award, which would be roughly the equivalent of a Hugo in the fantasy world, is a bust of Lovecraft (I believe). Asked to explain why I like reading Lovecraft...I have no idea. The stories are all pretty much the same - some dude losing his shit. Frogmen. Cthulhu. Innsmouth. Arkham Asylum. There's no deeper meaning, but you'll be hard-pressed to find an author with more of a dedicated following. Sometimes people just respond to writing.

Step 1. Simmer down.;

Step 2. Find a name that I called you. Please.

Step 3. Reread my comment noting the inclusion of the word 'even' denoting that while not all fans of his work are teenyboppers, even the least sophisticated audience is drawn to his work.

I dare you to not take something personally today. Try it out.

You have been kind of a crybaby, though. If you aren't a fan, or a 'fanboy' rather, why get so emotional over having his talent questioned?

Gee, you know, I'm so sorry you guys take my comments and responces as defensive, uptight, and me "flipping out". Really I'm not, maybe you guys are the defensive ones, I don't know, there's obviously a lack of communication, it's this thing called the internet, doesn't really make for good human interaction.

And I didn't say you were calling me names, but you were calling someone names. Now lasty, if even teenyboppers are drawn to his work, then you must submit that more sophistocated people are as well, and thus, perhaps there's a little more to his writings than "shock value"? Just a thought, please don't think I'm being overly defensive.

lol, oh come on, there, there's a name you've called me. But really, of course I'm a fan, but if I'm being emotional, it's only because I took his first comment as an attack on anyone who reads Chucks books, yea maybe that wasn't his intent, whatever, I'm not worried about it. But I felt I was being pretty civil, again I hope it isn't just me and maybe some of it can be attributed to this form of communication.

You have been =/= you are

Read. Reread. React.

In that order.

Exactly how I feel.

it isn't that he is a bad author. it is just that he wrote one interesting story and published it under half a dozen different titles

I haven't read any of this books. Fight Club is a great movie, and I almost picked up the book last week, but then I figured I can probably get it from the library. I'll give him a try, why the heck not?

why do you give a shit if anyone does or doesnt like it?

if you dont like his shit, dont fuckin read it.

dude, his name is chuck.

and nobody can spell his last name correctly. and nobody even tries to say it.

how can you not like him? 'chuck'.

chuck.
chuck.
chuck.

i like to read chuck's books.
i like to read the books of chuck.
chuck.

c'mon now, isn't it obvious?

There once was an author named Chuck -
Who .....


.... never mind

Simple, it is amazing.

And you have to watch it a bunch of times before you get it all. Some people like that, some don't. I do.