Diary by Chuck Palahniuk

Misty Wilmot has had it. Once a promising young artist, she's now stuck on an island ruined by tourism, drinking too much and working as a waitress in a hotel. Her husband, a contractor, is in a coma after a suicide attempt, but that doesn't stop his clients from threatening Misty with lawsuits over a series of vile messages they've found on the walls of houses he remodeled.Suddenly, though, Misty finds her artistic talent returning as she begins a period of compulsive painting. Inspired but confused by this burst of creativity, she soon finds herself a pawn in a larger conspiracy that threatens to cost hundreds of lives. What unfolds is a dark, hilarious story from America's most inventive nihilist, and Palahniuk's most impressive work to date.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Absolutely loved it, as much as Fight Club or Survivor and perhaps a little more so than Choke (which is still excellent). I want to give it almost five stars, it isn't perfect, as I feel it's better than only four!

Devo ammetterlo, questo non sembra lo stesso libro dello scrittore di Fight Club, Survivor, Invisible Mosters, Soffocare...
Una storia che a me è sembrata telefonatissima, dove ho capito quasi subito dove voleva andare a parare e anche priva di quel sarcasmo, quella pungente ironia che tanto mi ha fatto amare Palahniuk. Mi sono costretto a finirlo proprio per vedere se alla fine riusciva a stupirmi ma nulla. nulla.
una vera, incredibile delusione.

The further I got into this audiobook, the lower I felt like scoring it.

** CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS **

The first 1/3 of the book gets three stars. It was interesting, compelling ... I could get behind the main character, Misty, and feel her frustration with her comatose husband (who tried and failed to kill himself) and life working as a waitress in a hotel, which she feels stuck in. It wasn't groundbreaking or anything, but it was enjoyable enough.

But then shit started getting weird. Like, paranormal psychological thriller weird. And I couldn't stop cringeing and squirming because I was just so uncomfortable with the way the plot turned, how everything kind of fell apart around Misty and then everyone made her out to be crazy when all the characters around her was trying to hurt her and control her.

I don't like reading things about people intentionally hurting other people, making them feel pain on purpose. I've put down books and returned rented audiobooks that described torture scenes in the first few chapters. So when Misty described jabbing a brooch pin into her comatose husband's hands and feet until she hits the bone? I almost turned it off right there. When she describes one of her husband's friends from school having an earring ripped clean through his ear? And then keeps mentioning it throughout the book, how his ear hangs split in two? I'm squirming just writing about it.

I don't know why I kept going with this one. It clearly was not going to be the kind of thing I was going to like, but it was for book club, and ... well, the first part was good, and I kept expecting it to start getting good again. It never did.