Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Invisible Monsters

Last night I finished reading Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk. The story is narrated by a successful fashion model who is severely injured in an apparent motor accident. She is left without a lower jaw, and goes from being the beautiful centre of attention to being (in her words) an 'invisible monster' (so hideous no-one will acknowledge she exists). In the hospital she meets Brandy Alexander, the self-styled "Queen Supreme", who is in the process of having a male to female sex change. Brandy teaches the model that in order to find a new future she must completely reinvent her identity, and so the model sets out on the road with Brandy in search of a brand new past present and future. Along the way they try to kidnap the model's two-timing ex-boyfriend and take revenge against her treacherous best friend. Along the way she discovers some disturbing facts about her own past and family. This book is shocking, horrific, intelligent and frequently hilariously funny.

I was also reading a story from American Supernatural Tales called "What Is It?" by Fitz-James O'Brien about a man who is attacked in his bed by a (literally) invisible monster. It was quite an entertaining little piece.

Another thing I was watching a repeat of the first episode of a show called Life on Mars, which was about a police detective from 2006 who is knocked unconcious and wakes up in 1973, not knowing whether he is in a coma, whether he is insane or whether he actually has gone back in time. It was pretty good, actually. I'd always meant to see it when it was first on but I'd missed the first episode and didn't like to start it in the middle of the story.

I had another day at my course today and so I managed to get home early. On my way I renewed my bus pass and got the latest issue of Total Film magazine.

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