KZ Review: Chuck Palahniuk’s "Snuff"

I hate to do two Palahniuk books in a row, but the weekly topics have aligned
rather well with his works. Last week was Haunted’s take on masturbation with “ Guts,”
and this week the topic is pornography, and I’m focusing briefly on his novel Snuff. The
problem with reviewing Palahniuk is that he is very popular, and there are far better
reviews by professionals out there, but I don’t think I have any other books that tackle the
subject of pornography quite as he does.

Snuff chronicles the exploits of the faded Cassie Wright, who was once a porn
legend, but has settles into a rut. In an attempt to milk her legend, she agrees to have sex
with 600 men on camera, and the story unfolds, moving from perspective to perspective.
We see through the eyes of male porn-stars and her female assistants, and the stories that
unfold within their pasts and how that has built their present. It’s not a book of smut or
erotica, but rather a story that humanizes the numerous faces of the sexual industry.
A plot summary isn’t necessary or space efficient, as Palahniuk’s writing is too
well structured to break down well in a few paragraphs, but the topic of discussion within
makes for a good little review. The book doesn’ t advocate pornography or shun it; rather,
it approaches the men and women beneath the skin. Far more than just well endowed
breasts and penises on a screen, the personalities of the four characters explored within
the novel showcase a myriad of personal flaws, strengths, and dreams. Once and still a
very serious power in the world of social media, pornography makes up a huge
percentage of the internet these days, and its impact on America is highly debated.
Whether you're for or against it, Palahniuk argues that we focus too much on the sex and
less on the fact that this is just a job for these people, and like anyone who becomes a
doctor or a lawyer, there can be deeply personal reasons for entering this particular field
of work.

This social approach elevates the novel beyond what it could have been, basically
dissecting one woman’ s emotional needs for sex and public approval through her
interactions with four other individuals. As Palahniuk shows, pornography isn’ t about the
reality of the sex or the opinion of regular society, but instead it exists as a release for the
emotional and personal release that we as people experience through exploring our
fantasies and emotions. Thus, Cassie Wright symbolizes what the porn industry
symbolizes at its most basic, the human desire to be wanted and to be enjoyed. It’s not
about subverting the American culture or moral values, it’s not about exploiting men or
women, and it’ s definitely not the devil luring us into sin; it’s fantasy and pleasure, pure
and simple.

http://www.amazon.com/Snuff-Chuck-Palahniuk/dp/0385517882