Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Chuck Palahniuk for this eARC of Not Forever, But For Now.

A longtime fan of Chuck Palahniuk, I was sorely disappointed with this particular outing. The novel starts odd (no problem there) before quickly veering into the realm of need-to-shower-after-reading levels of incestuous creepy.

This is a hard one to review...While not exactly what I expected, it was very much still in the same realm of the book I thought I was excited to read. While its an easy read and the chapters are short, the material of what you are reading can often times be somewhat difficult to read for a certain audience.

I will admit while the characters seem dry and without depth, the trauma of Otto is very apparent and a highlight to really why I continued to read despite often feeling uncomfortable, That tragic upbringing of Otto largely influences his younger brother Cecil...both growing up to be quite the man-babies. Any book that has a large sense of psychology or sociology aspect always tends to grip my interest, and again was a large part why I saw this book to completion where others may have left unfinished.

Overall the story development is a bit all over the board as we constantly flashback to what I would call previous traumatic events for either Otto or Cecil, which is used as some sort of context for the present scene or actions going on in the chapter.

The story started out slow and curious, then progressed to a larger wacky and unnerving climax for the brothers final adventure together. An odd mix of creepy and whimsical.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read this anticipated book before it was published.

I think I need to come to terms with the fact that aside from Fight Club, Chuck Palahnuik is just not for me. Overwritten and pretentious.

Sadly, I just think Chuck Palahniuk is not the author for me anymore. I've loved some of his previous relases when I was younger, but it just doesn't work for me quite like it used to. I hesitate to give it a bad rating, because it simply wasn't for me, but safe to say not a new favorite.

One star.

I found this book incredibly disappointing, especially as a huge Palahniuk fan. It was just too weird for my taste, and not in a good way. The characters were uninteresting, and the plot was confusing throughout. The blurb promised an intriguing tale, but instead, all we got was disturbing sexual depravity. There were multiple instances where I almost gave up on the book due to its frustrating lack of meaningful content.

As much as I tried to understand where the author went wrong, I couldn't shake off my disappointment. I was genuinely excited about another Palahniuk book, but this one fell short due to poor writing. Some might claim that it's not for easily offended readers, but I'm not bothered by controversial themes like incest or gruesome violence if they're well-executed. However, in this case, the execution was just not up to par with Palahniuk's usual standard.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of Not Forever, But for Now by Chuck Palahniuk

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5 stars)

Palahniuk's signature writing style shines through in this tale of blood, madness, and a dysfunctional family legacy. With each turn of the page, you'll encounter a cacophony of bizarre characters and outlandish events that make you question both your sanity and your sense of humor. The narrative is delivered with an unapologetically offensive and gross flair, which may either be its biggest charm or its greatest turn-off, depending on the reader.

While "Unhinged Legacy" captures Palahniuk's trademark wackiness and dark satire, it may prove challenging to fully immerse oneself in this chaotic narrative. The overabundance of eccentricities, violence, and explicit content can be overwhelming, causing some readers to struggle with staying engaged.

Moreover, the eccentric and sexually-depraved personas of Otto and Cecil may not resonate well with all audiences, making it challenging to connect emotionally with the characters. As the story hurtles toward an uncertain climax, it becomes evident that the shock value and audaciousness may overshadow any depth that could have been explored in the characters.

Despite its undeniable uniqueness and audaciousness, "Unhinged Legacy" didn't quite hit the mark for me. As a long-time fan of Palahniuk's work, I was hoping for a bit more substance amid the chaos. While the novel undeniably showcases Palahniuk's exceptional imagination and storytelling prowess, it lacks the poignant social commentary and emotional resonance found in some of his earlier works.

In conclusion, "Unhinged Legacy" is an acquired taste, catering to those who revel in the uncanny and don't shy away from the macabre. If you're already a die-hard Palahniuk fan and adore his irreverent style, you may thoroughly enjoy this unhinged journey into the abyss. However, for those seeking a more measured narrative and profound character development, this may prove a challenging and disturbing read. Approach with caution, and be ready to embrace the bizarre in all its unbridled glory.

If you’re a Palahniuk fan, you’re already prepared for some wild, offensive, (and likely) gross writing that leaves you unable to keep the novel out of your mind. This is, by far, his most unhinged yet, in my opinion.
The story follows a pair of murderous and sexually-depraved man-baby brothers Otto and Cecil and I won’t go much beyond that at risk of spoilers.
Some of Palahniuk’s novels are my absolute favorites, and while this one certainly hit the nail on the head of his wacky and weird writing style, unfortunately this one just didn’t hit the mark with me and I found it hard to push through.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This releases on 9/5.

I didn't know how I would feel about this book at the beginning, but somewhere along the was it sucked me in. I really enjoyed this. It is a book that will pull you in and take you on a grand adventure. How can it not when it's brothers going to take over their family's business as serial killers.
I just reviewed Not Forever, But For Now by Chuck Palahniuk. #NetGalley
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Thank You Net Galley for the opportunity to read this prior tp publication

Chuck Palahniuk masters the concept or Art should make it's audience uncomfortable.
Here the switch is our leads don't provide us a true age as their mother refuses to ackowledge birthdays
Are they unreliable narrorators? Are they abused kids with vivid imaginations to hide against their trauma?

The footing on your journey feels as though your in a painting by Dali

As always, His work is one you either love or hate. But one that will leave you "affected" either way.
When you read Chuck Palahniuk, the story will stay with you..

I’ve been a fan of Chuck for a long, long time. He altered my brain chemistry with Haunted - which was the first book I read by him before going back and reading his entire backlog and reading everything he put out after. But this was… uncomfortable. And I am used to reading Chuck’s work. It’s meant to make you uncomfortable. But this was a step too far. Maybe I’m different now because I have kids, I can’t stomach it. But this was disturbing and I had to give up.

Accidentally reviewed this, will review and edit later..........................................................

I couldn't get started with this title - it was like a literary shock jock program, and it never created any interest for me.

I was a fan of Fight Club when it came out, but this was a little too "edgy" for me! Brothers Cecil and Otto are odd from the beginning as they are being bathed by the nanny even though they are clearly old (and tall) enough to bathe themselves. And then when we discover what their predilections are, we're (meaning me) astounded as it seems to run in the family! So yes, I skimmed much of the last half as I didn't need or want the gory details.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

This is a kick in the teeth novel that rips the guts out of the reader! Highly recommended! I never know what to write about books that move me like this one. It was a deeply personal read.

Although Palahnuik is known for graphic and unpredictable characters, I found this particular set of characters detestable. That making it difficult to continue reading this book.

I believe this was my first Chuck Palahniuk book but I kind of knew what I was in for (or I thought I did)? It wasn't even the shocking, irreverent, blah blah blah of it that I didn't like, but instead, as someone else commented...it was kind of boring. Meh. I'm sure you can find something else that's still entertaining with a shock value that you don't feel like you're slogging through if you're so inclined.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well...I used to be a massive Palahniuk fan but this (and the preceding several novels) have just not done it for me. There were interesting ideas, but I just couldn't get into the story or the writing this time. We will still purchase for the collection, as we have Palahniuk fans in our patron base.

I am afraid this one was too far out there for me. I read a couple of chapters but did not finish the book. Wasn't my cup of tea.

This book is "Grey Gardens" if those two old ladies happened to be incestuous, sadomasochistic, sociopathic brothers. There is no redeeming quality to this book, in fact i feel ill for having read it in the first place. Blending elements of "Forrest Gump" (oh look at all the famous people we meet and kill) with the violence of "A Clockwork Orange" this book has too high of aspirations for what it truly is, a readable snuff film that would make any reader feel repulsed to have taken the time to give it a moments attention

Either Palahniuk is past his prime and just needed a book to make his publisher happy, or he really believes that men of this generation or "pre-men" as he calls them are soft and this is his way of highlighting this, I cannot say but this book is one that should not be given the time of day unless you wish to be made uncomfortable just for arts sake.


Full Disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book via NetGalley.