Pygmy
is a diminutive 13 year old terrorist from a country/state that is never named,
but which is likened to Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union and China .
This ‘country’ has arranged for several of its young ‘operatives’ to stay with
host families in America as
a kind of student program.
The
operative’s mission is code-named ‘Havoc’ (surprise surprise for a Chuck
Palahniuk novel!!), and it is to take place at the National Science Fair where
money tainted with a neurotoxin will be released and it is hoped that the money
will be spread around until all the capitalists are killed.
Pygmy
is a satire on Western, particularly American, consumerism and greed. It is
certainly a very original novel, not just for the plotline but also in the way that
it is written. After reading the first chapter I debated whether to make
my life a misery over the next few days or just forget it and move onto
something else. Luckily I decided to persevere and I read a very clever,
shocking and funny novel.
I
don’t recommend Palahniuk novels to people I know as he’s very confronting and
not to everyone’s taste, a lot of readers I know would be offended by his
work. But, for the record, I thought this was a great novel though I
think he has limited his readership because of the narrative voice.
Maxine
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