Chuck Palahniuk is one of modern American fiction’s most interesting stylists, and he’s at it again in his latest novel, "Tell-All."
It’s a slim book based on a kernel of an idea the author was left with after hearing stories about the fabrication of Lillian Hellman’s memoirs.
Billed as "the hyperactive love child of Page Six and ‘Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?’ caught in a tawdry love triangle with ‘The Fan,’" "Tell-All" is a farcical send-up of American culture of the last century. Written as a screenplay about the life of fading movie star Katherine Kenton,”
“Tell-All" is at its heart the story of the relationship between Kenton and her maid, Hazie Coogan. Coogan claims to play Henry Higgins to Kenton’s Eliza Doolittle, orchestrating all the actress’ great moments.
Chasing off gold-digging suitors is among the maid’s self-appointed duties, but the latest paramour in Kenton’s life appears to have more in mind than hanky-panky. He’s written his own tell-all book about the love affair, complete with a very unhappy ending meant to spur book sales.
There’s not much more to the plot. It’s wafer-thin and almost secondary to a literary high-wire act Palahniuk pulls off for the most part.
The story is written much like a Page Six entry, right down to the bolded names. There’s name-dropping and dishing as Palahniuk tries to recreate the trappings of a bygone era. Hellman spins in and out of the picture, always in the midst of a preposterous story that puts her at the center of some of the 20th century’s most important events.
At times it’s a masterful feat. The question, however, is will his readers really get it? Palahniuk’s audience skews young, male and fervent, and he’s tested those fans lately.
His last novel, "Pygmy," was written completely in a kind of pidgin English that is challenging (and eventually rewarding once mastered). The obstacle in "Tell-All" is that most of the names being dropped belong to people who had their 15 minutes of fame 50 years ago, and without a passing knowledge of yesteryear’s celebs, the humor can be lost in translation.
At the same time, the ease with which he seems to pull all this off leaves readers with a question: What will Palahniuk pull off next? And that’s really all an author can ask.
