a book to read

"survivor" by chuck palahniuk. great book. i usually wait until i finish reading a book to write a review but this one i think deserves to be read by many. for those who don't know, palahniuk wrote the novel "fight club" on which the movie is based. it was his first novel and since then he's published many more but none received the critical acclaim of his premiere work. "survivor" is about the last few living remnants of a puritanistic cult that eventually commits mass suicide. as the thousands of missionaries around the country find out about the 'deliverance' they follow suit and off themselves. ten years later, though, there are a few who never went through with suicide but also never learned todeal with life outside the commune. like "fight club," it's written in first person narrative as the protaganist recounts the recent events in his life just before what appears to be his own imminent destruction. (i'm can't say for sure because i haven't finished reading it yet.)

a song for death

i stopped by a coffee shop today to do tenjoy hot coffee during the afternoon showers. i read for about an hour -- chuck palahniuk's "survivor" -- and stopped outside under the awning to smoke a cigarette before walking to my car. as i sat smoking at a table in the corner out of the rain, an employee came out with cigarette and lighter in hand. she said hello and after asking to share my corner to stay out of the rain sat at the next table. "wow," she said.
intrigued, i responded, "wow, what?"
"this is some pretty serious music they're playing," she said.
i had to concentrate to hear a classical song that i hadn't even heard over the sound of the pelting rain. after listening for a moment i said, "someone should be dying to this music." it was a very lonely and heart-wrenching section of string music and i could easily visualize someone standing in the parking lot being gunned down in the rain.
"someone did die to this song," she said, which caught me off-guard. she added, "it's in a movie. 'platoon,' when willem dafoe's character dies. it's called 'adagio for strings', by samuel barber."
"shot down running after the helicopter, right?" she nodded. "good scene," i said as i put my cigarette out in the ashtray and treaded off to my car through the downpour.

it is, in fact, a great song to die to.