Lullaby

By: Chuck Palahniuk

Narrated by: Richard Poe

Length: 7 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

New York Times best-selling author of Fight Club, which was adapted into a major motion picture, Chuck Palahniuk offers a haunting tale. Winner of the Northwest Booksellers Association Award, Palahniuk is one of the rare literary geniuses who has been able to bridge the gap between a cult following and commercial success.

Carl Streator, a 40-something widower and newspaper reporter, has lived a reclusive life since the death of his wife. His latest assignment is to write a series of articles on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. In doing so, he discovers that there is an underlying commonality in the deaths. A children's book, Poems and Rhymes Around the World, containing an African Death chant, is found at the scene of the cases he investigates. Having read the chant aloud, he quickly realizes the lethal power of the words. As he fights against its powerful grip, which has turned him into a serial killer, he enlists the aid of some eccentric compatriots who vow to rid every library and bookstore of the deadly text before further lives are jeopardized. But what begins as a crusade to save lives soon becomes the ultimate game of cat and mouse, as they uncover the truth about the rhyme and are hunted by the force holding Streator captive.

Newsday hails Palahniuk as "one of the freshest, most intriguing voices to appear in a long time." Richard Poe's powerful narration expertly captures every tormented detail of this paranormal thriller.

©2002 Chuck Palahniuk (P)2002 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Hilarious satire." (Publishers Weekly)
"Outrageous, darkly comic fun of the sort you'd expect from Palahniuk." (Kirkus Reviews)
"In his last novel, Choke, Palahniuk proved he could write a best seller without sacrificing his trademark biting satire. And in Lullaby, he manages an even more impressive feat by showing himself capable of tenderness as well as outrage." (Booklist)
"This is vintage Palahniuk: weird, creepy, twisted, upsetting, and ultimately a great read for anyone who wants to be scared for pleasure." (Library Journal)

loved this book!

I loved this book! the narrator did a wonderful job bringing the story to life!

Great confusing satisfactory ride

I was continually confused throughout most of the book and kept trying to figure out if I missed parts because I wasn't paying attention, I might've, still don't know, but it ended and it made sense enough to be completely satisfied. Very good book. Palahniuk is an awesome author that creates ideas that feel like they came from decades old philosophy books.

Interesting Story. Unfunny Narrator

If you could sum up Lullaby in three words, what would they be?

Dead Baby Poem.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The story was fine for the wacky road trip ride that it was. A little more closure would have been nice, but nobody expects that from a Palahnuik book.

What didn’t you like about Richard Poe’s performance?

He didn't understand that this story was gonzo and supposed to be funny. This book should have been read by a comedian. Poe was too serious and spoke way too slowly.

Who was the most memorable character of Lullaby and why?

The main lady who continually sells Haunted House over and over again to maximize her commissions.

Any additional comments?

If you listen to this book on 2X speed, it will be more that way the narration should have been.

Most Captivating yet!

Everyone around me is tuning in to Audible now! Great classics, harder to track down obscure titles and so far EVERY narrator has been on point!

Similar Twist with Familiar Style

Chuck always delivers new ways to die, to suffer, and to learn. his style is predicated, but the story won't be revealed without a twist so you keep following along on the edge of your seat!

Not my cup of tea

This was an interesting book. I was uncertain whether it was a satire or the wanderings of someone who is losing their mind. While I probably would not read another book by this author, I must admit that it was a change of pace for me. From that perspective, I would recommend it as a choice. The characters were odd, the situations they found themselves in bordered on insanity and impossiblity just enough to draw me back to listen. I thought the author did a nice job of creating a story that kept one's interest even though it was the kind of "sick" interest one might have when driving past an accident on the highway.

Pretty good but not my favorite Palahniuk

It was entertaining and well-written with some interesting plot twists. Much lighter and less meaty than others I have read (Choke, Fight Club, Survivor) and I liked all those more but I tend to prefer dark, twisted books (especially from someone like Palahniuk who is a master of that style). I wasn't bored and the writing and narration were pretty good, so I enjoyed it despite a ridiculous premise.

Intriguing story well preformed

Glad I took a chance with this one. Didn’t know anything about the book - and have never gotten through a Palahniuk book (having tried a few). Something about Chuck’s meandering writing doesn’t click with me while reading it, but totally works in an audiobook format for me. Richard Poe’s performance totally made this for me - even when I was struggling to remember what was going on, after a break from listening. A really strong premise and I loved the central concept/idea. Going to keep an eye out for more of chuck’s audiobooks if read by Richard Poe... maybe just maybe I’ll finally get through fight club.

Brilliant book brilliantly read

This is my favorite book by Palahniuk, and so I had high expectations going in. I was not disappointed. All around, an awesome buy.

Not his best

I'm a long-time fan of Palahniuk and bought this one a while back and had never gotten around to reading it. Having found it recently after reading his wonderful "Beautiful You" I tried it out but it never really engaged me.

It set itself up as a road-movie and then very little happened after the premise was laid out. By the end I was pretty much longing for it to be over... there were some giggles and a clever pretense but that's about it.

Perhaps, like "Beautiful You" it's a parody and I just don't appreciate it...