''Invisible Monsters'' is a novel by
Chuck Palahniuk
Charles Michael "Chuck" Palahniuk (; born February 21, 1962) is an American freelance journalist and novelist who describes his work as transgressional fiction. He has published 19 novels, three nonfiction books, two graphic novels, and two adul ...
, published in 1999. It is his third novel to be published, though it was his second written novel (after ''Insomnia: If You Lived Here, You'd Be Home Already''). The novel was originally supposed to be Palahniuk's first novel to be published, but it was rejected by the publisher for being too disturbing. After the success of his novel ''
Fight Club
''Fight Club'' is a 1999 American film directed by David Fincher and starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton, and Helena Bonham Carter. It is based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. Norton plays the unnamed narrator, who is d ...
'', ''Invisible Monsters'' was given a second chance, and a revised version of it was published. The first edition was released in paperback in 1999, and on June 11, 2012, it was published in hardcover, in a revised edition titled ''Invisible Monsters Remix'' (). The novel has been adapted into a
graphic novel
A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
by comic artist KGZ, a.k.a. Gabor Kiss.
Plot
The narrator of the story, Shannon McFarland, is a disfigured former model who goes by multiple pseudonyms, notably Daisy St. Patience and Bubba Joan—identities given to her by Brandy Alexander. The novel opens ''
in medias res
A narrative work beginning ''in medias res'' (, "into the middle of things") opens in the midst of the plot (cf. ''ab ovo'', ''ab initio''). Often, exposition is bypassed and filled in gradually, through dialogue, flashbacks or description of pa ...
'' on the wedding day of Evie Cottrell, whose house is burning to the ground. Brandy, who has been shot by Evie, asks the narrator to tell her life story. Her memories of her life and her relationship with Brandy are told in a non-linear sequence.
The narrator is the daughter of a farmer. Her older brother, Shane, was kicked out of the house for being gay after contracting
gonorrhea
Gonorrhea, colloquially known as the clap, is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium '' Neisseria gonorrhoeae''. Infection may involve the genitals, mouth, or rectum. Infected men may experience pain or burning with ...
. After their parents receive a phone call from a stranger that Shane is dead from
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
, they become obsessive supporters of
gay rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 3 ...
, so that even in death, Shane gets more parental attention than the narrator. This attention is a large source of resentment for the narrator towards her brother, and she sought a career in modeling in attempt to get attention for herself.
The narrator's best friend in modeling school is Evelyn "Evie" Cottrell, who begins a secret relationship with the narrator's boyfriend, Manus Kelley, a police officer. While driving down the highway, the narrator is mysteriously shot in the face and her jaw is torn off. She immediately drives to the hospital and recovers, but her lower jaw is lost; she keeps her disfigured face veiled and her modeling career has been destroyed. In group speech therapy she meets Brandy Alexander, a
trans woman
A trans woman or a transgender woman is a woman who was assigned male at birth. Trans women have a female gender identity, may experience gender dysphoria, and may transition; this process commonly includes hormone replacement therapy and so ...
. During sessions, Brandy instructs the narrator in how to give herself a new life and a new identity, and gives her a new name, Daisy St. Patience, the first among many new identities.
Evie begs the narrator to come live with her but leaves for
Cancún
Cancún ( ), often Cancun in English (without the accent; or ) is a city in southeast Mexico on the northeast coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. It is a significant tourist destination in Mexico and the seat ...
as soon as she arrives, leaving the narrator alone. The first night, Manus breaks into the house with a knife. Because of the rapid non-linear motion of the novel's events, the narrator has often referred to Manus as "Seth", an identity given to him by Brandy, and it is not until this moment in the novel that it becomes clear that Manus and Seth are the same person. When Manus and Evie's affair is exposed, both claim that the other shot the narrator. The narrator sets fire to Evie's house and overpowers and then forces Manus to ingest pills before locking him in the trunk of his own car.
The narrator flees to the hotel room where Brandy lives. She meets Brandy's roommates, the Rhea sisters, a trio of
drag queens
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...
who are paying for Brandy's
sex change
Sex change is a natural or artificial process in which an individual's sex is changed.
Sex change may also refer to:
Biology and medicine
*Sex reassignment therapy
*Sex reassignment surgery
*Sequential hermaphroditism, a phenomenon whereby some ...
operations. The narrator learns that Brandy is actually Shane, who strives to look like her sister (the narrator) through surgery. Brandy is unaware of the narrator's true identity and wants to find her sister. Brandy, the narrator, and Manus leave to travel the country. They frequently pretend to be wealthy clients to view expensive homes that are for sale and steal whatever drugs they can find, alternately ingesting or selling them. Later, the narrator learns of Brandy's stories of
sexual abuse
Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...
by police officer Manus as a teenager, leading to Shane's contracting gonorrhea, being assumed to be gay, and being kicked out. "Brandy" divulges that she is not actually
transgender
A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through tr ...
—Shane, not wanting to be himself after what he endured, has chosen to become a woman because he sees it as a way to disfigure himself and lose any sense of identity to become beyond the control of others.
One day the trio is viewing a home and realize that the
realtor
A real estate agent or real estate broker is a person who represents sellers or buyers of real estate or real property. While a broker may work independently, an agent usually works under a licensed broker to represent clients. Brokers and agen ...
is Evie's mother, who reveals that Evie herself transitioned at a young age and that her parents are marrying her off to save themselves trouble. The trio attend the wedding. The narrator sets fire to Evie's house, thus returning to the opening scene of the novel.
It is revealed that Brandy originally met Evie in a transgender
support group
In a support group, members provide each other with various types of help, usually nonprofessional and nonmaterial, for a particular shared, usually burdensome, characteristic. Members with the same issues can come together for sharing coping str ...
, in which Evie told Brandy of the narrator's accident. Brandy reveals she has always known that the narrator was her sister, Shannon McFarland. In turn, Shannon reveals that she shot ''herself'' in the face to escape from being beautiful and beholden to her career and relationships, mirroring Shane's decision to transition.
Later, at Brandy's side while she recovers in a hospital, Shannon determines that she has never truly loved anyone except her brother. Leaving her pocket book with all of her identification, she tells a sleeping Brandy that since Shane is still confused about what he wants out of life, he can have the only thing she has left, her identity as Shannon McFarland. The novel ends with Shannon leaving the hospital and into the world to find a new start.
In the Remix version, it is revealed that Shannon, now going by Daisy St. Patience full-time, has established a cemetery after her parents have died, in which people can buy plots for relatives they disliked with spiteful sayings carved into the tombstones. She also creates a group for disfigured women called "
Elephant Women". In the end, she marries an unidentified man.
Characters
* Shannon McFarland, The Narrator and former fashion model, now disfigured by a mysterious gunshot injury. She goes by many various names throughout the book, most notably Daisy St. Patience and Bubba-Joan.
* Brandy Alexander, Queen Supreme, aka Princess Princess—A transgender woman whom the narrator meets in the hospital shortly after her own mysterious gunshot injury. Brandy encourages Narrator to hide her disfigurement and attempt to live a new lifestyle.
* Manus Kelley—Narrator's ex-fiancé, an ex-police officer. He goes by many different names throughout the book.
* Evelyn "Evie" Cottrell—Narrator's former best friend, also a fashion model.
* The Rhea Sisters—Three male drag queens who Brandy describes as being family. They dote on her and pay for all of her surgeries.
''Invisible Monsters Remix''
Originally released in paperback in 1999, the first hardcover edition of ''Invisible Monsters'' was published on June 11, 2012. This edition is a restructured version of the novel, entitled ''Invisible Monsters Remix''. It contains a new author's introduction, explaining that the linear structure of the first edition was not the novel's original intent. Instead, this new edition of the novel presents the chapters in mixed order with instructions on which chapter to read next, and new chapters have also been added.
Film adaptation
MacLaren Productions Inc. acquired rights to the novel in 2009 and planned to begin production of a film adaptation in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
in spring 2011 but this never materialised. The company established a website to help raise support where people can demand the book be made into a movie by submitting their email, name and location online. A Facebook group was also set up under the name "Invisible Monsters Film" to raise awareness for the film and generate support.
Invisible Monsters Facebook Group
Accessed December 11, 2020
References in popular culture
Jeffree Star
Jeffree Star (born Jeffrey Lynn Steininger Jr., November 15, 1985) is an American YouTuber, makeup artist, and former singer-songwriter. He is the founder and owner of Jeffree Star Cosmetics.
In 2009, Star released a studio album, ''Beauty Kill ...
's song title "Your Heart is My Piñata" is a direct reference to the Katty Kathy quote of the Rhea sister's invention, with Jeffree's debut album ''Beauty Killer
''Beauty Killer'' is the only studio album by American singer Jeffree Star, released on September 21, 2009 under Popsicle Records through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group.(5 May 2009) The album was mostly produced by God's Paparazzi, ...
'' containing several references to the novel.
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is the solo project of American musician Brendon Urie. It was originally a pop rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. They recorded their firs ...
's song "Time to Dance" heavily references the novel.
Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack is an American rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1997. The band's line-up consists of vocalist and guitarist Justin Courtney Pierre, lead guitarist Joshua Cain, keyboardist Jesse Johnson, bassist Matthew ...
has a bonus track on their album ''Commit This to Memory
''Commit This to Memory'' is the second studio album by American rock band Motion City Soundtrack. Produced by Mark Hoppus, the album was released on June 7, 2005, in the United States by Epitaph Records. The Minnesota-based rock act formed in 199 ...
'' titled "Invisible Monsters", in direct reference to the novel.
See also
* 1999 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1999.
Events
*May 1 – Andrew Motion is appointed Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom for ten years.
*June 19 – Stephen King is hit by a van while taking a walk ...
Footnotes
External links
''Invisible Monsters'' book details on W. W. Norton & Company website
Review of ''Invisible Monsters''
on Unreality Shout
{{ChuckPalahniuk
1999 American novels
Novels by Chuck Palahniuk
Novels set in Seattle
W. W. Norton & Company books
Novels with transgender themes
American LGBT novels
1990s LGBT novels
Nonlinear narrative novels