Survivor discussion

This was a very strange book, although all of Chuck's are. So did I miss something in the end?

Listened to this book on audio and found it quite good at first, but the more and more I listened, the more I began to hate the book. I did finish it, but didn't care less what happened to the character. So, sorry, no insights, I was just glad it was over.

Yeah, you missed it.

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/books/survi...

Jeremy wrote: "Yeah, you missed it.

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/books/survi..."

Great link thanks

He had more than one parachute (about 6). The pilot took one.. He could survive

Jeremy wrote: "Yeah, you missed it.

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/books/survi..."

Thanks for the link. I was far from figuring this out.

Zack wrote: "he died, he wanted the plane to crash."

Zack, he definitely did NOT die in the book. He wanted us to believe he was still in the plane when it crashed.

One of the best books I have ever read. So moving.

Tamara, thank you. That's pretty awesome explanation. I thought he died. Now it all makes sense.

whether he lives or dies is not the point. It is about existance and what that existance means in the framework of the whole. No one in the end is trying to kill him, his brother was the killer of all the Biddies and Tender's left when the Creedish people commited mass suicide. The main character Tender Branson is trying to relate his existance. The subplot being the dangers inherent in religous zealotry. Both thru the Creedish suicide pact, (which is never completley explained, possible murder by Adam Branson to stop what they were doing to the children of the church?) or his own rise as a evangelical messiah figure. In the end I want believe that he followed thru with the suicide riding the plane down so that his brothers dream of ending the Creedish religon/cult whatever could be realized and to let Fertility Hollis move on with her life without the baggage of a Creedish person and murderer.

He lived. Chuck explained how:

"The end of Survivor isn't nearly so complicated. It's noted on page 7(8?) that a pile of valuable offerings has been left in the front of the passenger cabin. This pile includes a cassette recorder. Even before our hero starts to dictate his story -- during the few minutes he's supposed to be taking a piss -- he's actually in the bathroom dictating the last chapter into the cassette recorder. It's just ranting, nothing important plot-wise, and it can be interrupted at any point by the destruction of the plane.

The minute the fourth engine flames out, he starts the cassette talking, then bails out, into Fertility's waiting arms (she's omniscient, you know). The rest of the book is just one machine whining and bitching to another machine. The crash will destroy the smaller recorder, but the surviving black box will make it appear that Tender is dead."

I wondered if this wasn't just something Chuck came up with, but checked the book and there was indeed mention of tape recorders in the pile of goods offered by the hostages, a pretty random item. Also the mention of him dropping of the hostages off at that moment because he 'really needed to pee', this must have been the moment he went and recorded it in the toilet. I'm happy to accept this as the official ending Chuck always intended.

The final chapter (Chapter 1), begins with the same "testing, testing" as the first chapter, which also supports the fact this is a pre-recordered message playing after Tender has escaped. The book also mentions he was given a dozen parachutes for the pilot, which I didn't understand at the time. The tape recorders would be destroyed in the wreckage, the black box would remain. He used his brain and figured a way out, like Fertility KNEW he would.

As the black box recording is our source of the story, we're being tricked along with the authorities etc in the story who the message is intended for. So it makes sense that Chuck's official ending wouldn't be in the book.

I had to google the ending immediately after reading it because I felt I'd missed something and when I came upon Chuck's explanation I just thought, "This man is brilliant". The ambiguous ending gave me chills, and then reading the real ending was just so satisfying. By far my favourite of the books of his that I've read so far (which are the first five he published).

I listened to this almost half a year ago and NOW I know how it ends. Wish I would have caught it, but after reading that people literally ripped up their books to look for a "secret ending," I couldn't get too down on myself. http://chuckpalahniuk.net/discuss/so-...

Mel wrote: "I listened to this almost half a year ago and NOW I know how it ends. Wish I would have caught it, but after reading that people literally ripped up there books to look for a "secret ending," I cou..."

Haha that thread is hilarious! I had no idea that people destroyed copies looking for the ending! Chuck wins again. Thanks for sharing that :D