Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A mix of classic Palahniuk storytelling, beautiful new tales, and sloppy shorts that don't quite work. Luckily there's always a new story to try out if you find yourself lost.
Excellent collection of short stories written in Chuck Palahniuk's style
Chuck Palahniuk is so twisted. I’ve had this audiobook in Audible forever and finally gave it a listen. Most of the short stories were completely weird and totally engaging. If you're looking for stories about a deadly massage therapist, a sexually adventurous horse, or a band of young men trying to escape from a conversion therapy camp – well this is the short story collection for you. Seriously, just wtf Chuck. These stories are so fucking weird. A handful fell on deaf ears, but whatever.
Knock-Knock ★★
Eleanor ★
How Monkey Got Married ★★
Zombies ★★★★
Loser ★★★★
Red Sultan's Big Boy ★★
Romance ★★★★
Cannibal ★★★★
Why Coyote Never Had Money for Parking ★★★
Phoenix ★★★
The Facts of Life ★★
Cold Calling ★★
The Toad Prince ★★★★
Smoke ★★
Torcher ★★★★
Liturgy ★★★
Why Aardvark Never Landed on the Moon ★★★
Fetch ★★★
Expedition ★★★★
Mister Elegant ★★★
Tunnel of Love ★★
Inclinations ★★★★
How a Jew Saved Christmas ★★★
Eleanor ★
How Monkey Got Married ★★
Zombies ★★★★
Loser ★★★★
Red Sultan's Big Boy ★★
Romance ★★★★
Cannibal ★★★★
Why Coyote Never Had Money for Parking ★★★
Phoenix ★★★
The Facts of Life ★★
Cold Calling ★★
The Toad Prince ★★★★
Smoke ★★
Torcher ★★★★
Liturgy ★★★
Why Aardvark Never Landed on the Moon ★★★
Fetch ★★★
Expedition ★★★★
Mister Elegant ★★★
Tunnel of Love ★★
Inclinations ★★★★
How a Jew Saved Christmas ★★★
adventurous
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It really pains me to give this book such a low rating. I'm a HUGE Palahniuk fan and I've loved every other book by him that I've read. I was expecting to love this as well, I really thought that short stories written by Palahniuk would pack quite a punch. But I was terribly wrong and I wish I could unread these stories and scrub them from my brain. Each and every story literally left me sitting there with a confused/pained expression on my face and thinking what in the actual fuck did I just read? I kept pushing through thinking that there must be at least one decent story out of the bunch but once again I was terribly wrong. I always expect weirdness from Palahniuk but this collection was so far beyond weird that it actually made my brain hurt. These stories were really fucking awful and I highly suggest avoiding this book at all costs, no matter how big of a Palahniuk fan you are.
This book might not have been life-changing but it was utterly entertaining and yes, borderline amazing. There are a few gems in there and true to its title, there are even a handful of stories you'll wish you could unread. And you'll realize those are very good as you find yourself running through them in a state of morbid fascination. And there are others that will wring a cringe out of you at least. Most of the stories have a very simple premise but taken from the filter of Chuck Palahniuk's deviant mind. Sometimes, it may seem that the gross-out factor is gratuitous but he has a way of crafting this sort of twisted viewpoint that can be completely enthralling, then again, some of it might be too much for some. My favorites were Inclinations, Fetch, and Why Aadvark Never Landed On The Moon. Best word-play/concept: Eleanor. Highest 'I-wish-I-could-unread-this' factor: The Toad Prince.
Anything with Chuck's name on it automatically gets high expectations from me, and this one fell a little short. There are a couple of four-star stories in here, but the majority are twos or threes.
I like Fight Club an awful lot. But most of these stories are gimmicky and full of shock value with next to no developed characters. Three stars because I like the Fag Farm story a lot (can't be arsed to recall actual title) and also the one about the horse is pretty infamous for me because Chuck introduced me to the concept of beastiality via that story when I was twelve or thirteen. Thanks, Chuck!
2025 edit: This book is certainly MEMORABLE on the whole. I still think the Fag Farm story (Inclinations) was weirdly inspiring. Zombies is brilliant. So is Loser. Eleanor & the other ones with excessive language gimmicks are borderline unreadable, the folktales are awful, several of these are forgettable or too primarily gross-out to be of any use.
2025 edit: This book is certainly MEMORABLE on the whole. I still think the Fag Farm story (Inclinations) was weirdly inspiring. Zombies is brilliant. So is Loser. Eleanor & the other ones with excessive language gimmicks are borderline unreadable, the folktales are awful, several of these are forgettable or too primarily gross-out to be of any use.