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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
For a group of struggling writers, the promise of a secluded, three-month writers' retreat held promise above all things they could have ever asked for. However, their situation quickly goes south when they enter a fortress of an old theater that is to serve as their retreat locale and are locked in. Only one man has the power to let them out and he won't give up without a fight. As the days and weeks pass, certain aspects of life on their retreat worsen to the point where they start to take out their frustration on themselves and others and corpses are left where once stood a living writer. Each chapter of the book is broken up into a short segment about the authors' lives in the theater and then followed by a poem written anonymously about a particular character in the unfolding story and is then followed by a short story written by that same person about something that has happened in their lives that helps to define who they have become. This is a very intriguing novel and yet, at the same time, contains Palahniuk's trademark violence and gory imagery. It begins with the very first short story by a character named Saint Gut-Free (each character has a persona name instead of a real name save for the two people in charge of the retreat). If you have a weak stomach, don't buy this. If you are willing to dare the occasional churning gut, give it a shot. It's interesting entertainment.
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Our world of only humans, a world without humanity.
I get where Chuck Palahniuk was going with this book. It bases horror not around the supernatural, but around the darkest sides of human nature. Around our desire to be recognized and satisfied, and the lengths we'll go to reach those aims.
‘There’s something locked in here with us. Is it you?'
I get it. Palahniuk is a strong author with a lot to say, and, in general with his books, he says it well.
This book is a bit of shameless shock value mess. One comes to about three-quarters of the way through this book, and can feel with certainty that this book was written as an outlet and exercise for all different types of shock-twists and disturbing elements (two to three of such tend to appear in a typical Palahniuk book). And then in the afterword, Palahniuk confirms it - this is a book for all those human horror stories that he really wanted to tell, but didn't have another place for.
This book feels like a mistake, both in content and execution.
Let's start with the obvious: the content, which people generally object to with this book. It's fine that it's disgusting. Whatever. If you opened this book not realizing it was going to be horrifyingly gross, please look into your books for half a second before you read them. Major problem A is that there are more than a few chapters that feel a bit ethically irresponsible, as Palahniuk literally guides his reader through how to kill and maim others or themselves effectively. In many places, it genuinely reads like a how-to manual.
Major problem B is the shock-value oversaturation. Because the topics are varied, you don't really become desensitized to horrible things, but you certainly start to get there. Let's just have a microcosm of the overkill, though, shall we? I kid you not, Haunted includes accidental child sex, intentional child sex, silicone child sex, someone framed for child sex, and childhood masturbation gone terribly wrong.
So there's that. Then there's execution. Palahniuk is a skilled writer, but he is not a great multiple-perspective writer. In Haunted, he wrote a book that was supposed to feature the perspectives of about 20 characters and the whole book read in one voice. He even ended up with two characters measuring distance in songs on the radio. This is a major, major flaw.
‘Civilization works best when we have a bogeyman.’
Haunted isn't an unintelligent book, and it shines a nasty, uncomfortable light on human nature in all its most horrifying glory. But ultimately, Palahniuk tried to shoehorn 23 semi-true stories, with an irresponsible amount of detail, into a novel and be too clever about it. It doesn't really work.
To create real peace on earth.
Let us all be—
Haunted.
I get where Chuck Palahniuk was going with this book. It bases horror not around the supernatural, but around the darkest sides of human nature. Around our desire to be recognized and satisfied, and the lengths we'll go to reach those aims.
‘There’s something locked in here with us. Is it you?'
I get it. Palahniuk is a strong author with a lot to say, and, in general with his books, he says it well.
This book is a bit of shameless shock value mess. One comes to about three-quarters of the way through this book, and can feel with certainty that this book was written as an outlet and exercise for all different types of shock-twists and disturbing elements (two to three of such tend to appear in a typical Palahniuk book). And then in the afterword, Palahniuk confirms it - this is a book for all those human horror stories that he really wanted to tell, but didn't have another place for.
This book feels like a mistake, both in content and execution.
Let's start with the obvious: the content, which people generally object to with this book. It's fine that it's disgusting. Whatever. If you opened this book not realizing it was going to be horrifyingly gross, please look into your books for half a second before you read them. Major problem A is that there are more than a few chapters that feel a bit ethically irresponsible, as Palahniuk literally guides his reader through how to kill and maim others or themselves effectively. In many places, it genuinely reads like a how-to manual.
Major problem B is the shock-value oversaturation. Because the topics are varied, you don't really become desensitized to horrible things, but you certainly start to get there. Let's just have a microcosm of the overkill, though, shall we? I kid you not, Haunted includes accidental child sex, intentional child sex, silicone child sex, someone framed for child sex, and childhood masturbation gone terribly wrong.
So there's that. Then there's execution. Palahniuk is a skilled writer, but he is not a great multiple-perspective writer. In Haunted, he wrote a book that was supposed to feature the perspectives of about 20 characters and the whole book read in one voice. He even ended up with two characters measuring distance in songs on the radio. This is a major, major flaw.
‘Civilization works best when we have a bogeyman.’
Haunted isn't an unintelligent book, and it shines a nasty, uncomfortable light on human nature in all its most horrifying glory. But ultimately, Palahniuk tried to shoehorn 23 semi-true stories, with an irresponsible amount of detail, into a novel and be too clever about it. It doesn't really work.
To create real peace on earth.
Let us all be—
Haunted.
Disgusting. Horrifying. Read to be made into a movie. This guy is so horrible... but he writes stuff that would make amazing movies. (Well, you've seen Fight Club haven't you?)
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Make sure you're seated when you read Guts.
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated