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nastia_'s review against another edition
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? It's complicated
4.75
pondjscum's review against another edition
4.0
long story short: i Really liked some of the stories and others didn’t really vibe with me as much. palahniuk is still my fav though and there lines in this that i had to write down because they really hit me.
readbyashleyd's review against another edition
1.0
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.
_ilizarbe's review against another edition
4.0
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.
lauracecala's review against another edition
3.0
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.
roe_'s review against another edition
3.0
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!
drywit's review against another edition
3.0
Didn't love as much as Haunted, which is another short story collection by Palahniuk.
But there were a handful of good stories in this one. I particularly loved Phoenix. Even after finishing the anthology, it remained the only story that stood out to me.
But there were a handful of good stories in this one. I particularly loved Phoenix. Even after finishing the anthology, it remained the only story that stood out to me.
botrap's review against another edition
4.0
Stories to make you queasy and haunt your perspectives of society. I liked them.
loonyboi's review against another edition
5.0
An excellent collection of short stories by Palahniuk. They're not all great - the Fight Club prequel "Expedition" is a surprising miss - but there are enough hits here to heartily recommend this book. I'd say this is a better collection than [b:Haunted|22288|Haunted|Chuck Palahniuk|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1391152326s/22288.jpg|1602272], if only because it lacks that book's forced (and really unpleasant) connecting narrative.
just_fighting_censorship's review against another edition
3.0
Some of these stories are great, many of them are disgusting, ALL of them are disturbing.
My favorite stories where Torcher, CSI meets Burning Man, and the novella Inclinations about boys that pretend to be gay to get sent to a "rehab"...spoiler they regret that choice.
As far as the audio narration....Chuck Palahniuk needs to stop. Please do not read your own stories. Your monotone California inflection is droning and distracting.
Overall, I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to anyone because I did almost vomit during one of the stories (Cannibal). READER beware you are in for....something dark, twisted, and gross.
My favorite stories where Torcher, CSI meets Burning Man, and the novella Inclinations about boys that pretend to be gay to get sent to a "rehab"...spoiler they regret that choice.
As far as the audio narration....Chuck Palahniuk needs to stop. Please do not read your own stories. Your monotone California inflection is droning and distracting.
Overall, I cannot in good conscience recommend this book to anyone because I did almost vomit during one of the stories (Cannibal). READER beware you are in for....something dark, twisted, and gross.