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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
dark
sad
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
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hmmmm
I am never disappointed by a Chuck Palahniuk book, and this is no exception. If anything, I was too fulfilled by it. In high school I decided I would set out on a quest to read some of the most messed up books I could find, and this was one that made the list. Unfortunately I stopped reading for a while and never got to this book. I picked it up, thinking that it would make a great addition to my spooky book lineup for September/October. This was the first one I read, and I think it was an interesting look at what real "horror" feels like sometimes. This book was not terrifying in a way that I imagined, but gruesome and grizzly. It would be a disservice if I did not warn those with weak stomachs to put this book back on the shelf and look for something else. As always, Palahniuk doesn't hold back on the fucked up details and describes human nature so well it feels almost embarrassing he knows you so well. I'm dazzled by his ability to create characters with so much depth, and how he can just switch from writing in his own voice to the completely different one of somebody else who lives inside of him.
I was reading this book while waiting for my oil change and the mechanic asked me what book I was reading. How am I supposed to explain all this to an innocent man?
Where do I begin?
A group of freak authors attend a writers retreat and chaos ensues. The characters in this book are some of the most unlikable, twisted and deranged people I have ever read about. Somehow Palahniuk managed to pull an immense sense of humanity and tenderness out of them. Cora Reynolds backstory, which is explored in the short story Exodus will always stay with me. I had read about people fainting after reading Guts, but I found it to be one of the least disturbing stories in this compilation. Shoo-rook!!! deducted one star for animal cruelty (was hoping Palahniuk would be the exception when including a cat in a horror setting), and also that super unnecessary story about the “safe space for women only”, the book could’ve gone without it. This book is not for the faint of heart, but It has earned a space in my top 10, will be reading more Palahniuk in the future!
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
this book is difficult to review. did i enjoy it? yeah, sort of. did i "enjoy" the experience of reading it? no, not really. but i understood why. if i could sum up in one word: disgusting. being able to sit in your own disgust and horror is a good skill to develop, so thanks chuck, this was a pretty extensive immunisation.
i am not going to add content warnings as i'm sure others have already discussed, but when i say basically everything under the sun, please believe me.
i am not going to add content warnings as i'm sure others have already discussed, but when i say basically everything under the sun, please believe me.
challenging
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated