Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The first story was absolutely shocking, disgusting, disturbing, and kinda hilarious. Perverted and extreme and made me nauseous. But “guts” was the only story I even remotely enjoyed in here. I think it sets an incredibly misleading tone for the rest of the book since it’s the first story.
The second story keeps traction and is entertaining. But after that I’m absolutely snoring.
The use of nicknames also really threw me off and made it harder to remember characteristics for some reason. Especially with such a large cast of characters.
Just no. I get what it wanted to do. But the stories were a snooze and I skimmed most of the main plot because I did not care.
How you can make something so dramatic and so boring at the same time takes skill.
The stories were supposed to get more intense and they increasingly made me want to dnf lol. I only finished this because I went to visit family and needed an escape.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Emblazoned across the front page of my pre-owned copy of Haunted in sentimental cursive, a note:
26 Dec 06
Merry Christmas to Peter
From
Dad + Mom
A heartwarming holiday present. (Judging by the nearly pristine condition of the book, Peter probably never made it past Guts.) The irony is palpable as the book's tone is anything but heartfelt - it's unsettling, bleak, and introspective in a way that might make a reader question the nature of the inscription itself. Perhaps this explains why a special gift from mom and pops found its way into the used bargain bin and into my very welcoming home? Either way, I’m sure glad it did as I shamelessly enjoyed this absolute gritty fucked up gem. I can’t count the amount of nervous giggles that escaped me while navigating through this offensively delightful journey. And last but not least I learned what a Karman Cannula is!
Anyhow, there’s a bit to unpack here, so keeping with Haunted’s tradition:
A Fragile Truth
A Poem About Chuck Palahniuk’s Haunted
This book is not a place for comfort,
not a home,
but a gutted house of mirrors
reflecting all the things we never want to see.
Palahniuk doesn’t whisper
he shouts the ugly, the twisted,
the parts of humanity we bury
beneath our polished skin.
A group of strangers,
locked in a room,
but it’s not the walls that close in,
it’s the weight of their own stories,
the secrets they’d rather die than admit,
the lies they’ve convinced themselves
are true.
It’s sharp, jagged,
like stepping on glass,
but you can’t look away.
Each tale is a slow unraveling,
a confession too raw to make in daylight
but here, in the dark,
we are all monsters,
all victims,
all desperate to be seen
and yet terrified to be known.
The prose is cruel,
cutting through the thick skin of comfort,
forcing us to confront the worst parts of ourselves,
our desires,
our shame,
our hunger for destruction.
And yet,
there is something strangely beautiful
in how Palahniuk dances with the grotesque.
In the madness,
there’s clarity
in the chaos,
a fragile truth.
But when the last page turns,
you're left with the feeling
that perhaps the real horror
is not what’s written,
but what’s left unwritten.
We are all haunted,
by our own stories,
and the ones we refuse to tell.
Haunted
A Review by Eden Prosper
This novel is not for the feint of heart. The book itself is a collection of interconnected short stories following a group of 23 writers who are lured into a secluded mansion under the guise of a writing retreat. As they participate in increasingly disturbing and self-destructive challenges, they reveal their deepest secrets and darkest traumas, both to each other and to the reader. The narrative unfolds through a series of fragmented, interwoven stories, revealing the characters' pasts and motivations.
26 Dec 06
Merry Christmas to Peter
From
Dad + Mom
A heartwarming holiday present. (Judging by the nearly pristine condition of the book, Peter probably never made it past Guts.) The irony is palpable as the book's tone is anything but heartfelt - it's unsettling, bleak, and introspective in a way that might make a reader question the nature of the inscription itself. Perhaps this explains why a special gift from mom and pops found its way into the used bargain bin and into my very welcoming home? Either way, I’m sure glad it did as I shamelessly enjoyed this absolute gritty fucked up gem. I can’t count the amount of nervous giggles that escaped me while navigating through this offensively delightful journey. And last but not least I learned what a Karman Cannula is!
Anyhow, there’s a bit to unpack here, so keeping with Haunted’s tradition:
A Fragile Truth
A Poem About Chuck Palahniuk’s Haunted
This book is not a place for comfort,
not a home,
but a gutted house of mirrors
reflecting all the things we never want to see.
Palahniuk doesn’t whisper
he shouts the ugly, the twisted,
the parts of humanity we bury
beneath our polished skin.
A group of strangers,
locked in a room,
but it’s not the walls that close in,
it’s the weight of their own stories,
the secrets they’d rather die than admit,
the lies they’ve convinced themselves
are true.
It’s sharp, jagged,
like stepping on glass,
but you can’t look away.
Each tale is a slow unraveling,
a confession too raw to make in daylight
but here, in the dark,
we are all monsters,
all victims,
all desperate to be seen
and yet terrified to be known.
The prose is cruel,
cutting through the thick skin of comfort,
forcing us to confront the worst parts of ourselves,
our desires,
our shame,
our hunger for destruction.
And yet,
there is something strangely beautiful
in how Palahniuk dances with the grotesque.
In the madness,
there’s clarity
in the chaos,
a fragile truth.
But when the last page turns,
you're left with the feeling
that perhaps the real horror
is not what’s written,
but what’s left unwritten.
We are all haunted,
by our own stories,
and the ones we refuse to tell.
Haunted
A Review by Eden Prosper
This novel is not for the feint of heart. The book itself is a collection of interconnected short stories following a group of 23 writers who are lured into a secluded mansion under the guise of a writing retreat. As they participate in increasingly disturbing and self-destructive challenges, they reveal their deepest secrets and darkest traumas, both to each other and to the reader. The narrative unfolds through a series of fragmented, interwoven stories, revealing the characters' pasts and motivations.
“Every apostle or disciple, as much as they’re running to follow their savior - they’re running just as hard to escape something else.” - page 136
The novel explores how individuals often create their own suffering in pursuit of validation, recognition, and self-reinvention, reflecting a deep critique of modern society's obsession with superficiality and spectacle.
The characters themselves are at once deeply flawed yet fascinating in their complexity. Palahniuk doesn’t shy away from exposing their darkest desires, yet there is an element of empathy for their suffering, particularly in how they are shaped by their need for validation. The novel’s exploration of the absurdity of fame and human suffering feels both timely and timeless, holding a mirror up to the voyeuristic nature of modern society.
Palahniuk’s use of fragmented, minimalist sentences creates a sense of disorientation and immediacy. The structure is unconventional, and the style often blunt and direct, deliberately avoiding flowery or intricate language in favor of stark realism and emotional impact. I feel that this choice mirrors the characters' inner turmoil and the dark, desperate circumstances they find themselves in. There’s a sense of claustrophobia and desperation that adds to the tension and allure.
The poems are also dark, raw, and experimental, blending elements of confessional poetry, surrealism, and stark imagery. Some poems adopt a narrative style, telling stories through the voices of different characters. Others are more abstract or “stream-of-consciousness”, reflecting the characters' inner turmoil and the eerie, disjointed atmosphere of the book. For the most part, the poetry mirrors the disturbing and chaotic nature of the novel, often conveying a spiraling sense of madness and emotional fragmentation.
On a broader level, Haunted serves as a satire of modern society's obsession with consumption, spectacle, and the grotesque. It puts a spotlight on the media-driven culture that elevates sensationalism and suffering to the level of entertainment. The characters, through their participation in the mansion's dehumanizing rituals, are emblematic of people in a society that commodifies pain for profit and voyeuristic enjoyment. Palahniuk underscores how society itself is complicit in this cycle of exploitation, turning human suffering into a form of entertainment.
However, Palahniuk’s reliance on extreme shock tactics, the constant barrage of violence, self-mutilation, and monstrous imagery (while thematically linked to the characters’ search for meaning) can feel overwhelming and gratuitous, and may alienate those who seek a more nuanced or intelligible reading experience. The novel’s dark and cynical worldview, combined with its relentless focus on the grotesque, may leave some feeling as though the book is more interested in shocking its audience than offering meaningful commentary.
You’re not human if this book doesn’t disgust, offend, outrage, horrify, intrigue and amuse you. If you’re of the risk-taking ilk and want to see how far you can push your boundaries on tolerance, by golly read this masterpiece!
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hated this. It was such a struggle to get through, not because of the gruesome horror, but because it was boring.
This was clearly written by a man. Or more-so a teenage boy in a man's body. Not a single story exists in this book without the mention of sex, tits, or dicks - as if that's the most shocking think Chuck can muster. The overarching book to connect the poems and short stories made no sense.
All around, bad. Would never recommend to anyone I liked.
This was clearly written by a man. Or more-so a teenage boy in a man's body. Not a single story exists in this book without the mention of sex, tits, or dicks - as if that's the most shocking think Chuck can muster. The overarching book to connect the poems and short stories made no sense.
All around, bad. Would never recommend to anyone I liked.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Transphobia, Blood, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail
actual rating: 2.5
I really liked the parts of this that focused on the people who were at the 'writer's retreat' and what they were actually doing and honestly would have given this five stars if it had been a novella/short story that was just about that but all the short stories that they were writing [and that were kind of supposed to be about them also?] were just exhausting to get through. I love edgy 90s bullshit as much as the next person but this was just a total overload. Also I think the only stories that were really 'necessary' to get what was going on in the overarching thread of the story were the ones of the man and woman that locked them up so like ...really good idea but the stories were just a slog to get through. Even though most of them really were excellent social commentary I just found myself groaning after the fourth or fifth one like 'really, we're really gonna do this again?'
I really liked the parts of this that focused on the people who were at the 'writer's retreat' and what they were actually doing and honestly would have given this five stars if it had been a novella/short story that was just about that but all the short stories that they were writing [and that were kind of supposed to be about them also?] were just exhausting to get through. I love edgy 90s bullshit as much as the next person but this was just a total overload. Also I think the only stories that were really 'necessary' to get what was going on in the overarching thread of the story were the ones of the man and woman that locked them up so like ...really good idea but the stories were just a slog to get through. Even though most of them really were excellent social commentary I just found myself groaning after the fourth or fifth one like 'really, we're really gonna do this again?'
Even years later the stories in this book have stayed with me and buried their way into a dark corner of my psyche from which they occasionally make a random appearance.
Horrible, nunca conecté con los personajes ni con el libro...
This one just ended up being too much for me. I could barely get through it and had to take a hiatus for a month in the middle.
I started off really liking this one but it lost me somewhere along the way. Don't get me wrong, most of the stories were interesting and really well-written, however, after a certain point the main narrative felt repetitive and many times I thought the book would have been better if it was half the length. That being said, I enjoyed it much more than "Choke" or "Fight Club", though I got slightly bored with it towards the end.