Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
Couldn't get into this one at all. Didn't finish, didn't get very far into maybe read one or two of the stories.
Actual rate: 3,65.
Well, to be honest I'm sort of disappointed by the ending because I expected something more spectacular. But anyhow come to think of it again, maybe it is the most coherent ending for a very messed up situation. What else could you expect from people who already lost their ratios and consciences?
Anyway, in spite of its ending I still like this book so much. The gross and sad―almost pathetic―parts are very entertaining, and so are the insane mental conflicts happened between the characters. Palahniuk also put some philosophical(?) wisdoms through the tragedies, i.e, "don't we only know the present reality that we know?", or "This is just what human beings do―turn objects into people, people into objects."
Would I recommend this book? Yes and no. Just like another work of Palahniuk's this one is not everyone's cup of tea, but everyone who loves dark humour/satire will simply love this.
Well, to be honest I'm sort of disappointed by the ending because I expected something more spectacular. But anyhow come to think of it again, maybe it is the most coherent ending for a very messed up situation. What else could you expect from people who already lost their ratios and consciences?
Anyway, in spite of its ending I still like this book so much. The gross and sad―almost pathetic―parts are very entertaining, and so are the insane mental conflicts happened between the characters. Palahniuk also put some philosophical(?) wisdoms through the tragedies, i.e, "don't we only know the present reality that we know?", or "This is just what human beings do―turn objects into people, people into objects."
Would I recommend this book? Yes and no. Just like another work of Palahniuk's this one is not everyone's cup of tea, but everyone who loves dark humour/satire will simply love this.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-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
I started to read Haunted like 10 years ago and was so bored by it, I decided to put it down and come back to it, and now here we are. Unfortunately, I've only grown more nonplussed than I was 10 years ago when it comes to gore (and I was pretty unimpressed to begin with) and I found myself just...not caring. Guts is like THE story people hear about and yeah, it's gross, but that's kind of it. The cover says, "[Chuck Palahniuk is] at his finest - which means his most extreme and his most provocative" which sums up this novel - it's extreme. It's not extremely good, or extremely thought-provoking, or extremely interesting; it's just extreme.
Palahniuk's "Haunted" is a novel unlike any other. A story within a story within a story. Meaning there is a plot in between each short story written by one of the victims on this mysterious writing retreat. I had so much fun meeting this colorful group of characters. The way they are introduced and slowly colored in by their background story made for a fantastic read I will never be able to forget. Of the short stories, "Guts", "Ritual", "The Nightmare Box", "Product Placement", and "Hot Potting" were my favorites. Highly recommend if you like psychological and body horror. And good humor.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
it’s genuinely disgusting
dark
funny
reflective
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:
Yes
I hate this book.
Intrigued, and disgusted, by the phenomenal short story "Guts," I was drawn into reading this book. Little did I know that it wasn't exactly a short story collection, but a novel with a narrative running through it.
That would have been fine, if I didn't absolutely loathe everyone in the book. Even my hatred of the characters would have been fine if I had at least found the narrative interesting. It is not.
None of the short vignettes ever match the quality set out by "Guts," which is so early in the book it sets too high of a bar for everything. Things get real nonsensical by the end, and the payoff just is nonexistent.
I had high expectations for Palahniuk. By reading Haunted first, I have lost any desire to read more by him.
Intrigued, and disgusted, by the phenomenal short story "Guts," I was drawn into reading this book. Little did I know that it wasn't exactly a short story collection, but a novel with a narrative running through it.
That would have been fine, if I didn't absolutely loathe everyone in the book. Even my hatred of the characters would have been fine if I had at least found the narrative interesting. It is not.
None of the short vignettes ever match the quality set out by "Guts," which is so early in the book it sets too high of a bar for everything. Things get real nonsensical by the end, and the payoff just is nonexistent.
I had high expectations for Palahniuk. By reading Haunted first, I have lost any desire to read more by him.
While I found it hard to keep up with the who’s who in this book, the outlandish, freaky, and downright disgusting stories will literally haunt me. One of Palahniuk’s best.