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el_viral's review against another edition
3.0
More a three and a half. I found this to be a very mixed bag - some excellent, engaging work and some that just seemed bland. Perhaps the intro is right, and when I come to read it again I will change my mind. Definitely worth a read at any rate!
isnotnull's review
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
gemmaduds's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of twisted short stories, collated and edited by Chuck Palahniuk. As expected, anything that Palahniuk puts his name to is going to be dark, disturbing and should be approached with caution!
This book is nowhere near as horrific as 'Haunted' by the man himself, but the stories all have the ability to make you recoil in horror. At one point (somewhere near the middle) I had to put the book down for a few hours and collect myself (I think it involved a chicken satay stick...). There were one or two more tame additions that allowed time to breathe - and one story near the end I skipped altogether because it just wasn't interesting me. The last tale is as good as the first, and will definitely leave a lasting impression!
Chuck Palahniuk's introduction was very interesting, in particular the quote "Young people want mirrors. Older people want art." The more I think about his comments on reading and re-reading, and growing to love the impression of a book that you didn't enjoy when you actually read it; the more I believe his comments to be true.
If you like the bizarre fiction that Palahniuk throws at us, then you're going to like the short works that he's pulled together for us here too.
This book is nowhere near as horrific as 'Haunted' by the man himself, but the stories all have the ability to make you recoil in horror. At one point (somewhere near the middle) I had to put the book down for a few hours and collect myself (I think it involved a chicken satay stick...). There were one or two more tame additions that allowed time to breathe - and one story near the end I skipped altogether because it just wasn't interesting me. The last tale is as good as the first, and will definitely leave a lasting impression!
Chuck Palahniuk's introduction was very interesting, in particular the quote "Young people want mirrors. Older people want art." The more I think about his comments on reading and re-reading, and growing to love the impression of a book that you didn't enjoy when you actually read it; the more I believe his comments to be true.
If you like the bizarre fiction that Palahniuk throws at us, then you're going to like the short works that he's pulled together for us here too.
erinbarton's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
2.0
unfortunately just didn’t enjoy any of these stories — the majority felt too much like they were emulating palahniuk’s style (unsuccessfully) and a lot of them lacked characterisation and nuance
the concept of a collection of “transgressive” stories probably majorly influenced this, it feels like the main aim was to write a story that was had shocking/taboo content without any real depth to the story. maybe i am just a desensitised reader but none of these were very impactful to me.
the concept of a collection of “transgressive” stories probably majorly influenced this, it feels like the main aim was to write a story that was had shocking/taboo content without any real depth to the story. maybe i am just a desensitised reader but none of these were very impactful to me.
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