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A review by pvulibx
Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk
4.0
If the word "enjoy" were fitting, I’d say I enjoyed this book. However, I don’t think it is an appropriate word to use while talking about "Haunted".
"Haunted" is not enjoyable. It is shocking, ugly, disgusting, and unbearable. It shows the human mind in its most terrifying state. How greed and the need for attention can transform people into monsters far removed from reality.
I love Palahniuk's writing style, his ideas, and his unrelenting between-the-lines critique of society and all that it entails.
"It’s nothing personal when bombs explode."
"It almost didn’t seem to matter, how the picture looked. What made it art, a masterpiece, that seemed to depend on where it hung… how rich the frame looked… and what other work it hung beside."
"'What will you do today?' asks the Missing Link. 'How will
you justify it?'
That Mountain of dead animals and ancestors on which you stand?."
After the first few pages (read: after I read "Guts") I feared "Fight Club" was a stroke of luck, a one-time success, and that "Haunted" would be a huge disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a sensitive reader, and "Guts" is (sadly) not the most disgusting I’ve ever read. My problem was, it reminded me too much of "Woom" by Duncan Ralston which was, to me, a pointless concatenation of disgusting things one as myself doesn’t want to read about. Fortunately, the other stories were different. They weren’t tame by any means, but you were at least able to see the point Palahniuk was trying to make. Because, if I understand correctly, Palahniuk wrote "Guts" just to be able to share those three very disturbing (apparently true) instances.
All in all, the idea and format of this book were innovative and fun. It was a journey in itself to learn about the different characters and their past. What they did to themselves, what they did to others. I’m not sure if I’d recommend this book to anyone, you’d just have to feel ready for all its shades of disgustingness. You should be aware that Chuck Palahniuk's books are not for everyone. For me, I can say I kept thinking about this book while I was not reading it. I wanted to keep reading and reading, and it was worth it, imo.
As always with short story collections, some stories are brilliant, some not so much so.
"Haunted" is not enjoyable. It is shocking, ugly, disgusting, and unbearable. It shows the human mind in its most terrifying state. How greed and the need for attention can transform people into monsters far removed from reality.
I love Palahniuk's writing style, his ideas, and his unrelenting between-the-lines critique of society and all that it entails.
"It’s nothing personal when bombs explode."
"It almost didn’t seem to matter, how the picture looked. What made it art, a masterpiece, that seemed to depend on where it hung… how rich the frame looked… and what other work it hung beside."
"'What will you do today?' asks the Missing Link. 'How will
you justify it?'
That Mountain of dead animals and ancestors on which you stand?."
After the first few pages (read: after I read "Guts") I feared "Fight Club" was a stroke of luck, a one-time success, and that "Haunted" would be a huge disappointment. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a sensitive reader, and "Guts" is (sadly) not the most disgusting I’ve ever read. My problem was, it reminded me too much of "Woom" by Duncan Ralston which was, to me, a pointless concatenation of disgusting things one as myself doesn’t want to read about. Fortunately, the other stories were different. They weren’t tame by any means, but you were at least able to see the point Palahniuk was trying to make. Because, if I understand correctly, Palahniuk wrote "Guts" just to be able to share those three very disturbing (apparently true) instances.
All in all, the idea and format of this book were innovative and fun. It was a journey in itself to learn about the different characters and their past. What they did to themselves, what they did to others. I’m not sure if I’d recommend this book to anyone, you’d just have to feel ready for all its shades of disgustingness. You should be aware that Chuck Palahniuk's books are not for everyone. For me, I can say I kept thinking about this book while I was not reading it. I wanted to keep reading and reading, and it was worth it, imo.
As always with short story collections, some stories are brilliant, some not so much so.