meanieheadbookreviews 's review for:

Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk

dark tense

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

This is a reread. I first read this in an undergraduate Gothic Literature course. It’s been hanging out on my bookshelf ever since, even though Chuck P annoys me greatly. I wanted to give this another shot because I was considering the option that maybe I just hated boys who idolize Chuck P, not Chuck P himself. Unfortunately, I fear it’s a Chuck P problem. He writes like he’s very pleased with himself, and I have a hard time with it. He’s a good writer. This is well written. But it’s also a bit obnoxious. It’s a collection of short stories within the framework of a larger story about a group of writers locked away on a three month writing retreat with each other. The short stories (all from the POV of a different attendee) are outrageous and absurd and sometimes quite enjoyable. Some are quite traumatizing. This just feels very early OOs hipster. It looks like I will continue to roll my eyes and curse Chuck P. But I acknowledge this is not a terrible book. There is a bit of cannibalism in it, at least.