Revolting/Addictive

I have always had a weak stomach and an innate ability to visualize everything. Because of this, you would think that I would not be able to handle the incredibly dark, appalling and extremely vivid writings of Mr. Chuck Palahniuk. He's the guy that wrote Fight Club. Chuck lives in Portland and has taken me by surprise, I have become obsessed with his books.

Having read most of his stuff like Invisible Monsters, Choke, Lullaby, Fugitives and Refugees and Stranger Than Fiction, I thought that nothing that Chuck wrote would ever surprise me again.

I was wrong.

A co-worker came in the other day and held up Chuck's latest oddity: Haunted. It's a collection of 23 horrifying, hilarious and stomach-churning stories. The cover, as if not creepy enough in daylight, actually glows in the dark. Apparently, when Chuck did a reading from Haunted at the local Powell's Books , several men actually passed out. Fainted! I had to find out why.

Oh lordie. I can't even type it. It made me slightly queasy, although I certainly did not feel the need to be unconscious. But I can totally understand the shock if you didn't see it coming. If you come to a Chuck Palahniuk book reading, you need to be prepared to be shocked. And grossed out. And appalled. I'm talking colons and candle wax, people. And for some reason I keep reading.

3 comments:

Christine said...

OMG I tried to listen to this book on tape. I just couldn't keep going - I was gagging at the part in the swimming pool.

That's funny that you really like his books despite your weak tummy...maybe not so weak after all! You can send Chuck Palahniuk a thank you note when you graduate from med school.

minijonb said...

I love Palahniuk... but I stopped reading him after Fight Club and Choke. I loved those two novels, and I listened to Stranger Than Fiction on tape, but I'm not sure I'm ready for the shocking level of shock-shock-shock in this new book.

...I keep having this recurring thought that I crossed paths with him while I was living in PDX... you know, saw him at Powell's while he was "researching" a topic or something like that =:-)

Anonymous said...

This is a badass book! Hilarious and oh so disgusting.