Haunted: A Novel

I'm a big fan of Chuck Palahniuk's novels. Often starkingly well researched, his novels are usually about every-day-any-day man lashing out on society in an excessive and sometimes violent way. His writing style could be described as minimalistic, using very short and punchy sentences to create realistic imagery in a very warped and fascinating created contemporary world.

In Haunted, Palahniuk creates 19 characters who are introduced to participate in what they thought would be a writer's retreat in paradise. However, they were mislead and were locked away in an abandoned theatre. Without distraction from the outside world, these 19 people had to create their own masterpieces of literature before being let back out again. At first, the group is somewhat accepting and docile of the environment they were forced into, but as time slowly passes and boredom sinks in, these characters think their stories and future fame would be augmented if their living condition would become much direr. They begin to sabotage their living conditions, spoiling their own food and breaking living utilities to greatly increase their suffering while at the same time, continuing to feed their troubled motivation. As they struggle to cope, the stories they write become much more distressing and disturbing to read. Consumed by the lure of glory, they continue to self sabotage their environment to the point where mutilation, suicide, and cannibalism become acceptable.

At the core of Haunted are some twenty short stories written by these desperate characters. Most of them are autobiographies, or retelling of crucial moments in which their personal lives were shaped. Each of them are foretold in a completely different setting and mood to the one preceding, but are usually shared in being twisted, deep, appealing and educational. Another pattern used in each of their stories is transforming an everyday household item into an abstract symbol of horror.

There is a bowling ball which is constantly used in a citywide killing spree, denting in skulls and crushing ribs at each bounce. There is a swimming pool that disembowels its swimmers. There are group of homeopathic Feng Shui experts who use their therapeutic knowledge in a dark way to discreetly assassinate people. There is a rich couple who pretends to be homeless to get over the boredom of having too much money. There is a story where the world discovers Venus to be heaven, so the governments of the world massacre its own citizens in recognition that the human body is now obsolete (my favourite).

What I liked about each story is how much they are self contained. While most are only a few pages long, they do an excellent and fulfilling job of creating its own world, with their own perverse characters, with their own 'hidden' gun at the end. It's like 20 fight club/lullaby tales, striped away to bite-sized nuggets and glossed thoroughly to a bright and everlasting shine.

While the short stories on their own have their own ideas and motives, I found the bigger one to be about the battle of fame. While the pursuit of importance can be gracious and inspiring in certain environments, in others it can be horrifying, monstrous, and inhumane. The thrill of competition and the process of out doing each other can turn people into barbaric animals. It was an entertaining read, Palahniuk has a habit of forcing you to look at everyday objects in a new and exciting way which I always enjoy and give credit to. At times, there were moments where I felt the author got a little too carried away with strong imagery which went a little too far - but these are scattered very lightly. Singled out, these short stories are very profounding and confronting against their own weight, they would make the modern thought provoking camp fire ghost story in which the kids would be too scared to discuss about afterwards. Put together, the main story feels very rushed and feels mostly as a vehicle to weakly connect together the shorter ones in a somewhat linear and neatly contained way.

I would recommend it to any Palahniuk followers, but to first timers, think it'll best to start on a more popular, lesser shocking title to get a feel for his stuff first.

This is my second time reading this ferociously funny and disgusting book. The first time around was 3 years ago when it had just been released and it was the first Chuck book I had ever read. And it got me hooked. Since then I have read almost all of his novels (one left, Survivor is sitting on my shelf). This one is by far his riskiest most creative work. While Fight Club is his hallmark, Haunted is the epitome of his deranged psyche.

What's great about this book is its format. You have the plot (writers retreat, yada yada yada) and interspersed within are these wickedly hysterical stories told by the "writers," or "victims." Each character (each with a clever pseudonym) has a story to tell that defines who they are and what fault they have or what crime they have committed. This story is not suitable for those with weak stomachs and may shock conservative readers. But for Chuck fans, this is Mr. Palahniuk at the top of his game. Highly recommended to anyone who wants an entertaining (however gross) thrill ride.

Incredibly grotesque and fantastic, Palahniuk's story really goes deep into his characters to pick out the darkest parts of them and then weaves all that bleakness and blackness into a novel that actually has something interesting and insightful to say about life.

Each of the characters practically competes to outdo the others in the most horrific and unspeakable acts, yet the author is able to string these events together into not only an intriguing narrative but also the most original piece of fiction I've read in a long time.

I actually had trouble sleeping at night having read this, and that's saying something. But where others might think that a bad thing, I find it remarkable and love the book all the more for it.

I noticed that most of the 1 star reviewers said that they didn't understand the book. But thats probally why the low rating.
Haunted was a facinating, intense story filled to the brim with humor, shock factors, horror and emotion.
This book makes you think and is a complete trip. I loved how it was far-fetched yet so realistic at the same time.
Well worth the twelve buck.

This is a pretty solid read. It is chilling, gripping, thought provoking, and entertaining. A word of caution: this book may induce vomiting. Some of the situations are pretty graphic and Chuck describes them in gory (no pun intended) detail. I found myself having to take breaks here and there to allow my stomach to settle... ENJOY!