You know, I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book...its' a "collection" of supposed short stories written by people "trapped" at a writers retreat...people who reveal as the book goes on that they have no good reason to continue to live...their individual lives are a mess and most of them are, in fact, murderers of one sort or another. Instead of looking for an atmosphere to create as a writer, they spend their time sabotaging the food, heat, washer, and toilets...then mutilate themselves and each other. It's a disturbing look into the human psyche through the eyes of people already living and behaving beyond what most of us would consider normal, they've all already broken that barrier...so how far will they go to be the best survivor of the bunch? Deeply disturbing. I haven't read anything else by Palahniuk (this being my first...and no, I have not read Fight Club though I did see the movie). I had a really hard time getting into this one. It does push the envelope and makes with the uncomfortable-ness (a LOT). Overall, interesting but also dark, disturbing, and extremely gross...I give it a solid B.

This book is definitely not for the conservative populace, minors, or your grandmother with the heart problem. This novel goes farther than anything Palahniuk has ever written as far as guts, sex, murder, and the ever-tasty cannibalism. If you're a fan of his, then I shouldn't even have to tell you to read this; it should already be in your library! If not, then you'd better have a strong stomach, flexible morals, and a fondness for the bizarre, because this book is one crazy surprise after another that will leave your jaw hanging as you utter the words, "I CANNOT believe he just went there!"

I am into all kinds of horror. I found this book by accident in my local library. I have to say, this book is very graphic, even for me. I found the short stories for the most part could hold my attention and get me to keep reading-at times I could not put the book down. The background story of a writer's retreat in which the characters are being kept held against their will I found a little weak. I found it hard to keep track of who everyone was as pseudonyms were used instead of names. Each wrote their own story, and some more than one. Some were better than others. As a writer, I thought I was twisted-not as twisted as Palahniuk though. The last story was a sort of afterword where the author kept tooting his own horn on how people fainted everywhere he read his story, "Guts". Yes, it was disturbing, but I don't believe him. He also said all of the stories were based on people he has encountered. I also find that hard to believe, especially in the case of the rich people becoming homeless on purpose.

All in all, it was a good read and it kept me on the edge of my seat at times, but it also disappointed-especially in the use of cannibalism, which I think is overused, and in this case, unnecessary. It smacks of too many late night horror movies-people being kidnapped and then eating eachother. That the characters wanted to stay and kept lopping off limbs to do it was also hard to swallow(so to speak).

If you like horror that is not the typical, Steven King variety, you will certainly like this book, but be warned, don't read it while you eat if you have a weak stomach.

This is the first (and currently only) book which I have read from Chuck Palahniuk. Having many friends who have read his previous works, I saw this cover, saw the name, and decided this will by introduction into his realm. Bad idea.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed his writing style, I heartly disliked the outline of the book - short stories within a novel. Every other chapter is a short story written by one of the characters in the novel, a neat premise. Unfortunately, any horror or shocking feature each tale offers is then lost to this premise. Also, the main novel isn't that exciting either, a little twisted, but the story is something I have read before.

My suggestion to this book, buy it (actually, borrow it) and only read the short stories and stay away from main novel. If Palahniuk did this, each story would have had a far more powerful impact upon the reader. Only then, go back and read the novel if you are really curious about what happened to each character.

This novel just does not measure up to previous works. It is contrived and shallow (as are the characters). I got very bored reading this and actually stopped somewhere near the ending (and, to hit the point home to strangers.... when I was younger, I read every book in my house including my mother's medical texts). However, I could not finish this work.

Haunted:A Novel by Chuck Palahniuk ****

Whether you love him or hate him or must admit that Chuck P is without a doubt the most creative writer of our time; Haunted is very creative. The plot is not really a plot but yet it is. We find a group of 'writers' who go to what they think is a three month or so work shop to help them write their masterpiece, but what they find once they are their is that they are being held captive for what seems like forever. Once this is realized the 'guests' decide their masterpiece should be about this experience and try to make it as outrageous as they can. Mutilation, dismemberment, masturbation, murder, suicide, manslaughter, animal rituals(? maybe), and just about anything else that Upchuck thought he would include in this story of story's within the story. By the way this is not for the squeamish, but then none of his work is really. Though it does become stale in a some places, especially about three fourths through, but that is okay because then it picks up greatly.

As the book begins to come to a close we realize this is merely a tale of humanity and it's obsession with pain and punishment. Whether we want to admit it or not according to the narrator and Mr. Whitteir in the story (not the same person) we all love misery. This is a great novel that all fans of Chuck 'upchuck' Palahniuk will enjoy.

I was mildly grossed-out by a couple of the items, but more than that I was disturbed that the book was just....BAD. Pretentious, full of itself and just plain bad.

I can't see myself ever reading another Palahniuk novel.

I found myself loving the backstories of the characters more than I did the main storyline. It's a collection of stories linked by a common thread, yet in a way, it could've worked as individual short stories. The individual stories of the participants themselves are not for the squeamish. It's almost like a snuff film for the mind.

Anyone who likes the format of the TV show "Lost," will like the backstory/flashback element of this novel. It takes the format and pushes it beyond even cable TV standards, giving the reader an uncomfortable edge each time you read another thread.

But that's why I loved it. It's an unabashed look at the darkside of the human mind and the horrors some of us go through in the past and the horrors we are willing to commit to gain something. It's that dark thing that some of us hide so that when other people hear it, makes our lives seem not so bad. As its title suggests, it's a "haunting" look into the human psyche and will stick with you long after you close the book.

This book made me sick. Literally. I had read about 3/5 of it when I got so nauseous and dizzy that I had to put it down once and for all.

Having said that, there was a reason I got as far as I did. I couldn't put it down. I'm just a wimp and couldn't take it anymore. If you have a strong stomach, go for it!

The razor blades in the doll did it for me. *Shudder*

This book has an interesting concept, but unfortunately it isn't executed well. It's overhanded attempt at satire is unfortunate, especially from someone who has shown themselves to be quite talanted.

If you like your reality amok, try The Game, Dead Famous, and Rabid: A Novel, in addition to Chuck's Amok Deep-Fried Ducks.

Chuck loves his blood, gore, and piss, and these all dump like scalding coffee out of an upended catering vat through this book. The stories of each of the writers locked up in Big Brother lockdown is gruesome.

Damn, but this book is fine.

The Bookeater!

I typically enjoy reading short stories, and this is a pretty good,
if somewhat uneven collection. The goal of some of them (particularly
the frame story) seems to be little more than to shock. And while
this is accomplished relatively well, there is something more to
a number of the stories.

One does have to admire Palahniuk's craft. The structure of most
stories and the narration is masterful. The first story stands out
in this regard. After all these are just words on paper, and not that
many words at that. And yet, the story is as disquieting as anything
I have seen on television or film.

While none of the other stories achieve this intensity, they are all
disturbing in their own way. And that is probably the main shortcoming
of the book - one does ask whether Palahniuk really used his prodigious talents
only to show that he can disgust us in 25 different ways?

Definitely a 5-star. This story made me retch. Gag. Love. Hate. Feel contempt. Feel Compassion...WOW. I loved the twists and turns, and plan on re-reading this one. It was too tough to put down!

Chuck Palahniuk is a brilliant writer. This was not his best book, but it is very good. It's still worth the read. Some of the stories in it could be some of his best, but the book in itself is not.
GUTS is amazing, and my favorite is probably The Nightmare Box.

This book isn't Palahniuk's best, but it is still a great book as far as book standard's go. It is like reading a horror movie. Since it is composed of short stories, it is hard to have the attachment with the characters like in the other books by Chuck, but this book is still a good book. It is not for the faint of heart, as some pretty horrible stuff goes down, but it is still tight if you have a stomach for the situation they are in. Anyways, read it. It is a good book.

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!

Critiquing Chuck Palahniuk feels like sacrilege. He is without question one of the most gifted authors of his generation. Palahniuk is brimming with so much natural talent that he could probably turn the minutes of a knitting club meeting into a best-seller. I have previously read three of Palahniuk's novels, including Choke, Survivor and Fight Club and thoroughly enjoyed his writing, characterisation and insight.

Haunted, however, just doesn't measure up to his other work. Whilst I am sure many people will take issue with the disjointed book format, my beef is with the content itself. The problem isn't that Palahniuk explores the extreme boundaries of bad taste, it's that there is something inherently contrived in his attempts to do so. Whether it's the story of the cook who turns himself into a soup in a hot spring or the detailed description of the decomposition process of one character's daughter, one simply gets the feeling that shock take precedence over the more laudable aspects of Palahniuk's writing.

I never felt really shocked or disgusted anyway, just disappointed that the whole premise of the book had been overextended by such a brilliant author. Characters who will self-mutilate for fame by ripping off their own fingernails just aren't that believable. By exaggerating what people are capable of Palahniuk loses any sense of credible motivation in his characters - he crosses the line drawn by Rabelaisian satire and ventures into downright B-Grade schlock horror garbage.

Having said all that, anything written by Palahniuk is worth a read purely for his talents as a descriptive writer. However, with several other hilarious, thought provoking titles to his credit I believe my money would have been better spent on any other of his books.

My first Palahniuk novel was "Diary," which I really enjoyed. Next, I read "Invisible Monsters," which I loved. Palahniuk has been my go-to author when I don't have anything else I want to read, and I thought I'd eventually read everything of his. I bought "Haunted" with "Choke," and I started with "Haunted." I wish I'd read "Choke" first, because now I'm Palahniuked out.

It seems to me that Palahniuk is trying too hard to shock the reader in this one, and that's confirmed by his afterword, which strikes me as nothing more than a gloating tally of all the people who've fainted during his readings of the short story "Guts." Yes, "Guts" is gross (while also being very entertaining; I'll give him credit where credit is due), but fainting? Come on. Palahniuk fans have a much stronger constitution than that.

I agree with other reviewers: This book would have worked much better as a collection of short stories. The narrative tying everything together is fairly dull and not at all compelling. I found myself not caring one bit about what happens next; I just wanted to get to the next story. And the poems were really just a waste of space. On top of everything else (and maybe this is just the professional copy editor in me), Palahniuk's signature sentence structure becomes extremely annoying here, especially since this novel is supposed to comprise stories written by different people. If you're going to attempt such an undertaking, at least make an effort to vary the voice and make each story sound like it was written by a different author.

On a positive note, I do appreciate the commentary on the lengths to which stupid people will go to be famous and the reality-TV culture that has inspired such a mind-set, and there are some funny moments. But this novel just left me with such a sour taste in my mouth, I'm going to have to read a few books by other authors before tackling "Choke," even knowing it's one of Palahniuk's best.

While the editorials talk of a cohesive tale with narratives entwined, a book with 23 shorts in it, 23 poems, and something trying to draw them all together. At first this seemed great because the shorts were a tale within a tale and everything seemed to be going somewhere. The characters and their "titles" seemed to fit really well and some of the "quirks" established in them were interesting. The problem was that this quickly faded and the thing holding them together started to unravel.
Nothing happened.

Had the book been a collection of shorts, it would have been a lot better. Still, there was the issue of connection and the issue that a lot of time was spent on the subject. When this started to drone on in some character's personalized view of the world it took away from the tales scattered here and there, and when the page hit about 300 of the 400 I wanted to ask, "why?" That was what perplexed me; if it had been a book of short stories, would it have been viewed as "better?" One can find two gems in a book of nothing more and think they have jewelry, after all. Still, this was different.

I wanted to like this book and put off reviewing it for a long time to see if my perspective would shift. Sometimes that happens with books and, with Chuck P., I thought the benefit of the doubt would be worth giving. Time is sadly not the salve for all wounds and sometimes doesn't make you like something when you return, expecting better.
Maybe that's the saddest lesson I learn time and again from authors I really like.

While I have enjoyed many of Chuck Palahniuk's books (particularly "Lullaby" and "Diary"), "Haunted" is just plain bad. The short stories almost labor to reach a conclusion, and the connecting narrative is ridiculous after the first few chapters.

Chuck Palahniuk is a very good writer, but this book is not up to standards. If you are looking for a Palahniuk book to read try Fight Club, or Survivor, or Lullaby, or Diary, but not Haunted.

I personally love this book. it is my favorite by palahniuk. the plot is a little dull but the short stories are pure, skillful genious. be warned, some stories are morally disturbing.

I had to read this book for an English class... Yeah, it definitely gives you a good look into the human psyche... But that's not what I was looking for nor was it what I expected.

If you are into tales of mental perversion, graphically described details of sex and bloody injuries, then this book is for you. Many people call this a horror novel but I don't think it's a horror nor is it scary. It's simply disgusting and gross. I think under-developed high schoolers may like it.

I had to read this book for an English class... Yeah, it definitely gives you a good look into the human psyche... But that's not what I was looking for nor was it what I expected.

If you are into tales of mental perversion, graphically described details of sex and bloody injuries, then this book is for you. Many people call this a horror novel but I don't think it's a horror nor is it scary. It's simply disgusting and gross. I think under-developed high schoolers may like it.

This book is sorry and pointless. I've read six of Chuck's novels because I read good and bad writers for the fun of the pain. It's horrible. Haunted doesn't have a point, and it seeks to disturb, as if society hasn't desensitized us enough. We are not able to be shocked anymore, so stories glorifying guts for gut's sake are pointless.

You can always tell when someone is writing a book just to be artsy. What was great about Fight Club, Choke and Diary is that they were simply written and could be enjoyed. With Haunted he seemed to go out of his way to make this book unenjoyable to read. Take Catcher in the Rye, a great book, maybe one of the best, and yet any 8 year old could make their way through it. A book does not have to be wordy and written in a style that makes your head hurt. There are so many people that read books like this only so that they can brag about reading them and put up a front that they are far more intellegent then anyone else. Give me a book that I want to read, and enjoy reading anytime.

First let me start by saying that I am a fan of Chuck Palahniuk and find most of his satirical, grossly creative material refreshing and amusing. I was intrigued by Fight Club, entertained by Survivor, and hooked after Choke. Compared to his other work, Haunted falls very short.
If you've read any of his previous novels, you're already expecting to be grossed out and entertained by absurd characters in disturbing situations. While Haunted succeeds in that aspect, it lacks Chuck's usual quick wit and clever storytelling. The story starts off very promising with an awesome openning short story and some interesting characters. The characters are developed well through the poems and bizarre short stories, but never seem to progress the main plot. The cannibolism and sabotage comes way too early and the rest of the story gets boring from there. The twist near the end was predictable and left me with a headache after being hit several times over the head with the story's obvious message. Although a few of the short stories, mainly Guts, were entertaining and pleasing to read, I feel the story as a whole was pretty weak.

Reading this was very much like peeling an onion - after every layer, there is yet another. Like onions, some people are sensitive... and this is truely eye watering material. Chuck writes a story that isn't for the faint of heart.

There are a collection of "personal" short stories written by the principal charachters within the book, and each story reveals darker and darker avenues of the human psyche. At various turns the stories disgusting, amusing, disturbing, joyfully macabre, sad and just plain eerie. The characters themselves? Pushed by greed, fear, love, and some indescribable. This isn't a traditional ghost story - the charachters themselves carry all the ghosts and demons they require.

With every successive story, the compulsion to find out just what everyones secrets are becomes more and more pressing. "All hope abandon, ye who enter here."

This is by far the most disturbing Palahniuk book I have ever read. No, this is the MOST DISTURBING book I have EVER READ! Every story gets more twisted and sinister as the people take turns telling their tales. The plot of the book is something you would expect from Palahniuk's mind.(think of the show survivor, but sinister and downright wrong!) If you want moments that you tense up certain parts of your body, or moments when you think you might lose your recently eaten meal, pick up this novel. It's my favorite by Palahniuk and on my top 5 list for sure. GUTS!

Fame and the price that we will pay for it, that is the only way to truly characterize this book. The characters set out for what is supposed to be a writer's retreat where they are asked to "give up" 3 months of their lives. In the end, they give up more than that.

The book describes this writer's retreat and is broken up by short stories written by the various writers at the retreat.

This book is sickening, funny, entertaining, thought provoking and most of all real. Of all the books that Chuck Palhnuik has written in the last few years, this one is probably the most real in terms of characters, their actions and their reactions. I truly believed, while reading this book, that what was transpired could be something we would see on tv.

What made this book for me was not only the realism, but the character study. The fact that we all have things that we are hiding from and the things that we will believe and the price we are willing to pay for fame. That is truly what this story is about.

This is a very good read. While some of the short stories may disengage the reader, overall the story and writing are well done.

I am glad to say that this book brings back the Chuck that I became so enamored with when reading Survivor, Fight Club and Choke.

Fame and the price that we will pay for it, that is the only way to truly characterize this book. The characters set out for what is supposed to be a writer's retreat where they are asked to "give up" 3 months of their lives. In the end, they give up more than that.

The book describes this writer's retreat and is broken up by short stories written by the various writers at the retreat.

This book is sickening, funny, entertaining, thought provoking and most of all real. Of all the books that Chuck Palhnuik has written in the last few years, this one is probably the most real in terms of characters, their actions and their reactions. I truly believed, while reading this book, that what was transpired could be something we would see on tv.

What made this book for me was not only the realism, but the character study. The fact that we all have things that we are hiding from and the things that we will believe and the price we are willing to pay for fame. That is truly what this story is about.

This is a very good read. While some of the short stories may disengage the reader, overall the story and writing are well done.

I am glad to say that this book brings back the Chuck that I became so enamored with when reading Survivor, Fight Club and Choke.

First, let me say that "Guts" is THE single best short story I have ever read. Ever. The Best! And there are several other stories here that are almost as good:Footwork and Exodus are two that come to mind, but nearly every story is an "A."

Unfortunately, I must acknowledge the weakness of the "plot" that ties the stories together. "Survivor" yadda yadda, Reality TV is bad, people are desperate attention whores. Whatever. This part of the book is Pahlaniuk at his most off-putting and I can see why a lot of the reviews aren't so good because of it.

Look, if you like short stories, maybe just skip the rest. The poems and the "main story" are all clearly identified, as are the stories. And the stories are an amazing collection. If you have every liked anything Chuck's written, you'll like some of the stories (not all, probably, but plenty).

Chuck Palahniuk just isn't quite as skilful as he thinks he is. He has a following. But that just makes more sense to me than if he didn't. There are hordes of pop cultural vampires who read a Palahniuk novel and think they've been given the key to Castle Clever. He's a good trickster, and as they say there's a sucker born every minute. Lots of suckers. Lots of suckers who read books. Awww, sorry Chuck, I just didn't like this book. No hard feelings, huh?

A blatant, empty, and immature need to continually shock, notwithstanding, I pose to you a question: how sophisticated really IS Chuck Palahniuk? Ohhhhh...he pines to use his laptop as a scalpel and cut away the ugly truth of humanity, and thrust this bloody satiric mess of guts in our faces. Oh, he pines, HE PINES like some sort of latter-day Upton Sinclair. Late at night, Palahniuk probably tells himself Kurt Vonnegut and Joseph Heller weren't really that great, that HE'S got his finger on the pulse of the world's absurd hypocrisy and levelling, engorging blind instinct to self-destruct ourselves into oblivion. Oh, Chuck, couldn't you have been a bit gentler on us? Awww Chuck, don't hold up that mirror, it's all so...ugly! Stop Chuck!

Haunted. Wow. What an idea, huh? A writer's retreat that goes bad. All these poor souls trapped in a theater with nowhere to go. Short stories that comprise the last exhales from this doomed and damaged group that so quickly, so....easily turns to Cannibalism and murder. Wow, Chuck, why do you have to be so TRUE, to show us so nakedly for what we are. Is nakedly a word, Chuck?

And then the stories themselves. Haha, I liked the one where the guy has to free himself from drowning by chewing away his lower intestine. Good one, Chuck! Or, wait, the cop who goes mad cause all the other cops are having sex with the sex abuse doll, whoa Chuck, the irony there, huh? What were you saying with THAT one? That one hurt. But not as much as the transgendered lady who gets gang banged by a group of feminists or any of the other 7,000 stories in this indulgent, badly written, gnarled and overlong piece of baloney that bored me to tears. To tears, Chuck. You made me cry, Chuck.

But out of boredom. But maybe that's part of your big picture. A post-modern revolution, a sentient subversion, bore your readers. Good one, man! How come I didn't think of that? Wait. I know. You're way more cleverer than I am. Is cleverer a word, Chuck? Tell you what. I'll give you an extra star. Two stars, Chuck. If I really really hate something I like to give it one star. But hate is just too strong a word for a book that made me feel and think absolutely...nothing. Two stars, kiddo. Two stars.

This is my third novel by Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club & Lullaby) and what Palahniuk seems to suffer from is an abundance of decent ideas and a lack of ability to do anything decent with them.

In Haunted, what you get is not a novel, but rather a collection of short stories. This - on its own - is not a problem for me as I like short stories. But apparently, like a bad porno movie, the author felt the need to tie it all together with a loosely-woven story arc.

And even this greater story arc does not live up to the claims made by the book jacket. The story is said to be a survivor-like experience at the hands of an aged puppet-master. Yeah....for about 4 chapters. After that point the characters start sabotaging themselves by doing ridiculous things like loping off fingers and attempting to lop off genitals.

Now, people are always puffing Palahnuik up by saying his work shows the darker side of humanity. Huh? Do you know anyone who would lop off their own finger (or many fingers) to try to be more sensational than someone else? I hardly live a sheltered life and although I have known many people to practice self-mutilation, chopping off a finger is not something even the most hard-core pain addicts would indulge in unless they were in fear of their lives.

So,then I must ask:
Is this the real darker side of humanity? Or is this a side much darker than actually exists....written by Palahnuik for shock value?

I don't like it when people think "shocking" is synonymous for "deep" or "clever" or "insightful."

On that note, even the shock factor is a sophomoric effort- if even that. The first short story (written by Saint Gut-free) reminds me of the stories kids tell one another at sleep-away camp. You know the kind: urban legends. The story climaxes when something vaguely realistic but actually unlikely or impossible happens (getting your guts sucked out by the pool filter suction...ring a bell?) In urban legends the story is crafted to warn a certain segment of society (such as pubescent boys who like to engage in self-gratification).

I don't know about you, but I am past the urban legend phase of my life.

I keep trying to read Palahniuk thinking that I will finally "get it" and be one of the clever elite who thinks his stuff is gritty and cutting edge. After all, the idea on the book jacket usually sounds pretty good. But every time I waste about $15 and only end up disappointed because the book jackets have to tell half truths to cover up for the fact that what the reader gets is actually rubbish.

Last time I make this mistake.....

Despite being a sort of confusing book (because of the many different stories mixed into one big one) it's a very good book. Some of the parts had me feeling a little disturbed, but it was worth it.

If you want a good shocking experience this is for you. However, it's not just shocking it's got a pretty good meaning to it. That I'll let you find out on your own but I would defiantly check this book out.

This book is discusting. It's so groosume and yuk!!

Sick Sick Sick Sick Sick Sick Sick Sick!!! In a totally good way. One of the craziest books I have ever read.

Having read Diary before this book, I was looking forward to another exciting and unpredictable Palahniuk novel. However, I was very disappointed.

This book started out good, the gruesome stories grabbed my attention and made me want to read further, but the characters' actions turn it into a rather boring read, at least for me. I lost interest when the actions went from realistic/believable, to fake and far-fetched.

I got the book 2 years ago shortly after it came out, and I've been trying to finish it ever since. I'm not even halfway through, and it's almost a chore to read.

Chuck is easily my favorite author.
this collection of short stories (each can stand alone) is woven together to make one great twisted story.
a fun and easy read!

I like this book. I want to love it. But I can't. It is entirely way too long. This book could have been cut in half and become an amazing story, instead it lingers on and on and on and on and on for over 400 pages. 24 stories. Too many characters. By the end of the book it felt like a chore. This book had so much potential. Starting off with Guts made it seem unstoppable. Oh but it did. After about 200 pages of which I remember nothing great about, I started thinking about cutting off my own fingers. I did NOT want to turn another page. But I did. Finished it today, and I no longer want to read any more of his novels.

As of now I've tackled 4 of his novels. Fight Club and Survivor were amazing. Choke left me wanting, and Haunted left me dissapointed.

Haunted struck me as a gimmick: A collection of short stories and (poorly written) poetry, strung together by a thin main plot. Throw in a glow in the dark cover, and you have a marketing package fit for an R.L. Stine book.

The stories themselves are miss and hit. I enjoyed many of them immensely, such as Gut, the most famous of the collection, which, supposedly, caused 22 people to faint during Palahniuk's readings of the story, which is about the sexual experiments of three boys which all end in disaster, Obsolete, a Sci-Fi story about a world that has found heaven on Venus, and devises a plan to force 'immigration' on the world's population, Foot Work, about practitioners of alternative medicine turned prostitutes and assassins, and Dog Years, about...well, this one is best read fresh. Palahniuk has a talent for concocting strange and humorous situations, and creating interesting characters. Note that interesting does not mean well developed. Many of his characters are simply a collection of eccentricities.

Some of the other stories, such as Dissertation and Green Room, left me puzzled, and not in a good way. I simply didn't get them. But perhaps that's my fault.

I intended to write a summary of each story, but in reading the list of them, I've forgotten what many of them were about. Take from that what you will.

Given Palahniuk's talent for memorable characters, it's strange that the main characters of the main plot, the glue that holds this collection together, or holds it down, depending on perspective, seemed like the same person. The flat characters may have been Palahniuk's intent, given the heavy-handed symbolism of the novel. But instead of leaving me enlightened, it left me yawning.


The plot also left me incredulous. That so many people would mutilate themselves for their fifteen minutes is unlikely, and that none of them died from infection or blood loss is unlikely.

Yes, we get it. Reality TV is bad. A message doesn't make a good book, especially a message widely accepted.

Is this book worth reading? Yes, if you've read Palahniuk and know what to expect. I enjoyed the gross-out, which often bordered on gratuitous, because I'm used to it. But others may only be disgusted, instead of delighted AND disgusted. If you do decide to give this one a go, get it from the library or the second-hand book store, and skip the main plot and the poems. Pretend this is a book of short stories, and not a novel of them.

I love Chuck Palahniuk's work - I've read everything. This one seemed desparate, though. Palahniuk has always been creatively sick, and frankly, that's what I've loved. And although, this book was sick, and I'll even give it creative, the two didn't blend well together. The premise was terrific, and I had high hopes. The execution, however, was just plain hard to stomach. I don't want to read chapter after chapter of people starving to death, detailed descriptions of their body fluids, and a blow by blow of the disintegration of civility. That was done much better in Lord of the Flies. The book also has one of the worst endings I've ever read. Love Chuck - hate this book

I liked this book. Chuck has his own style and he keeps it alive and kicking in this book. Once you get started in this book it moves along very well, the stories keep you glued,some shocking others thought provoking either way it's a good fun read. I didn't give it 5 stars because I didn't care for the Ending but if your a fan of Chuck like I am this is a must read.

This is what's happened here, folks, if you're curious. Short story collections are very hard to sell - many bestselling authors will merely do okay with their short story collections, with a few exceptions. So what this author has done is collected a bunch of stories over the years and tried to milk the collection for the same kind of sales he'd get for a novel. The result is: some quite good shock-value short stories tied together very tenuously indeed, to a thin convoluted plot concerning not characters but a bunch of odd names. Characters? What characters? Each is identical, aside a few details we're told about, as opposed to shown. Each has identical motivation, speech, and defects. They all react identically to each situation. In reality you'd be flat out finding one person so demented he'd be willing to cannibalize others just for fame and money, yet I'm supposed to accept there are more than a dozen of them here. The book is a cynical fake, in its intent and its tone.

The passages between short stories took all my determination to keep reading. Such flat, ineffectual, insincere padding I don't think I've ever encountered before. The poems? Thankfully they were short. The short stories? They weren't all bad, although why anyone would accuse the author of possessing literary merit I don't know - it's shock value, gross-out humour. Nothing wrong with that, but there's something wrong with falsely advertising this book as a novel.

When most authors have a collection of short stories, they publish a collection of short stories. C.P. has done something different, and great.

It looks like he took his collection, created different fictional authors for each story, put them together in a locked building, and let them loose.

Funny, gross, even touching, the way the story's authors interact, the way the superplot appears between stories, all of it is pure genius.

Ultimately, Chuck's point is that we create our own misery, and if we're strong enough, we can break out of it. But wow! What a way to prove a point.

After putting in my two cents for Palahniuk's latest novel, "Rant", I thought it would be best to review his past works as well. Although "Haunted" lived up to its hype about being Palahniuk's most grotesque novel to date, it further solidified his place among the greatest of contemporary writers. The reason I have given this novel four out of the possible five stars is because it really isn't intended for first-time Palahniuk readers. It is comprised of 23 "short stories", mostly preceeded by a short free verse poem. The content itself should not be taken for its pure face value, but rather as a harsh and direct criticism on Palahniuk's part for "the battle over credibility", as Palahniuk himself said. Not intended for everyone, but it surely is a recommended read for the hardcore Palahniuk junkie.

I checked "Haunted" out of the library because . . . well, I thought it was about - duh - something or someone who was haunted. A ghost story. I also thought the idea of having severeal short stories create a novel was interesting. I have no problem with graphic writing, and I even thought "Guts" was a cool story in a way.

But as the novel progressed, I started getting bored. The writing style lost my attention, and the characters all started melting together. I started getting annoyed with the lack of a plot. I gave up on it after skimming ahead and not seeing any improvement. I tried finishing it, because I hate starting a book and not getting to the end. But I just couldn't anymore. I'm glad I checked it out from the library and didn't pay money for it.

You have to wonder what Chuck Palahniuk must be like in person...so many characters with issues, a very creative plot.