Several weeks ago I finished reading Haunted, the latest book by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club). I really enjoyed the book... I think... but I hesitated to blog about it because the book is just too damn strange. And in a way, maybe giving anything like a recommendation to read it makes me come off even stranger than you think I am.
To put it simply, this book has some of the most revolting things in it I've ever read. Some people have told me how they've been creeped out reading Stephen King, or Dean Koontz, or some other author. I've never had that experience reading a book until I read Haunted. I wasn't frightened. I was digusted.
Several times while reading this book, I literally screamed out "Oh!!" all alone in my apartment, and slammed the book closed. Vile imagery. And a truly skilled use of words to bring it all to life so vividly as to cause that kind of reaction to words on a page. I was impressed.
In truth, it's not as good a book as some of his others. (Lullaby comes to mind.) But it is cleverly structured. Some might call it disgusting merely for the sake of provoking... and I'm not sure that would be unfair. But I keep coming back to the fact that I cannot recall a book ever provoking such a strong reaction from me before. So I suppose I have to recommend it.
If you do happen to read it, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about by the time you get to the end of Chapter One, the "Story by Saint Gut-Free."
1 comment:
I'll take "The Penis Mightier", Alex.
I don't know. I got enough vile but vague imagery from The Devil in the White City to last me a while.
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