Haunted

Haunted is not a tale for the faint of heart, or stomach. Chuck Palahniuk, whom has written stories such as Fight Club, is well known for his controversial storylines. The novel consists of twenty-three short stories, all crude and unorthodox—a vast variety of things that most people would not dare discuss in an open forum.

Lured in by promises of a writer’s retreat, a group of seventeen strangers have false hopes for how the retreat could have been. Each character is called by a nickname, but instead of names that praise themselves and depict them as heroes; their names are based on their faults and crimes. The stories told depict their namesakes.

For three months, they are exiled from the word, locked inside of a theater. They all have high hopes to create literary masterpieces in their stay. None of them possess the capability to overcome the non-ideal living condition. Ultimately, they all do their part to sabotage their own stay.

When Mr. Whittier, the man who concocted the master plan, died, they were more than prepared to milk the situation to it’s full potential. They planned to sell their story—at least, the one they had fabricated to sound much more horrific than the true events; people fall so in love with their pain that they cannot leave it behind. In order to escape the barricading walls that surround them, they must obtain the ability to leave their past where it should have stayed; in the past.

In all honesty, I found this book rather disturbing, amusing, and enlightening; a true paradoxical conclusion. I found Chuck Palahniuk’s writing rather peculiar, as he wrote in present tense and was more then comfortable with themes of a vulgar nature.

However, I would highly recommend this story to anyone who takes enjoyment in horrific situations and possesses a dark sense of humor. All in all, for a disturbing book, I would give the story an eight out of ten rating.