June 11, 2005

read this



The current read is Haunted, the latest from the demented mind of Chuck Palahniuk. In Haunted, 18 writers are invited to spend three months, secluded from the rest of the world, perfecting their writing skills. Sounds pleasant, unless you’ve read Palahniuk before, then you know things are going get fucked up pretty quickly.

When they aren’t writing they are thinking of ways to make their captivity more compelling to the public when their story is eventually released in book and movie format. Some of the writers think that the best writing comes from suffering, so they take it upon themselves to make their living conditions a little more challenging. A little handicap here and there adds up to a really grotesque living situation.

The novel is integrated with poems and short stories written by the captives ... er ... writers. The first story, Guts, sets the pace for the rest of the stories. Just when I thought I tried and considered every method of masturbation known to man, Chuck dishes out a few I just cannot fathom (or am willing to try). Typical reactions upon hearing the author read Guts at signings have included fainting and loss of bladder and bowel control. You can read Guts here or, if your too lazy to read, you can hear Palahniuk read it at a McBooks signing here.

The rest of the stories ... definitely weirder.


I’ve been a big fan of Palahniuk since seeing David Fincher’s movie, Fight Club. Lullaby is hysterical and Diary is okay. You should give him a try if you like David Sedaris, Sarah Vowell, or Nick Hornby.

1 comment:

ROBOCUB said...

Is he your bf? What's his name?